Today my dog would not do a walking down. She pulled it in class last time as well. If I touch the ground and say "down" she would do it. I started phasing out the touch as when you are walking you can't turn and touch the ground.(Left over Petsmart bad training tech) I started stepping on her leash and making her go down. I felt myself getting PO'd. She did it once and then started trying to bite the leash. I put her off leash and she wouldn't come, or if she came she wouldn't swing. I put the leash back on, switched to just the dominant dog collar as she'd been yelping with the prong. I made her do it all about 20 times but most of it was forced. I tried to end on a good note with a final swing it was OK, but she was just a booger today. Does this happen often with trainig? I didn't walk her too far before hand. The town drunk was across the street with her dog and I have a real problem with her, maybe my feelings rubbed off on the dog and she(the dog) just didn't want to work as she felt me holding back my urge to pummel the woman. It was very frustrating. She's been doing very well in class, but today just No enthusiasm from her. Should I go back out later or just try again tomorrow? Chalk it up to a bad day or is it important to get her complete compliance?

This is just my opinion, but first of all, making her repeat something 20 times is nuts, especially when it was clear that she wasn't in the mood to comply. "Most of it was forced," yet another negatory thing in your account. 3-5 times is plenty for any exercise, and 5 can really be pushing it (depends on the exercise, how much fun you're both having doing it, etc).

Your mood ("getting PO'd") is another clear signal that it's not a great day to train.

It sure sounds like you're using a lot of compulsion in your training (forcing her down with the leash and then holding her there with it, etc.). The leash, if used at all, is a safety measure, not a control thing.

If you go back out today, I'd say, play and have fun only! Do not be a drill sergeant with this dog. You will only put your training back even further than you already have. (When you let her off lead and she didn't want to return to you...big clue..she's not having any fun.)

You need to make your training about fun for the both of you. If you're not in the right frame of mind, don't train that day. Take an extra walk or play more fetch or just have some kind of fun with your dog. What you are doing is not doing anything to build a trusting, solid relationship, and that's what it's all about in the end.

Like I said, just my opinion<g>...

leih

I train to relax and provide a distraction in my otherwise dull life. So if you are getting PO'd do something other than training. Also I would make the down in motion or the down a bit of a game and make it part of play. have the pupper follow the toy or food. do it often and praise. the monent the dog looks like its not wanting to work I'd work on something else or just play and call it a day.

I may have exaggerated the twenty times. It was more like 5. I have never had to put my foot on the leash before. I think you're right though about the mood. She definatley wasn't happy and wouldn't make eye contact with me. There's an activity when you hold out two arms and then get eyecontact and give the food from the hand they're not looking at. She barely looked at me. I was able to do it three times. That's when I finally decided she wasn't into it. She was doing the come over very short distance and halfway decent swing ended it as I wanted it to be positive. My husband had also fired up the backhoe and it may have just been too much noise. I think I will take her downstairs with no distractions and just run though everything one time later. She did the heal and sit perfectly. She's always seemed to not like the "down". I had a hard time getting her to learn it. I had to get her to crawl under a bent knee while sitting on the ground. She's sleeping right now. I'll have to be super happy and get her going after I feed her. That always get's her happy RAW! Or I may just call it a day as mentioned and throw the kong around the backyard some more. She's very sensitive. I don't know if that's common with pitty's or not. The pitty we had in my late teens was like that as well.

From what I understand they can be a sensitive breed, but I also think that many if not most dogs are going to be very sensitive to our moods and attitudes. I have one who will totally shut down with any sort of frustration or anger on my part during training.

I would also look at what treats I was using and try to up the value for exercises that you know are going to be more difficult. I find cooked bacon to be an excellent motivator!!

Well did you or did you not exaggerate?

Why say twenty times if it was five?

Well it seemed like twenty but if I actually count is was less. I tend to exaggerate and then when I see it in print I realize that it was way too much. I don't think I have the attention span for twenty times Like if I have to repeat something to my class I feel like I've said it 10 times when it is more like 5. But I will say 10 when relating the experience to another teacher, I don't have to explain the exaggeration as my face and body language convey the meaning. Then when it's on line and I post it I realized I typed it like I would say it exaggerating. Understand? If not, you know what my husband goes through daily. Anyways, she woke up and I was all happy and had a toy. I asked her to sit and swing and she was way enthusiastic with the toy. I think I will keep the toy thing going and keep the "fun" part in mind. I was using pieces of baloney. I think it was a combination of factors that shut her down, but I will keep the cooked bacon in mind. This one lady at class (who's dog is in the third level of Obedience shows I can't rmember what it's called) keeps the hot dog pieces in her mouth. I just can't bear to do that. One time she offered it to my dog. The dog didn't take it and she put it back in her mouth. I may be able to do that with bacon, but being a preschool teacher has turned me into quite the germ a phobe.

Whats a swing? And whats your big hurry to get rid of the hand signals?

 Quote: steve strom

Whats a swing? And whats your big hurry to get rid of the hand signals?

I like hand signals, I gesture lot with my hands anyway, my real name is DaJonesavinci

So whatsa the swinga paison?