Well i would like to start of my saying hello . Ive been looking at these forums for about a year and they have been great.

My germen shepherd Emma just turned one year, She was my xmas gift to myself last year. I live at home with my parents who have 2 other dogs in another yard but Emma stays with me all the time and is really my dog.

Over the past few monthes she has seemed to go from a silly puppy to a dog that really listens to me and seems to be really picking up on the things i teach her.

I figure this would be a perfict time to get me and her into some dog classes so i can really learn how to train her and to make our bound that much stronger

I would like to know what should i be looking for when choosing where to take her for classes . We have never attended any kind of classes whatsoever so im compleatly new to the whole thing and any help or insite would be great

Thanks
Alex

Hi Alex, and welcome!

I think that most folks here will tell you to focus on training her yourself, and use classes for proofing the training that you have already mastered. (ie use the class to provide distractions, as opposed to providing instruction)

What have you done with her so far?_

So far i just work on her obidence, Basic house manners. But she really isnt trained in any way. She does and doesnt do what i tell her for the most part.

I dont really train her yet , more just correct things that im not happy with.

Alex, are you familiar with marker training (clicker training)?

If not, there are many resources here to get you started,(some free, and some that you can purchase) and you can accomplish a lot using this method of training...

Yes i am familiar with it. Actually have a clicker but havent used it sence she was extreamly little and dont think i introduced it to her properly.

Would introducing it to her with commands she already knows make it easyer for her to understand what the click represents?

I know befor she litteraly could care less about the clicker whatsoever

 Quote: Alex Thomson

Yes i am familiar with it. Actually have a clicker but havent used it sence she was extreamly little and dont think i introduced it to her properly.

Would introducing it to her with commands she already knows make it easyer for her to understand what the click represents?

I know befor she litteraly could care less about the clicker whatsoever

Did you associate the clicker with a reward? A clicker means absolutely nothing to a dog by itself. You have to teach the dog that the click means a reward is coming. Basically this is done by clicking and giving a treat (without asking for a behavior) over and over until the dog looks for the treat when you click. At that point the dog is associating the clicker sound with the reward. Then, when she does something you like, click and treat (or whatever reward/s she really likes). During the proofing stage you start using intermittent rewards and gradually phase out the treat (reward).

 Quote: Alex Thomson

Yes i am familiar with it. Actually have a clicker but havent used it sence she was extreamly little and dont think i introduced it to her properly.

Would introducing it to her with commands she already knows make it easyer for her to understand what the click represents?

I know befor she litteraly could care less about the clicker whatsoever

Good pointers from Mike.


And as Elaine points out, you didn't load the marker (clicker in this case). The clicker isn't the reward.

By any chance have you seen any of the Leerburg videos? If so, which? (I hope to point you to some marker info.) Proofing for distraction and changes of venue needs to be attended to after teaching, too. I suspect from your posts that going back and re-teaching basic ob with markers is going to do many things: Turn your dog into a training-happy dog (you will love marker work, too), refine every command, and proof the commands against the distractions of the outdoors, etc.

So tell us how you taught what commands you did teach and whether you have seen any videos. We can definitely get you started right here on the board with loading your marker and perking up the dog and her fascination with it.

I am hesitant to give advice here as there are so many people around that I won´t be able to even get close to in years to come but I would like to point you to THIS article. It explains the marker training amazingly!

If you feel like you would be more comfortable with someone instructing you hands on, try to learn alot about different training methods and form some sense of direction among them. Then try to find a trainer that seems to work with methods that you agree and are comfortable with and take some private lessons. Never be afraid to ask if you don´t understand the instructions or why it is done this way- a good trainer will give you a reasonable explanation. And don´t let yourself be pushed to do into anything that you feel won´t benefit your training or your relationship with your dog.

I would like to say thanks for all the help. Everyone really seems to have great advise in here and it does so much more then answer a question.

I have seen a few movies from here i belive is was the raiseing a puppy dvd , Also have read tons of books includeing all of the ones mentioned befor .

When i first introduced her to the clicker i did use reward. I do fully understand the basis of the clicker and have read about it befor. The only thing was even with treats she still seemed to lose intrest and i could see her mind kind of wandering. Now like i said befor this was when she was very little and her attention to me has grown leaps and bounds from when she was a pup.

She is leash trained a little right now. She does stop and sit and does not pull on the leash. The few things she does do on the leash is bark at other dogs witch i have been working on alot latly by makeing her sit and let the dog walk by makeing shure she doesnt try to get up to go after the dog and she has been doing very good with that latly.

About half off our walks are of leash and she stays right with me and comes and sits when she is told.

I think if i introduced her to the clicker again i will be able to get results rather then her lossing intrest.