I have noticed after I teach Ramsey something, when we do it again the next day or later, he will do it correctly the first time. If I repeat it more than twice, he gets bored. So... I have been letting it go after the 1st or 2nd repetition.

Is that enough?

(Right now we are going through a patch of Pano.. so I am trying to keep him quiet LOL!!)

1 or 2 reps in one session of training can be enough if they're good reps, but I wouldnt consider it learned or trained at that point Carol. It takes more then that. If your losing his interest, yeah the training may be going too long overall, or you havent found the right combination of what motivates him and for how long.

Right, I guess he's getting distracted. Any ideas on keeping his attn. longer? Or am I expecting too much?

I will say, he is still a very playful,funny puppy compared to some of the more serious working line dogs I have seen. He is a real social butterfly and at this point isn't fearful at all. He has a healthy curiosity. I think he seems immature mentally or maybe it's just my inexperienced training.

I want to keep his happy spirit while I do what little OB I can.

Carol, I can empathize. My dog is bold, friendly, and way curious. She is a good bit older than yours, so I don't know that what works for her is good for a puppy.

I try to let her be a dog as much as possible, and she is wonderful company. After she greets company, she settles in and pretty much ignores them, unless they call to her. She loves to train, but, like Ramsey, was getting bored of the same routine and behaviors. She is also wicked prone to distractions of any type.

To improve her focus for training, I did a couple of things.
First, I fooled around with treats until I established her value level for each. Her second favorite treat is easily cut into pieces small enough for training. They hold her attention pretty darn well. The highest value treat is reserved for special circumstances.
Second, I eased the stress of focusing by allowing her to settle into her environment a little before training. She gets wound up when she knows we're going outside, or a leash comes out, or I grab the car keys. When we do get to the training area, I take her to the potty spot, and then I let her check out any new smells. After a few minutes, I call for focus, then get her engaged and work on keeping that engagement.

When training, I have to monitor her engagement and practice keeping it constant. With my mature dog, I keep working through the bored phase of the session. Like your dog, after a few reps, she starts hesitating and looking around. I'll bump that engagement again, at which point she usually settles in and trains as long as needed.
I have found that with a dog who enjoys training, short sessions can be almost be too short. The dog can learn that after a few minutes it's over, and they can check out (or at least mine did).

Have you tried using a tug or a ball as a reward yet?

He gets pretty crazy for toys yet. But I have only tried that in the back yard. Maybe it would be different outside? Thanks.

Try playing more with a clear begining and a clear end and try to use that to increase his attention to you. Always quit before he loses interest.

Steve, I do that already. He likes the tug and the flirt pole especially. When I say done, he definitely wants more.

That is why I mentioned about the short training sessions. Right now I am trying to teach "place" since it doesn't have to involve too much walking. After a few reps, he wants to play with the "place". I just say a quick "nope" and he drops it.

I can hardly wait for this Pano to be over! It seems like a long one. My doc says the X-rays show he could be symptomatic in any or all 4 legs over the next few months!! I am keeping him lean(slightly under weight) but he is still growing.

Poor boy!

Duane~ What treats are you giving her? Mine has a touchy stomach= typical GSD.

Natural Balance Meat Rolls, similar to a summer sausage, cut into 1/2" squares. They are very well formulated (suitable as an overall diet, if nec), and Sadie never tires of them. I ration them into her diet, and have reduced the portions of her regular meals accordingly.
I use them for tracking and OB, as well as brush-up routines and parlor-trick training.

ETA: I get them at Petco, but not all of the Petco's in my area have them. I have yet to see them anywhere else, but the internet is a beautiful thing...

Edited by Duane Hull (09/02/2012 01:12 PM)
Edit reason: eta