Quote: connie sutherland

Did you use high-value treats? Was the session very short and upbeat?

Also, "hungry" means before meals.

I don't know much about the heel-work to music class, but maybe others will help. I'd have proofed the dog for distractions (and done focus work) before a class with other dogs learning a complex trick kind of thing.

1. I am still not clear. Is she still in the ob class?

2. I have no idea how to tell her to ignore other dogs in the clicker class either. You haven't done the foundation work yet. I would have to do marker work with focus and basic ob at home, indoors, then in another room, then in the yard, and then with gradually increasing distractions and changing venues. And other dogs would be a high-level (later) distraction.

I hope others will weigh in here. My opinion in the situation you describe would be that my dog was not ready for a class that requires focus on me while there are other dogs right there.

I would have a good time, though, doing the marker work to get her ready.

I would also start over completely on basic ob with markers (and get her out of the compulsion class if she is still in it).

Seeing this big picture, I'd be kind of amazed if the dog wasn't confused and low in drive. I'd back way way up.

 Quote: Naomi Clarke

Im not sure wether its because shes a pet dog and is with me 24/7 hours a day, loose in the house so she can come and go when ever she wants with free acces to the garden, she is fed 2 times a day and my husband walks her as I am disabled and can't walk far enough so the only time she has with me is when I feed her and train her, could that be why she is so unwilling to be excited about training?

How is her attitude toward your husband when it is walk time?

Even though you are home and able to watch her; I would not let her come and go as she pleases. I'd establish a schedule which works for you. I would definitely make use of the crate to give back free reign of your house to you. Also when she isn't crated I would have her tethered to you so she can't just get up and walk out. IMO she is really young to be making all these decisions and I think it might be contributing to her easily ignoring you. The type of freedom she has now is something which should be earned.

As you said she worked better for you when you returned after being out for a bit; bodes well that there is definitely hope and room for improvement.

I'm not sure I have it right but I think the class you are in now is a clicker class? Do you like the instructor? If so would taking a private class be a possibility? If not, can you put distance between you and the other dogs until they do not pose as much of a distraction to Pepper?

There are actually two group classes mentioned here: compulsion ob and marker music-heeling.

I'm with you, Sheila, about checking on private classes: To actually learn complex new behaviors in a class full of other dogs without having been proofed for distractions is (IMO) way too much to ask.

But all the re-do of basic ob with markers and the focus and proofing -- that is all fun. It's not at all a tedious new job. It would be so worth the effort.....

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

1. I am still not clear. Is she still in the ob class?

Yes she is still in the OB class, but I am clicker training her in that class now, but I think she KNOWS that in this class she is NOT allowed to play with the other dogs, she is very good in this class and will work off lead without being bothered by the other dogs, even in her stays if another dog comes to her she will stay and ignore it.

I think this is because she was originaly a compulsion trained dog, before I got into clickertraining, so when I first started the OB class I used checkchain and punishment to stop her from playing with other dogs and getting distracted. so now she knows in the OB class there is no playing with other dogs.

But in the Clickerclass which is held in a different place and taught by a different person I made the mistake on our first day there, of letting her play with another dog, now when we go there she keeps wanting to play with this dog, and is always watching him rather than me. I am not sure wether to put her back on the checkchain and tell her off for this or not.

She CAN work with other dogs around her, as she works fine in the Obedience class and she works at home when my mothers dog is here.

 Quote: Sheila Buckley

How is her attitude toward your husband when it is walk time?

She's pretty much the same, she just wags her tail a tiny little bit and goes off with my Husband for a walk, she dosen't really get overexcited or even seem to get excited about anything much. thats whats so frustrating I just can't seem to get her drive up for anything.

 Quote: Sheila Buckley

Even though you are home and able to watch her; I would not let her come and go as she pleases. I'd establish a schedule which works for you. I would definitely make use of the crate to give back free reign of your house to you. Also when she isn't crated I would have her tethered to you so she can't just get up and walk out. IMO she is really young to be making all these decisions and I think it might be contributing to her easily ignoring you. The type of freedom she has now is something which should be earned.

I hadn't thought of thaT. Do you think it would make a huge difference to her behaviour? as she is a pet dog first and a working dog afterwards and both me and my husband like having her free to a family member, and last time I tried to crate her she howled the place down whenever we left her alone.

There is no way I could teach a fairly complex new behavior to a dog in a class-type situation unless the dog was non-reactive. By that, I don't mean corrected for reacting; I mean that, unless the dog happens not to be at all interested in other dogs, then I have worked at home with the dog on focus and then (say at the edge of a class or near other dogs) on upbeat desensitizing, and then taught the basics myself, either alone or in a private lesson, using the class for proofing-for-distraction only (later).

Does the dog still need the basic ob class? Can marker work with you with no distractions and fabulous rewards and you very upbeat continue at home? (I am thinking of it as a re-intro to the fun of training. Doesn't sound like the dog is having enough for the kind of training you want to do. Are you?)

 Quote: Naomi Clarke

I hadn't thought of thaT. Do you think it would make a huge difference to her behaviour? as she is a pet dog first and a working dog afterwards and both me and my husband like having her free to a family member, and last time I tried to crate her she howled the place down whenever we left her alone.

Working dog or pet dog; they all require leadership and some of the things you have mentioned, lead me to believe there may be areas where that is lacking. So I definitely feel less freedom and more structure will have a big affect on her behavior. Will it make her more driven, probably not but it will make her more focused on you which will lead to more productive training sessions; and I am sure you will be able to meet your goals with her.

I also have the feeling your girl is one of those dogs when allowed to do something she enjoyed is bound and determined to repeat the behavior.....hence the howling the roof down...had she been let out in the past when carrying on? And continually trying to play with the pup in class.

The difficult part of dealing with this behavior is having more stamina than the dog; because her efforts will become greater before they diminish. On the up side; you know there is some drive there

I am with Connie; I think you can probably clicker train her in the basics on your own and fore go the class for now. Have some fun and relax a little about the attention and drive it will come with time, effort and maturity. There is no rush.