I am currently working with my dog Bindi in distance work. She knows the cues down, stand and sit. However I am having trouble helping her understand not to creep. What I have tried so far is:
Tethering her. She knows when the leash is on and when it isn't. She also gets very nervous doing any behavior when she feels the leash tighten. She doesn't want to pull against it. So she just gets nervous and stares at me. I have used a rod and layed it down in front of her, but she will either not do the behavior because she wants to creep over the rod, or she does the behavior and steps over the rod. She looks at me like, what did you put that there for? And calmly steps over it.
Any other ideas I didn't think of?
thanks sharon and my pups

I find walking around them in a circle helps them to realize that the command means to stay in that position AND that spot. I gradually make the circle bigger before I finally do a straight walk away.

Did you ever teach her to stand, sit down on a box....or you could reteach it the Micheal Elis way. Where they stand by moving their back end out and keeping their front paws in the same spot, and the sit is the reverse of that, they never move their front paws. Instead of backing into a sit like most people teach, your lure them to tuck their butt in instead.

what cathy said . . . you need to proof the stay before you can add distance .

you can only increase one " difficulty " factor at a time . duration , stability in place , distance from handler , distractions , complexity of the behaviour , etc . . .

bindi has a good stay. The only time she moves is between positions. when I ask her to stand from down, she creeps a little. She is very reliable in a stay.
I have not used boxes. That is another idea. Like I said with the stick she would not do the stand or down or just put 2 front paws over the other side of the stick.
She is great as I walk around her, throw distractions like food, motorized toy, toys, Weird sounding noises, dragging chairs behind her. It is only in the position changes she creeps.
Thanks sharon

I did teach her the michael ellis way, and she does that, when she goes from a down to a stand she moves a little. That is a good idea though. sharon and her pups.

"However I am having trouble helping her understand not to creep".


What Ian said above. If she's creeping she doesn't have a good stay.

Time, distance, duration should never be added together.

When I teach a behavior such as a down I will return on a very random basis. Often I return and treat with no marker, just a calm "Good", no marker. Sometimes I will return to a finish position and mark and reward. Sometimes I will return and go PAST the dog. Sometimes, after a bit of distance is added I will return half way and then go back to my spot.
It's the randomness that teaches the dog that it can't move till it's either marked and rewarded for whatever your teaching OR you give it a release command. Mine is a simple "ok".
IF you don't do things randomly the dog will pick up on your routine and anticipate. With a shy, nervous dog this would be even more applicable because you want to keep corrections to a minimum.
If you having to reset or correct the dog then the behavior isn't completely understood by the dog.

 Quote: Sharon Empson

The only time she moves is between positions. when I ask her to stand from down, she creeps a little.

Maybe use a board and a few stakes so it can be put on edge to make a bigger barrier?

 Quote: Bob Scott

When I teach a behavior such as a down I will return on a very random basis. Often I return and treat with no marker, just a calm "Good", no marker. Sometimes I will return to a finish position and mark and reward. Sometimes I will return and go PAST the dog. Sometimes, after a bit of distance is added I will return half way and then go back to my spot.
It's the randomness that teaches the dog that it can't move till it's either marked and rewarded for whatever your teaching OR you give it a release command.

That makes a lot of sense Bob. I've been doing something similar with mine at training recently and its helped quite a bit. I'll implement the half way return and randomize them more too. Thanks!

when you are asking for the position changes , will she creep if you are standing right in front of her ? or right beside or behind her ?

proof those first , then increase your distance . and then even if you are having success , decrease the distance at random points .

from the beginning of that close quarter proofing , i would randomly alternate mark / release / reward with mark / duration / reward .

so if she changes position with no creep , mark / release / reward that a few times , then next time hold her in that position mark / reward for duration , then release . mix it up until you feel solid , then add distance .

i do like bob does , changing my returns , but i also pretend to be doing things randomly at varying distances from the dog , just like what might happen in a real world situation , where i might be fixing something , interacting with people , filling the ATV with gas , etc . ..

one other thing to add , i would not be undertaking this during the early stages of any training session when the dog is still full of energy . do a good walk so you know she does not have to relieve herself , then undertake your " normal " session . when you see her energy start to flag a little , then start this new work . keep it brief , only go as far in each " mini " segment as you feel will be successful , but try and do several reps within a given training session .