tizey

Ok, so short and sharp training altering the time so to keep the little bugger guessing! thanks for the notes, much appreciated, now to extend his focus... we've got just under 2 weeks til his first day at school!

We just had a sit down session, me on the chair, Parker in front of me, starting with the treat at my eyes, then moving away. He would glimpse quickly at the treat, then look straight back at me, and by the end of it we were able to hold for about 5-10 seconds. So obviously some of it has made it through - he knows to pay attention to me, even if I'm moving the treat away from my face and my other hand is out wiggling a little bit. He would occasionally give a glance (very quick) at a hand, but straight back to looking at me, where we could hold it for a few seconds... does this sounds like progress? How often should I be doing this for him to really grasp it? I'm happy to do it as often as will be good for him, I just don't want to bore him. -- Jeez, that must've been years ago for the club to flood - I can't remember the last time the Barwon flooded, letalone that bad. Stumpybutt? I'm guessing thats due to showing off his date when he walks away from me?

wheres my rock, I'll work with what you've said, it seems you've had quite some success with it for a smaller dog. I'm in Geelong, so we're starting at geelong obedience dog club at belmont common.

I am having issues trying to teach our JRT (Parker) to focus. I've enrolled in obedience school, which starts on sunday (he doesnt attend the first session though). What I was told to do at home before coming along, was to teach him to pay attention (focus) to me, and they gave me an exercise to do it which involves calling the dogs name, touching him on the nose with a small piece of treat and saying his cue word when lifting the treat up to your chin so he looks at you, then rewarding, and 'releasing'. After a while we're meant to extend how long before he gets the treat, and alternate treats here and there. The problem is, I've been doing it for nearly a week, and we're still at square one - and I just don't think he gets the idea of the exercise - after 3 or 4 times of touching him on the nose with a treat, he will just look at me without having to say his cue word. Then next time we go to practice, he won't realise whats going on at first, then once he realises treats are involved, he'll just look at me. Also, with the exercise requiring me to 'release' him, he doesn't know that yet. But the exercise for 'release' requires me to get him under control with the attention cue, which i'm having trouble with. What should he learn first? What am I doing wrong? What should I/shouldn't I be doing?

I've just started focus (attention) exercise with my JRT - prior to attending any obedience classes (start in a few weeks). - thanks for the alternate for shorter dogs KK, it has been working much better for Parker than the other exercise I was given. what kind of attention should I be trying to attain? is getting him to look at me for a few seconds ideal, or should it be more than that?

Our JRT Parker, he's 7months and on Eaglepack Small Breed Puppy dry food, with the occasional meaty bone, and he's happy and healthy, would anyone recommend against this, or have anything that they would do differently?