Focus Issues

[whatevah]

I usually get quite good focus from my dogs. One thing I train is to walk around in anti clockwise circles and click and treat whenever the dog is in the right position and looking at me. Also if I am waiting around with my dog on lead, I will often click and treat her for just looking at me, I don't ask I wait for it to be offered. At flyball she has an issue with running working dogs, so I reward her a lot for looking at me.

Here is an example of him at a club comp.

[Snoopy21]

You can hijack all you like deelee....it sounds like we are struggling with the same issues anyway. :rolleyes: Willow also loves corned beef, but it doesn't work once we leave the yard. If I wait for her to give me eye contact I would be waiting all day. Once out, she is focussed totally and completely on everything else and not me. I'm just the weight at the end of the lead. We have outgrown puppy classes and are moving up to beginner obedience next week. I am affeared At least she had the excuse of only being a puppy at puppy class. Now she is just a naughty dog and I'm a slack owner who can't train her dog. I try....I really try and she is so good at home.

How are you finding the martingale? I am thinking of getting one to help a little with the yanking (although she is improving) and to stop her from slipping her collar (done that twice now and it is scary!).

[The Spotted Devil]

In my limited experience with young, mad dogs they do get better with age so don't get too distressed. They will try to "work you over" at this stage so don't give up either! I think I was fortunate in some respects as Zig was a right pushy bugger by 9 weeks of age so I didn't have a chance to relax. I have a martingale for Ziggy - not for corrections, just to stop him slipping out....works a treat.

He's nearly 16 months and it's taken lots of hard work but we just had a lovely, FUN training session in the park. He'd been for a free run on the beach this morning but after a long snooze was giving the cats (and me :rolleyes: ) a hard time so we headed out in the light rain with a pocket full of cooked chicken etc to do some practice. He did some lovely heel work (for where he is at), a couple of stays and his first formal recall without the long line. It was just fantastic - bikes riding past, pedestrians......not quite up to dog distractions yet but we'll get there

Edited March 27, 2008 by The Spotted Devil

[Reddii]

At flyball she has an issue with running working dogs, so I reward her a lot for looking at me.

Sorry, couldn't help it!!!

BTW - AWESOME work at the club comp. I can only dream of having the patience to get my two to that level.

[dogdude]

This post is not aimed at any particular person. It is really aimed at newbys.

Many of the common distraction based problems that you see at dog clubs are caused by poor socialization. The common conception is to let your dog play and meet as many dogs as possible which creates a dog that is less interested in you and more interested in the other dogs and what they get up to.

Positive experiences with other dogs are important, but it is only a small peice of the socialization pie.

The more you dog is used to the big bad world the less he will wonder about it.

Male dogs are more likely to be distracted for a variety of reasons like marking/sniffing and looking for bitches and even when they are desexed they seem to be more likely to be distracted than bitches although there are exceptions.

In trying to fix the distraction problem you can not simply teach your dog how to heel because that is not what you do on a leasurely walk when you actually need the dog to behave. It is a great tool to have at your disposal but basic obedience training alone will not cure the problem.

You "will" build a closer bond and understanding with your dog which will definitely help get the message accross, but the dog really needs to want to be interacting with you more than anything else.

This is not acheived by attacking one front. Greater success will come if you use a combination of negative and positive methods in association with desensitisation to the said distraction and a closer bond with your dog.

There really is no "magic cure". All dogs will respond if you put the time and effort in to change the relationship if they are of sound mind.

Building a sound relationship with your dog with something like TOT would be a great start IMO.

Not a pro and some may disagree but that is what I have experienced.

[The Spotted Devil]

Really interesting post dogdude and definitely food for thought. The one thing I am finding (which is so bleeding obvious, I know ) is that success builds upon success. Ziggy's training and learning is growing exponentially. I have a very driven dog (e.g. leg lifting, quite a dominant young lad) but he does not respond well to verbal corrections - however a NRM works an absolute treat.

Tonight, I put Zig's treat ball and puzzle cube full of biscuits on the ground and asked him to do a formal recall in the opposite direction - I was delighted with him and he loved it!!!!

[dee lee]

Now she is just a naughty dog and I'm a slack owner who can't train her dog. I try....I really try and she is so good at home.

I feel exactly the same!!!

How are you finding the martingale? I am thinking of getting one to help a little with the yanking (although she is improving) and to stop her from slipping her collar (done that twice now and it is scary!).

I love the martingale, I feel less guilty about correcting her than I did with a check chain. Mind you its hardly a substitute for a check chain, gives just a gentle reminder. I also am completely confident that she wont bust out/slip out of it- Ive had that happen on a flat collar too.

I think Dogdude's advice has been really good on this post,

But Dogdude- How does one change it all around??? The TOT works great at home so Im obviously missing something. Any other tips?

I read something similar from Steve (k9force) about the same time my dog started developing "issues" and I stopped taking her to offleash parks. It seemed to me then exactly what you are saying was occurring- my dog found everything else more exciting than me.

Actually she still does. I just have no concept of how to change that.

I expect that Snoopy21 feels much the same.

[dee lee]

TSD,

I am envious of your dog's responsiveness. You do seem to put the hard work in too which these days puts me to shame I must admit.

I have trouble getting my dog motivated to train at all- treats at home are successful but they simply are ignored once we are out the door. I find after many months of this my own motivation has waned and I am frustrated by lack of progress so thus have slacked off.

My only objective these days is to have a dog I can walk easily and pleasurably on leash, and that seems too difficult most days.

[Snoopy21]

I think Dogdude's advice has been really good on this post,

But Dogdude- How does one change it all around???

I totally agree. If anyone has any good advice on how to bond with our dog then I would be really grateful. I think that my dog is totally more interested in other dogs than in me. That is one of our main issues. I think that if we had gotten her younger and she hadn't been in a rescue situation with loads of other dogs but not much human interaction, then it would have been better, but it doesn't matter now, we need to build a bond....but how?

The more you dog is used to the big bad world the less he will wonder about it.

I also agree with this but at the moment it is hard to get out many places with our girl because she is so silly and difficult to control at times. We have kids too, and going somewhere with 3 kids and a loopy, leaping, slobbering and very large pup is not very easy.

Actually she still does. I just have no concept of how to change that.

I expect that Snoopy21 feels much the same.

I feel exactly the same. Help!