I don't think it is a "dominance" thing. I think that is a training thing.
Your dog is very smart. He's learned that when listening to you pays off in rewards: whenever you have a treat in your hand. He has also probably learned that while you can enforce his behavior while he is in the yard, if he is a certain distance away from you, he doesn't have to listen to you because you can't do anything about it.
For the two problems mentioned above, there are two solutions.
Not listening w/o a treat - you need to wean him off of treats. Get a treat pouch that you can put the treats in so you aren't holding them while you train. Then you need to put him on something that is called a
variable schedule of reinforcement. This basically means that you don't give him a treat for everything good that he does; turn from a pop machine to a slot machine. Sometimes it takes two sits to get a treat, then five, then ten, then one, then six....always change how much he has to do to get a treat. Maybe he'll have to do a sit, down, and then a stay to get a treat, then just a down, then a heel, then....
This will keep him thinking, "Maybe if I do just one more sit, or listen to him one more time, I'll get the treat!"
In addition to this, add in
reinforcement variety. Don't just reward with treats all of the time. Reward with different types of treats, bellyrubs, a game of fetch, a car ride, sniffing that other dogs' poo, swimming, a game of chase (he chase's you), anything your dog loves. So then, even if you don't have a treat with you, he is still getting rewarded for a good behavior, and then he won't be dependant on just treats. Here is a list of some rewards you can use (By: Pamela Dinnison
Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog training):
Quote:
* Food: chicken, cheese, hot dogs, liverwurst, tortellini, steak, chickpeas, kidney beans, liver brownies, kibble, burnt leftovers that no one wants, veggies, fruit; the list is endless.
* Toys: tennis balls, Frisbees, tug goys, kongs; anything your dog likes to play with (Exception: Don't use old shoes or socks as toys because the dog will get the idea that your new socks and shoes are also toys.)
* Activities: swimming, car rides, walks in the woods, tag you're it, chasing you, jogging, hiking, grooming (some dogs do like to be groomed), playing with other dogs.
* "Life rewards": sniffing that pile of poop, rolling in smelly things, chasing squirrels (in a safe area, please!), peeing on bushes
* Other: praise, clapping, jumping up and down, cheering, petting gently, petting roughly, just hanging out together.
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Not listening outside of the yard - the key to sucess is prevention. Don't let him leave the yard. Get a 50' lead and clip it on him. When he is starting to leave the yard, call him to you. If he ignores you, pick up the lead and give him a gentle tug to start him in your direction. As soon as he starts to come, praise him, back away, and act like you are having the time of your life. When he comes to you, give him lots of yummy rewards, whether those be treats, praise, a game of fetch, or all of the above. Even if he isn't leaving your yard, call him to you and reward him. Make it a game, so he loves to come to you when you call. Be consistant with your commands, and eventually you should have a fairly reliable recall. When the lead is off and he still doesn't listen, go back to square one. Try working on basic obedience commands inside or out in your yard. Start with the leash on, and then when he is doing them perfectly without hesitation with the leash on, take it off and start from scratch. Teach him the commands again with the leash off. After that you can add distance, so he is listening to you off leash and not up close to you.
I used to have the same problem with my Lab, Blackie. After doing the above, I can tell him to sit and stay halfway across the yard and he will comply. It takes a lot of practice, but it is well worth it in the end.
Also, if he has a lot of energy, taking him on a walk before you start training sessions is a good idea. I have also noticed that if I take my dogs on a walk before I let them run loose, they are less apt to wander as they have already gotten most of their energy out.
Hope that helps!
