[Erick Aguilar]

Being too sticky when i need to do something while i'm on my knees, or sitting on the floor?

Couple of days ago my water heater was shot, and we had a huge leak in our yard, the flame was still going and i went out to put it out so the boiler wouldn't overheat and go boom..

So when i was on my knees trying to reach for the control Apollo would stick his nose were my hands were...and when he realised it was boring he would use me as a bench, and he started to lie on me.... i pushed him once because i didn't want him to push me into the flame, and that got him going! splashing the water all over me (i admit that was funny) but i got soaking wet from his zoomie..

What i would like to know.. is how can i let the dog know when he can come near, and when he can come closer... sounds like a sit and wait would work, but since that is what i did and curiosity won over the obedience (OH WHAT IS DADY DOING THERE!?).. i think there should be other way..
I don't want to tether the dog.. i would feel that i'm going around the problem and not trying to solve it in a positive way.

 

[hulkamaniac]

I would honestly crate train the dog. That way when you're doing something and can't or don't want the dog around simply crate him with a couple of toys. When you're done with what you're doing you can uncrate him.

 

[TooneyDogs]

First off....that was a really bad time to be doing any dog training and also try to work on a project at the same time. If you don't want to crate or tether then, the next best thing would be to have him in a down stay. That position is much more comfortable for him and he can hold it longer than a sit stay.

 

[FilleBelle]

I would put the dog in its crate or close the door so that you are in one place and the dog is in another.

You are right when you say this technique has nothing to do with training. But why does it have to? Isn't that what doors are for?

 

[wvasko]

Erick
I'm assuming from your many posts that you are working your pup some basic stuff sits, stays, downs, etc. I tell clients that obed work and maturing go hand in hand each day you work pup, has pup 1 day older. You can't make a young boy a man nor can you make a pup into a dog. There just are some things that pup is doing now that with age and work will just phase out and disappear completely. To me, the cool part is that you got a laugh from his zoomie, these are the silly things that you will remember later and the fact he has these silly zoomies once in a while tells me you aren't warping his puppy hood as that is the proper time for zoomies.

 

[Erick Aguilar]

Erick
I'm assuming from your many posts that you are working your pup some basic stuff sits, stays, downs, etc. I tell clients that obed work and maturing go hand in hand each day you work pup, has pup 1 day older. You can't make a young boy a man nor can you make a pup into a dog. There just are some things that pup is doing now that with age and work will just phase out and disappear completely. To me, the cool part is that you got a laugh from his zoomie, these are the silly things that you will remember later and the fact he has these silly zoomies once in a while tells me you aren't warping his puppy hood as that is the proper time for zoomies.

Well, we are still teaching basic stuff as you say... more than commands we've been using alot of N.I.L.I.F. recently, and just teaching him some doggie manners (Don't steal food, no jumping on guests, proper meeting, no pawing,etc..etc..)
He does seem more mature compared to the first days he came home though, he still has some behaviours that i hope he grows out from.. (poopy eating.., and still doing our ways with Heeling)

 

[rosemaryninja]

What about a place command? Go to bed/go to mat.

 

[Erick Aguilar]

What about a place command? Go to bed/go to mat.

THAT sounds like a good idea...
How can i teach that command??

 

[drea]

I did it with a marker (clicker). Here's a good video.

 

[Erick Aguilar]

Well, i'm going to try this out now.
A question though.. how could i apply this to an outside enviorment?
I was thinking that the ''Place'' could be his dog house, but he is never inside his doghouse, i think he doesn't like it

 

[drea]

I taught Tucker to go to his "place", which at the time was his bed. But it's also how I taught him to go to his crate. You could teach the pup to go to his mat, then move his mat into his doghouse to train "go to your house".

 

[Elana55]

In reading this it sounds like you need to work on stay or wait duration. He broke his command because, for his level of training the wait was too long and he made a decision to do something else.

In addition to NILIF and the rest, try instilling in your dog he is to never break a command unless he is released OR given a new command. This takes 100% consistancy on your part. It matters not if you train him to "got to mat" or "lie down" with a "stay" and it should not matter where he is when you ask for this (indoors, outdoors etc. etc.). You practice it everywhere you need him to do it.

Now, the FIRST time I did this.. trained a dog with the idea that a dog is to NEVER break a command... only to do what has been asked until he is asked to do something else OR released, the dog got it quicker than I did.. and the dog learned that I could be inconsistant in my inistance that "sit means sit until I say lie down at which point it is Lie down until I say it is come here..." etc.

The HARDEST thing for ME to learn was to follow thru EVERYTIME no matter WHAT and if I KNEW I woud nto or could not follow thru to NOT GIVE THE DOG A COMMAND. Even if I was talking to a friend while out on a walk (I would interrupt the conversation and correct the dog, putting her BACK into what ever I had asked that SHE elected to stop doing!). OR I would break off the conversation when I knew my dog was reaching her endurance level for the command.

To that end.. and KNOWING Apollo is not good enough at staying or waiting while you try to shut off the gast to the Water Heater, he should have been tied or crated.

And now you know.. he will NOT stay if you get down on the ground.. so in addition to training him to stay, increasing the duration of the stay, he has to be generlized on his stay no matter what you are doing, be it sitting on the ground or on all fours or standing or sitting in a chair.... (Ain't dog training fun? )

 

[drea]

Thanks for that, Elana. I can use that information in my own training with Tucker. What I'm learning is that it's harder to re-train than it is to do it right the first time. Since this is my first dog that I'm completely responsible for, I'll give myself a break. But good info nonetheless.

I'm curious how you go about putting the dog back into whatever state you asked him to be in...for example, when I've asked my dog to stay in a down, and when I see he's gotten up, or is about to, how to do put him back down quickly? I usually ask for him to go back down, wait a few seconds, then release him. Is there something I should be doing differently?

 

[melgrj7]

I taught Lloyd to back up on command, and then not come forward unless I invite him to do so. He can walk away after backing up, but just not come closer to me than where I had him back up to. It was the only way I could think of to get some kind of personal space as he seems to have no concept of personal space, like Allie does.

 

[Elana55]

I'm curious how you go about putting the dog back into whatever state you asked him to be in...for example, when I've asked my dog to stay in a down, and when I see he's gotten up, or is about to, how to do put him back down quickly? I usually ask for him to go back down, wait a few seconds, then release him. Is there something I should be doing differently?

In a perfect world you would not set the dog up to fail.. you would read the dog and see he is to his threshold and give a new command.

However, even the most vigilant trainer will have a dog fail and break a command.. it may be because you did not read the threshold and asked for too much or it may be the result of sudden distraction etc.

what I do is return the dog to EXACTLY the same spot.. the same position and all the rest and when the CORRECT position is again in place, I will re issue the command and reward the dog for doing it and this time not ask for as much.

Now if I see a dog about to break a command I clear my throat so the dog looks at me and either reissue the command in a stern voice or re issue the command by hand signal. I am sure that there are those who would say that clearing my throat is an aversive (and it may well be) but the stern-ness of the sound seems to work. And when I say it works, it works on dogs, cats, horses and yes.. even the cows. I am also sure there are those who would say that the stern tone of the command re-issue is an aversive as well.. and it might actually backfire on a timid on unconfident dog. I don't know. It as always worked for me on the animals I have had.