Sniffing

[timberlane]

Adolesent female sniff everything hard to stop anyone any ideas

[fuzzy82]

What training methods are you using? Sniffing the ground could be a displacement behaviour/calming signal if you are getting frustrated with her or using a check chain etc.

If she just does it because the ground smells interesting, I would train her on concrete or inside the house, until she knows the behaviour you are trying to teach. Once she knows what to do she will naturally be more focused on you when you move into a more distracting environment (like grass with interesting smells).

[timberlane]

What training methods are you using? Sniffing the ground could be a displacement behaviour/calming signal if you are getting frustrated with her or using a check chain etc.

If she just does it because the ground smells interesting, I would train her on concrete or inside the house, until she knows the behaviour you are trying to teach. Once she knows what to do she will naturally be more focused on you when you move into a more distracting environment (like grass with interesting smells).

Shes fine on concrete ,but easily distracted on walks,has to be told to pay attention ,is it an age thing

[Jigsaw]

The environment is extremely exciting to your dog on walks, she's learning about the world and who's been past there recently.

This is a good video on training leash walking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZarFGdcj8s...der&list=UL

[sheena]

What training methods are you using? Sniffing the ground could be a displacement behaviour/calming signal if you are getting frustrated with her or using a check chain etc.

If she just does it because the ground smells interesting, I would train her on concrete or inside the house, until she knows the behaviour you are trying to teach. Once she knows what to do she will naturally be more focused on you when you move into a more distracting environment (like grass with interesting smells).

Shes fine on concrete ,but easily distracted on walks,has to be told to pay attention ,is it an age thing

Probably more a lack of training

[wuffles]

"On walks" and "while training" are two different things to me. You need to work out what you expect of the dog and then teach her.

My dogs can basically do whatever they want on walks as long as they are not pulling and listen to me if I ask them to do something. I walk them for exercise and to get out and about, and I do separate training sessions. They're allowed to sniff and even stop for a brief time but need to move on when I tell them to. They're also not allowed to drag me to a tree or whatever they want to sniff. Other people set different criteria but you need to decide what YOU want and help the dog understand that.

In training, as mentioned, sniffing can be a displacement behaviour (generally because the dog is confused about what you want it to do). You need to make yourself exciting and make training FUN. It's hard to know why it's happening without seeing what you are doing.

Edited March 27, 2011 by wuffles

[persephone]

sniffing is a natural thing, like us looking at our surroundings.

Dogs sniff to find out where they are, who's been there,what there is in teh area.

When training ..make the training fun and interesting and HAPPY ..so she is more interested in that, than sniffing. YOU have to be the most interesting thing around!!

[timberlane]

Thanks jigsaw. We are starting that today.

[Luke W]

I put sniffing on cue (regularly releasing with "go sniff") and click/reward for a return of focus. Increase your reward rate for paying attention to you.

[timberlane]

I put sniffing on cue (regularly releasing with "go sniff") and click/reward for a return of focus. Increase your reward rate for paying attention to you.

We generally say 'your free' which allows her to sniff, however will try 'go sniff' and click/reward when she focuses again. Also will have to increase food rewards in this exercise. Seem to have trouble with the spare time inbetween each exercise. I guess need more focus all around. Being a 22month BC I may be rushing.

[wuffles]

Are we talking about obedience classes, timberlane? If so, are you expecting her to concentrate for the full hour? An hour is a loooooong time to dogs, no matter how old they are. My girl is a 16 month old Aussie and there is no way I expect her to focus on me for a whole one hour training block. Between exercises she's either released to sniff/pee/rest or asked to do some simple tricks. Some people in our class stay a small distance from the rest of the class so that they can play with toys/tugs in the spare time.

But IMO 22 months isn't too young for her to have good focus - but in short, fun blocks rather than a whole boring hour

[timberlane]

Are we talking about obedience classes, timberlane? If so, are you expecting her to concentrate for the full hour? An hour is a loooooong time to dogs, no matter how old they are. My girl is a 16 month old Aussie and there is no way I expect her to focus on me for a whole one hour training block. Between exercises she's either released to sniff/pee/rest or asked to do some simple tricks. Some people in our class stay a small distance from the rest of the class so that they can play with toys/tugs in the spare time.

But IMO 22 months isn't too young for her to have good focus - but in short, fun blocks rather than a whole boring hour

Never do one hour block training, just want to do maybe 3 Open exercises with full attention on me while training. This is achieved in our own yard, just not in distracted new enviroments. Wants to sniff before and inbetween exercises.

[Staranais]

Sounds like either displacement (too much pressure) or lack of motivation relative to distractions (if she's really focused and intense about earning the reward, she won't be interested enough in the environment to want to perve at it).

[luvsdogs]

I have the same problem with my border collie. I've been told it could be displacement & I'm not a very exciting person. There's also a lot of duck poo on the grounds we train on so a lot of the time she self rewards. I agree with the other suggestions given.

[Bundyburger]

I put sniffing on cue (regularly releasing with "go sniff") and click/reward for a return of focus. Increase your reward rate for paying attention to you.

That's what I'm doing too... Mr 19mths is a sniffing machine! We have it sorted on walks now.. but it fell apart in agility training yesterday I didn't have the energy to rev him up properly and get him in full focus, so he was in lala land... When I'm bouncing around like a loony and really excited, he is wonderful.. but the second i go down to 'normal' bye bye focus! So for me, it's a case of making myself more interesting than the other things around.

I'd like to think by the time he's 22 months he'd have better focus than he does now!

[timberlane]

I put sniffing on cue (regularly releasing with "go sniff") and click/reward for a return of focus. Increase your reward rate for paying attention to you.

Thanks Luke

we did this on our morning walk, she was really good. I dont want to make excuses,but she is in season & the area is a new subdivision,(rabbits etc )but we are striving for perfection.We are giving a "close" command in between open exercises,click & reward heaps . One day showed an improvement.We may have been too relaxed between exercises & she has taken advantage. We are grateful to all responses, Thank you all.

[piper]

If this a new problem and she is in season I would leave the training until she is out season, they tend to lose their minds a bit when in season. If however the problem was there more than a few weeks before her season then it is probably not related (although could well be worse).