May 11, 2011

My dog doesn't respond to marker training so how can I correct her from unwanted behaviors?

Full Question:
Hi Cindy,

I have a 14 month GSD female from an expensive kennel. Shipped to me at 9 weeks. She was spayed after the first heat. She has a huge play (prey) drive and a very low food drive. She does respond to markers. Sasha is on a raw meat diet shared with Embark from Honest Kitchen. She has a good appetite. Because markers are ineffective, what is another form of correction besides the ecollar which I use infrequently. the behaviors I want to correct are: indifferent recall, jumping on and/or being aggressive with strangers.... not mean but scary to them until I get her calmed down.

Thanks,
James
Cindy
Cindy Cindy's Answer:
You've got me confused. You say she has low food drive BUT she has a good appetite. That doesn't make sense. If the dog has a good appetite then you should be able to use food for marker training, you just may not have made sure she's hungry enough or found a high enough value treat.

I wouldn't be so fast to write off marker training. Have you read this article on marker training? I'd also recommend these 2 videos; The Power of Training Dogs with Markers and The Power of Training Dogs with Food.

I think you will find that if you follow the outline in these videos your dog will respond very well and the need for corrections will be much less frequent. She just needs to learn to engage with you.

We are also just getting ready to release The Power of Playing Tug with Your Dog. It's the follow up DVD to the 2 I list above.

If your dog is engaged with you then you'll have her attention, and the behaviors you want to address will be much easier to deal with and you can use rewards to reinforce good behavior instead of just automatically correcting her for things you don't want her to do.

You can always go to corrections but I HIGHLY recommend this system first.

Learn to use the search function (located in the left hand corner of every page on our website). Simply type in your search terms or key words and you will be directed to articles, question & answers, free streaming videos and posts on our forum.

I hope this helps.

Cindy

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Expert Dog Trainer Cindy Rhodes
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