Quote: Becky Niedbalka

Another mention. I do mot marker train in the house. He has no off button in the house, and on an article I read on Leerburg, training wasn't to be done in the home. I do it in the porch,around the grooming table, and always outdoors.
I don't know If I am right in this. I just figured when we leave the crate, not to feed that mindset.
And since he always has a great mind during potty breaks, I assumed I was going the right way. Correct me if I am wrong.

If this is what works with your dog, in your situation, then you are not wrong. I'm not sure if I've seen that advice not to marker train in the house. I'm not saying it's untrue, just that I don't recall seeing it.

I have always trained my dogs in the house. In the winter, it's really my only option. (I hate cold, snowy weather, and so do my dogs.) I belong to a training club, but it's a half-hour drive each way, and until recently, I worked full-time, so going to the club to train was only an occasional luxury. I also will train anytime I take a dog for a walk at one of my many local parks (but I never did that until I at least had the basics down without distractions).

We each have a pretty good idea of what works best for our dogs, in our unique situation. I think some of the "training rules" are flexible and can (sometimes must) be modified to accommodate people's different circumstances.

sorry, I only noticed now that some of my links were not highlighted. Don't know what mistake I made.

By the way, I didn't mean to use a Prong. This is not necessary for every dog. I use for all of mine a simple slip leash with stopper.

Yes, I have http://leerburg.com/LeashSkillswithEllisDVD.htm too. Michael Ellis is always good.

I also have "Advanced concepts of motivation." with him. I didn't mention it, for I thought it might be a bit too early at the moment for Becky.

Here also an article with advices, which helped me to be aware when my dogs showed the first signs of possible reactivity. Most of them don't get reactive from one second to the next, most show many signs first, which we tend often to overlook. https://positively.com/contributors/its-not-the-dog-its-you-a-simple-way-to-stop-leash-reactivity/

Thanks Cheri! Yes, it's vids I want, not the whole training modules.
Midst of a noisy blizzard, so I will have to wait til it blows over before I can trust my cell service!
Thanks Christina! Have to re read posts, my mind is kicked up with all this Snow! Going to write down all your suggestions!

Harry learned fetch! And brought the ball back to get his reward every time!
He also learned to ignore the snowblower, and is still doing wonderfully on the collar grab conditioning!
And I get a perfect heel when I am carrying a bag of pigs ears, lmao!

Using food to long to get what you want from the dog will become a bribe and not a reward if done to long.

That winds up with the dog shutting down and not because it's stubborn or outright refusing.

It just doesn't understand the behavior without the reward there.

Is 6 months too long Bob?
We are just greenies on the Nilif, I do physical praise mixed with food reward.
Give me a routine, would be more than happy to try!

 Quote: Bob Scott

Using food to long to get what you want from the dog will become a bribe and not a reward if done to long.

That winds up with the dog shutting down and not because it's stubborn or outright refusing.

It just doesn't understand the behavior without the reward there.

How true.That's exactly what happened with mine in some exercises.

E.g. On walks, when I said "near" and they obeyed I always rewarded with food.

Ok, after some time I used a contuation marker and rewarded only afre a few times. It took me quite a long time to faint all this.

When now I say "near" and they don't obey I give a little tug, then they obey and I loosen the leash again or/and praise like Becky says,

This seems to me is a reward too for the dog, as he feels more comfortable with the loose leash. Or when fomally heeling and I combine this with a 'spin" or "(hand) "kiss!', can this b e seen as kind of reward too? (Cause they like doing this.)

We exercised our dog to the point that he needed X-rays and NSAIDs when he was young. So I get the skidoo.
We just had to exercise our guy to get him to settle.


"Tricks" were important parts of our marker training indoors, increased our communication.
A food bowl that is steel inside and rubbery outside can be picked up easily. If Harry can fetch now, he can learn " bring" which suits a herding dog. He brings his bowl, you put food into it.

This simple trick helped our guy . He learned that he could puzzle something out with his mind to " boss " me, make me do something ( feed him)..... And making "something happen "
Satisfied a need in him. Plus, he has to "give " to "get".

My guy still sometimes bites the leash. I ignore it.

We exercised our dog to the point that he needed X-rays and NSAIDs when he was young. So I get the skidoo.
We just had to exercise our guy to get him to settle.


"Tricks" were important parts of our marker training indoors, increased our communication.
A food bowl that is steel inside and rubbery outside can be picked up easily. If Harry can fetch now, he can learn " bring" which suits a herding dog. He brings his bowl, you put food into it.

This simple trick helped our guy . He learned that he could puzzle something out with his mind to " boss " me, make me do something ( feed him)..... And making "something happen "
Satisfied a need in him. Plus, he has to "give " to "get".

My guy still sometimes bites the leash. I ignore it.

 Quote: Becky Niedbalka

Is 6 months too long Bob?
We are just greenies on the Nilif, I do physical praise mixed with food reward.
Give me a routine, would be more than happy to try!

if the dog really understands a behavior your training then the dog hopefully should be weaned off reward with every time it performs.

NEVER completely stop rewards with markers but wean them down to marking and rewarding every time.

Make it random!

The biggest reason for NOT marker training in the house is the house is supposed to be a place the dog knows it can relax and not be a PIA.

That all depends on your and your dog.

I've always talked about using the TV commercials for training.

That sets a time so folks don't go overboard and train a young dog to long.

A few behaviors during commercials then stop while the program continues.

for the most part that means static exercises such as sit, down, stay and stay.

For a puppy the hall ways are great for the beginnings of back chaining the retrieves because the long narrow space is an easy place to control the dog from running off.

Again this depends on the dog not getting all wound up in the house.

Not all dogs have a good shut off switch so it's something you have to think about.

Both my GSDs were kept in the house the first 6-8 months.

Thunder could turn off and on as fast as a light switch but Trooper, at 11 now has never had that control.

When working with him in the house it is down in the basement.

Up stairs would be a disaster because the only time he can settle down is when he's asleep.