Tell us a little about your training methods.
There's lots of videos to be watched on YouTube for tips etc.
a trainer is always a good idea, might also be a good idea to go to a doggy school, they dong train your dog bug they show you how to train your dog.
Maybe even look into operant conditioning. I think it is the best form of training
Do what your gut tells you to do.....a trainer would certainly help you iron out any doubts you might have. Any trainer worth their salt will be able to display some of the capabilities your dog has and in doing so, will help you realize that all is not nearly lost whatsoever. Your attitude regarding " The only thing I can think of is going to a trainer to show me what I'm doing wrong." sounds very open minded and definitely a good mentality. The trainer I hired made me feel rather inadequate as he was able to get immediate results....which I was struggling with..of course. Once he helped me understand the processes involved, while clearly demonstrating his methods ( with results ) it opened my eyes on how to proceed and obtain much better results.
One last thought...getting a trainer ( hopefully a good one ) is a commitment of sorts and shows that you want this to happen and are willing to put the effort in, which is required.
Hang in there and stay the course as you get educated.
A trainer is never ever a bad idea. But as another stated.. why don't so share what's been going on. What you do, what's your routine with exercise and training, etc.?
At the moment I have been using positive training with treats.
She will sit when she wants something for example. Sometimes she will sit for me for no real reason when I'm practicing. It's just not consistent with her.....I was expecting her to start doing anything that pleases me seeing as she follows me around the house everywhere.
I take her out about 6 times a day - she is usually so excited to go out, but yesterday and today I have tried to make sure she is calm before she goes out. Even then, she will pull the lead when leaving and I need to hold it tight until she goes a little loose and then I will continue walking....
She knows what heel means and will do it when she's tired...
I know how you feel. I felt like that for a while with my young bitch, she seemed to do everything I asked half hearted but we worked through it. I worked on getting her to 'watch me' and make eye contact and since we started it there's been a huge improvement.
That's good news - but I think getting a good trainer involved would help tremendously. Not just to help with your dog, but to lessen your frustration. GSDs are so easy to train and are such awesome dogs that it's silly to struggle when you don't have to. Good luck!
At a year and a half, you shouldn't have problems with basic obedience things if you're that focused on having her do them well.
Without seeing the dog and seeing her drive, no one can tell you if quick/flashy obedience is even possible over the internet.
The fact that you're doing just treats and she still gets distracted just tells me that she's either not that food motivated, or she understands that at one point she'll get the treat anyways and so its not that big of a reward for her (again, part of food motivation). She goes outside for a walk...the walk and exploring is way more interesting than the treats in your hand.
The whole, "do things to make me happy" thing is a farce. Sorry...dogs don't just start doing things because they make YOU happy. Some dogs will do things for food, others will do things for a game, and others will do things for a few pets...but they're always getting something. Not just a smile from their owner. Your dog might not ever develop the want to do anything for praise.
Self-preservation:
As puppies (yours isn't a puppy anymore), dogs follow people around because they know the people will protect them from the dangers of life. It's not really a "I love you so much" thing, its more of a, "you'll save me when X happens" thing.
As puppies (yours isn't a puppy anymore), dogs follow people around because they know the people will protect them from the dangers of life. It's not really a "I love you so much" thing, its more of a, "you'll save me when X happens" thing.
Obviously, each dog is different but the fact that your dog is not wild for the food reward might indicate he needs more than food rewards. My current male just turned 7 months and he showed more interest in toy rewards over food at 4 months old. Very simplistically - Teach with food and transition into toy reward to increase drive and focus. Also check out the premack principle. Good luck!
My boy works so much harder for toys than treats. He only really responds to treats if they are really smelly like cheese/bacon or liver etc.
NILIF has worked wonders for my dogs behavior.
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