SamanthaTopper Webboard User Reg: 03-24-2011
Posts: 779
Loc: Indianapolis
Offline
Mike, he's a 1 year old GSD from her previous posts.
It's fairly obvious when a dog is trailing and when he's sniffing the ground as an appeasement behavior. A dog dealing with discomfort of a situation or social self confidence issues will stick his nose to the ground but is easy to physically move from that position. He's not alertly trailing. His ears would be back, his tail held lower than normal, his hind end would be stiff and slightly leaning away from the pressure as a way of being ready to flea at a moment's notice.
Anna does this sound like your dog? Or is his ears up or at least interested, body square, and eyes intense? Elbows might be slightly bent if he's a taller, leggy dog but his hind end should be nice and relaxed even if he's putting some power into moving forward. If you put a leash on him and tug at his neck to get him to pick his head up does he lean into the leash? These are signs that he's actually trailing and intent on smelling what he's got. I'd say that this is him blatantly ignoring you and a correction is perfectly acceptable. A quick pop with the prong and then encouragement to move forward with his head up or something similar until you know that he knows what he's doing is unacceptable. Corrections can be escalated once the dog understands his choice and makes the wrong one.
Duane Hull Webboard User Reg: 09-23-2011
Posts: 2692
Loc: Marrero, LA
Offline
My dog is easily distracted, sometimes even during training when she's in drive. I'm with both Ian and Bob on this...
You need to make sure you have good engagement, and Ian's suggestions are what will get you there. However, if you follow those steps and the dog is still blowing you off, then a correction would absolutely be necessary.
When my GSD Drift first started training with me (she was 6 months), she didn't really care about what I was doing.. she was more interested in the environment than she was in me. If you have the Marker Training video (219-D) she's on there completely ignoring me.
She is not food driven at all, so even high value treats didn't help. It was frustrating, to say the least.
The solution was for me to be more animated. You can see video of Drift the same day completely engaged and working with Cindy. Cindy was animated, she MOVED to get Drift's interest.
For the first few months, I had to be overly animated to get her attention and engagement. Once Drift figured out that I was FUN to work with, engagement ceased being any problem at all.
Good luck!!
PS, if you have the budget for a video, I highly suggest Advanced Concepts of Motivation with Michael Ellis http://leerburg.com/228.htm
When purchasing any product from Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. it is understood
that any and all products sold by Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. are sold in Dunn
County Wisconsin, USA. Any and all legal action taken against Leerburg Enterprises,
Inc. concerning the purchase or use of these products must take place in Dunn
County, Wisconsin. If customers do not agree with this policy they should not
purchase Leerburg Ent. Inc. products.
Dog Training is never without risk of injury. Do not use any of the products
sold by Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. without consulting a local professional.
The training methods shown in the Leerburg Ent. Inc. DVD’s are meant
to be used with a local instructor or trainer. Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. cannot
be held responsible for accidents or injuries to humans and/or animals.
Copyright 2010 Leerburg® Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. All photos and content on leerburg.com are part of a registered copyright owned by Leerburg Enterprise, Inc.
By accessing any information within Leerburg.com, you agree to abide by the
Leerburg.com Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Re: Getting his attention
Top
Previous Topic
Index
Next Topic
.jpg)
