I was recording a video with my GSD, and then afterwards I analyzed the time it took him for each command. He varies quite a bit, and he is way slower than my Yorkie.

I can see, that he is much faster with hand signals than he is with voice commands.

My question is: Are there ways and methods to speed him up, or is it normal, that this breed, or maybe just this dog, is slower than others?

Btw I am not planning to participate in any competition, I was just wondering.

I notice he's kind of walking into positions rather than popping into them. Do you have the Training Dogs with Food dvd? The luring he uses to teach the position results in a dog that pops into a position rather than kind of wandering into it.

A Yorkie doen't have the angulation of a GSD so it's more natural for them to just use those quick minimal movements to get into a position.

Did you reward the dog at any time during this whole set of behaviors? Is the ball the reward? Do you have it in your hand while doing these exercises?
Could be your boring the dog with repetition. Other wise nice dog.
If the dog "varies quite a bit" then I would put them together till you get more consistency with each as individual exercises.
doesn't matter if it's reward based or correction based training you can't just skip over an incorrect(in your opinion)behavior in order to get to another one.
Go back to basics and get each behavior more to your liking.
If you can get the dog in a higher drive things should get snappier.

For sure everything Bob said.

I kept watching for rewards too, in that long sequence. Also, the "fun" level .... and maybe some enthusiastic praise.

I know not everyone trains the same, but I'm thinking that if you want to see eager snappy compliance, maybe there should be a little higher energy.

BTW, as Cathy asked, do you have (or have you watched) the first Ellis DVD, The Power of Training Dogs with Food?


I always agree with "Go back to basics and get each behavior more to your liking."

Nice dog!

I'm unsure how "correct" this is however I have always corrected my dogs for anything less than instant compliance and it has worked thus far. Make sure you set your dog up for success every time. If your going to correct him when he doesn't comply right away one time make sure you always do. I have noticed if you allow a few second delay at home, out anywhere else the same will happen. Lots of consistency, I reward more often as well. Good luck, nice dog.

I wouldn't physically correct a dog who hasn't been shown that speed is what you want. It can be confusing.

I will just not reward, neutrally say "nope", and walk away if Tanner is being particularly slow. He was given the opportunity to do it. If he really wants the reward he'll make sure to not lose that opportunity next time. I try to walk away before he has started to do the position. For example, I ask for a down and he starts to slowly sink to the ground. I make sure to walk away as soon as I notice the lack of speed and definitely well before his elbows and belly are on the ground. At that point he's complied with the command and should be rewarded for that regardless of the speed. I will also work on engagement and do fun reward events for a minute with something really easy (sit, touch, high five, etc.). It just gets him moving faster and more motivated.

First of all, thank you all for your advice so far, I really appreciate your help.

 Quote: Bob Scott

Did you reward the dog at any time during this whole set of behaviors?

Yes I did. I try marker training with yes, no, and random retrieve ball as reward.

 Quote: Bob Scott

Is the ball the reward?

yes.

 Quote: Bob Scott

Do you have it in your hand while doing these exercises?

sometimes yes, sometimes the ball lays on the ground, and I kick it for the retrieve. For example command leave it. He can't touch the ball while we sit, down, stand etc. then I say yes, and kick it for a retrieve reward.

 Quote: Bob Scott

doesn't matter if it's reward based or correction based training

The dog was correction trained at first, but I mixed in marker training. My trainer is ex-military trainer for a long time (before I was born, and I am already old). In our weekly training class, there is only praise as reward, and in that class I can tell that the dog is bored. Only reason I still go there, is to get the dog socialized with other dogs (long story there: he got bitten as a puppy by a shitzu, and is kind of unfriendly when other dogs approach him).
Now outside this class, I reward with his favorite reward (the ball).
I tried food. If I don't feed him for a day, and throw a steak to the left and a ball to the right, he goes for the ball. The only treat, that tops the ball is oddly enough a Greenie, but that becomes more expensive than a steak over time. And even, if I would use a Greenie, or only a small piece of it, he will take two minutes to finally eat it. And all that defeats the purpose of a food reward.

 Quote: Bob Scott

you can't just skip over an incorrect(in your opinion)behavior in order to get to another one.

Do I understand you correctly? You would correct the dog, if he is not fast enough? You mean with marker no, not physical correction? As you can see in the video, I use only marker.

 Quote: Bob Scott

If you can get the dog in a higher drive things should get snappier.

I had the feeling that is already high drive for him. I would have to pull out a living squirrel to get his drive higher.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

For sure everything Bob said.

I kept watching for rewards too, in that long sequence. Also, the "fun" level .... and maybe some enthusiastic praise.

I know not everyone trains the same, but I'm thinking that if you want to see eager snappy compliance, maybe there should be a little higher energy.

BTW, as Cathy asked, do you have (or have you watched) the first Ellis DVD, The Power of Training Dogs with Food?


I always agree with "Go back to basics and get each behavior more to your liking."

Nice dog!

Well, yes, I cut the rewards out of the video, otherwise it would be too long.
I watched and have many Ellis DVD's. I am an engineer, and I like, when teachers/trainers explain why they do things a certain way. One of the reasons, why Michael Ellis is my favorite trainer. And I can see in many of his videos, and also in many other videos on the internet, the results of his method.

Now this is my 4th dog, and food rewards would work with all of my dogs, but with Dexter. He just doesn't care about food. I could withdraw food from him before training, but he is already on the very slim side (the vet thinks I don't feed him enough).

All I have left is balls and tugs.

 Quote: Aric Buss

Lots of consistency, I reward more often as well.

Well, I am consistent in a way, that I never ever throw the ball without getting at least one behavior. If he does the behavior, I reward. For the reward, I didn't consider timing until now.
I give the command, and it doesn't matter how long it takes, I say yes, when the command is completed. For example for down, all 4 elbows have to touch the ground, if only one elbow hovers, he gets a no, and then he complies.

If I say no too early, I am afraid, he may take the no as part of the command. I learned from another trainer, to never ever repeat a command. If you say sit sit sit, he waits for the third sit to execute the command. I wonder if that would be true for 'sit no'?

 Quote: Cathy Goessman

I will just not reward, neutrally say "nope", and walk away if Tanner is being particularly slow. He was given the opportunity to do it. If he really wants the reward he'll make sure to not lose that opportunity next time.

You are right, maybe I introduce 'nope' as a third marker, just for speed?