Teaching Focus

[IliamnasQuest]

Focus is one of the things I stress to my students - without focus, it's really hard to teach any behavior consistently.

I keep the steps I use written out on my website for people to use (www.kippsdogs.com/tips.html). I developed the focus technique I use back in the mid-90's and have used it on my dogs and had hundreds of students use it with great success. It's very similar to Bama Lorne's - an effective technique (as you can see by his photos) and it doesn't require even a leash! I teach my dogs focus when they're very young pups, off-leash in my home, and then I only put a leash on them to keep them with me as I go places to add in more and more distraction. I can heel my young chow outside a busy store with people walking by, carts rattling, etc.

Here's Khana in her first actual competition, July 2006 at the age of 20 months:







Take the time to work on focus - it's well worth it!

By the way, she took first place .. both days of the trial ... and finished her title in her very next trial with a second place (with 19 qualifying dogs).

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

[Gunnermom]

Thanks to both of you, I am working on this type of focus. While I was visiting the pups, my breeder talked about focus too. Everything good for the dog should come from looking at you. This is the first dog I'm working on getting good focus so we'll see......

[hudak004]

Gabby and Olex look awesome!! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/18_thumb.gif[/img]

I've been working for about 2 or 3 weeks with Bixler on focusing... today, I finally decided he knows and understands the term "watch" and that I could put the prong on and correct him for not looking immedietly or looking away. It was amazing, after one or two corrections, he watched so much more instantly, and steadily, that I didnt really have to even correct him at all after that.
I might be going to quick, but after he started watching so much better, I thought Id try and get him to heel and watch. Well.. that wasn't happening. I took the prong off to practice since we'd never done it before. I am just having a difficult time teaching him to heel and watch... I was using a ball to try and get him to watch, which was how I started teaching him watch, he would watch me, but when I proceeded to go forward he just sat there watching me, when I got to the end of the leash, he started walking but not looking at me at all. So I tried to give him the command while we were already walking, he still wouldnt look at me. Anyone have any suggestions?!?

[Deejays_Owner]

I would say slow down, work on a step out and to the front
and back. then only a few steps forward to start.

[K9_Kaz]

That's awesome! That GSD's not taking her eyes off that little kiddo!

[youngK9]

Thanks Everyone!!!! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/24_hello.gif[/img]

I would not start trying to heel as soon as I get attention. There are a bunch of steps before that. I think there was a post about teaching heeling that gives some tips, but I dont remeber the name [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/22_headscratch.gif[/img]

GABBY

[GSD4LIFE21]

When starting out, how long should you try it for? Should I try this a few times a day, once a day? I dont want to over do it, thanks for any adnice, I am very new to all this!

Marie

[DogBeater]

[J_Austin]

Thanks for the wonderful information and the video of your daughter is amazing.

[GSD4LIFE21]

I am trying to teach my dogs the "watch" command, and someone asked me, what was the purpose for it. And I really couldnt come up with a really good explanation for it, can someone help me explain this?? Thanks!