Well, as you know Gus is very reactive. BUT..

[codmaster]

Originally Posted by GusGus

I am trying as hard as I can, but he doesn't work with even the SLIGHTEST distraction. He's got so much prey drive any noise, smell, movement gets him going like crazy.
I've been really working on showing that him coming to me is way better than whatever else he's doing but he's not responding to that. I'm starting to think shocker collar.

Maybe you might want to show him that he HAS to come to you, rather than giving him an option (choice?) to let him decide whether he thinks it is better for him to come?

Will take a lot of training but certainly a better approach with something like a recall!

[GusGus]

Originally Posted by codmaster

Maybe you might want to show him that he HAS to come to you, rather than giving him an option (choice?) to let him decide whether he thinks it is better for him to come?

Will take a lot of training but certainly a better approach with something like a recall!

Thats why I am thinking an electric collar would be best. Food when he comes to me a very uncomfortable sensation when he doesn't. His focus is very hard to break when its not on me. And I've done a bunch of focus work with him..

[codmaster]

Originally Posted by GusGus

Thats why I am thinking an electric collar would be best. Food when he comes to me a very uncomfortable sensation when he doesn't. His focus is very hard to break when its not on me. And I've done a bunch of focus work with him..

Gus,

My advice is to NOT use an ecollar unless you have a pro to show you exactly how to use one. More harm than good if you don't use it right. Do a search for Lou Castle web site - GREAT advice on ecollars from real pros!

I have the same problem of focus and attention with my now 5yo male GSD - he is extremely alert to what is going on around him 9and sometimnes a little reactive) - I have found thst if i watch him like a hawk and can inturupt his focus on other things BEFORE he gets carried away I am much more successful with it. Look up the concept of Threshhold and you will find some very helpful advice on training focus and attention.

[LouCastle]

Thanks for the mention Codmaster. HERE'S THE LINK to my article on training the recall. Please don't let the fact that your dog has an abundance of prey drive, lead you to believe that you can't get reliable OB out of him. I think he's two years old ( or thereabouts). You should have reliable OB on him at this age.

[GusGus]

Originally Posted by codmaster

Gus,

My advice is to NOT use an ecollar unless you have a pro to show you exactly how to use one. More harm than good if you don't use it right. Do a search for Lou Castle web site - GREAT advice on ecollars from real pros!

I have the same problem of focus and attention with my now 5yo male GSD - he is extremely alert to what is going on around him 9and sometimnes a little reactive) - I have found thst if i watch him like a hawk and can inturupt his focus on other things BEFORE he gets carried away I am much more successful with it. Look up the concept of Threshhold and you will find some very helpful advice on training focus and attention.

I'm sorry that your dog is sometimes reactive, and you can count on a threshold, but I cannot. Your dog isn't my dog, and a ecollar would most likely be the most effective for my dog, however I have decided to try one of the ways listed above instead. Even if o have his attention BEFORE I will not have it when he hears or sees something.

[GusGus]

Originally Posted by LouCastle

Thanks for the mention Codmaster. HERE'S THE LINK to my article on training the recall. Please don't let the fact that your dog has an abundance of prey drive, lead you to believe that you can't get reliable OB out of him. I think he's two years old ( or thereabouts). You should have reliable OB on him at this age.

I never once said that I think my dog can't have reliable OB..because other than getting distracted by other dogs and such, he's a wonderful dog. His OB is fine. Its just his recall I have a problem with

[codmaster]

Originally Posted by GusGus

I'm sorry that your dog is sometimes reactive, and you can count on a threshold, but I cannot. Your dog isn't my dog, and a ecollar would most likely be the most effective for my dog, however I have decided to try one of the ways listed above instead. Even if o have his attention BEFORE I will not have it when he hears or sees something.

It is unfortunately obvious that you have no idea what a dog's "Threshhold" is or what it means in training a dog. So I am sure that it is best for you "not to count on one!".

And please be assured that neither me or my dog hass any need for your sympathy about him being sometimes reactive to another dog that challenges him - we can and do deal with it very well!

You certainly do know best what is best for your dog - why else would you choose to use another way to train your dog other than the method that "would most likely be the most effective for my dog"?

Thank goodness that you do realize that "your dog is not my dog". This would seem to indicate that you do know that all dogs are different, right?

BTW, just to remind you, the idea of training (and then proofing a dogs training), is to insure behavior when they are distracted. I.E. you need to train your dog to have "FOCUS" in the event that they do get interested in something.

It is sad that you seem to accept the following:
" Even if o have his attention BEFORE I will not have it when he hears or sees something".

Hang in there. Maybe you can learn to pay attention to what other more experienced trasiners have to tell you and maybe together you can actually "Train" to focus on you and not on the other things around him/her?

Good luck with your dog!

[LouCastle]

Originally Posted by GusGus

I never once said that I think my dog can't have reliable OB..because other than getting distracted by other dogs and such, he's a wonderful dog. His OB is fine. Its just his recall I have a problem with

It sounds as if you're getting a bit defensive, but perhaps it's just this medium. I know that you never said this, but another poster said that your dog was still a puppy and that he did not have reliable OB on his dog outside the ring, with his dog being a couple of years older than your dog. I wanted to make sure that you didn't get th4e impression that it wasn't possible.

[GusGus]

Originally Posted by LouCastle

It sounds as if you're getting a bit defensive, but perhaps it's just this medium. I know that you never said this, but another poster said that your dog was still a puppy and that he did not have reliable OB on his dog outside the ring, with his dog being a couple of years older than your dog. I wanted to make sure that you didn't get th4e impression that it wasn't possible.

No, No. I don't get that impression. I know my dogs OB is appropriate for his age, minus his recall when his focus on something it shouldn't be. I didn't mean to sound defensive.