July 20, 2011
Completed the first two Michael Ellis DVDs and 11 month old dog is progressing great EXCEPT he has 'sticky' outs. I'm thinking I need to simply step back and work on his outs again, but how far do I step back in Michaels system of dog training?
Full Question:
Completed the first two Michael Ellis DVDs and 11 month old dog is progressing great EXCEPT he has "sticky" outs. He understands to out but if it is a tug he will continue to teeth it. If its a ball after a retrieve he will come right to me and will out on command but then when ball hits ground will attack it. I have tried simply saying no for a period of time, have said no followed by continuous tension with the leash until he drops it but once it hits ground he is back on it. I have tried saying no followed by stopping the play but he repeats. I do have an E collar on him but use it infrequently until I finish Micheal Ellis E collar DVD. Have not had the need for a prong collar up until this point because he blazed through leash pressure training with pressure from a flat collar alone. I'm thinking I need to simply step back and work on his outs again, but how far do I step back in Michaels system of dog training?Thank you
Cindy's Answer:
If your dog isn’t outing then you need to back up your training. I can’t tell you how far, that’s something for you to determine by the dog’s behavior and performance. If he’s still mouthing it, then he doesn’t understand the rules.
I would NOT be using things like balls, because it’s just taking away the value of the word out. The whole process of teaching the out is contingent upon the item being still while the dog learns the rules. It’s impossible to make a ball still, so he’s getting reinforcement for NOT staying out.
By putting tension on the leash to get him to out, you are creating possession issues that are completely the opposite of everything Michael teaches. I’d go back and rewatch the OUT section of the DVD.
You are actually creating your own out problem~unintentionally.
Good luck!
Cindy Rhodes
I would NOT be using things like balls, because it’s just taking away the value of the word out. The whole process of teaching the out is contingent upon the item being still while the dog learns the rules. It’s impossible to make a ball still, so he’s getting reinforcement for NOT staying out.
By putting tension on the leash to get him to out, you are creating possession issues that are completely the opposite of everything Michael teaches. I’d go back and rewatch the OUT section of the DVD.
You are actually creating your own out problem~unintentionally.
Good luck!
Cindy Rhodes
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