General Training Question - how to respond when the dog just isn't going to do it?

[smdaigle]

Originally Posted by MaggieRoseLee

You need to start on the other sites for the clicker, but here's the specific for teaching the 'stay'

YouTube - How to teach ANY dog the perfect STAY! (part 1)

This video is pretty close to what we were doing (wish I'd had the sunshine, beautiful grass and flowers and even the crazy birds though!). I'd heard the advice that if you think the dog is going to break the stay, immediately click and reward to regain their focus. I was behind on this one and I'm not entirely sure it would have worked in that moment unless I'd had a bag of steak instead of biscuit treats. I'm going to find this guy's next video to see his approach to stay with distractions.

[middleofnowhere]

"I'm not entirely sure it would have worked in that moment unless I'd had a bag of steak instead of biscuit treats. "

Finally, after the plaintive "But I've done that!"s you finally confess!!

I think you have your answer right there. In this environment shorten the time & have better rewards! Working in the house with prime temptation requires prime counter motivation. Get steak bits or chicken bits to try this again for a much shorter time.

My pup's pretty solid in a lot now but I rarely train with biscuit bits.

[smdaigle]

Originally Posted by middleofnowhere

"I'm not entirely sure it would have worked in that moment unless I'd had a bag of steak instead of biscuit treats. "

Finally, after the plaintive "But I've done that!"s you finally confess!!

LOL . . . I'm sure the dogs would appreciate getting steak treats more often!

Originally Posted by middleofnowhere

I think you have your answer right there. In this environment shorten the time & have better rewards! Working in the house with prime temptation requires prime counter motivation. Get steak bits or chicken bits to try this again for a much shorter time.

My pup's pretty solid in a lot now but I rarely train with biscuit bits.

I have a treat bag or biscuit bit style treats in my pocket almost all the time so I can do quick and spontaneous exercises. I also use hot dogs and/or left over meat including steak if I have it but my dogs will go for just about anything edible! I'll use the good stuff when we start working more specifically on stay with distractions.

[Lilie]

I'd like to add that what has helped me through training is what I learned from working horses. Sometimes, the results you are asking for just isn't going to happen. And if by chance it does, it is for all the wrong reasons. When you find that happening, go back to what they know best. Get your control back, and then ask again for the action you were attempting to do in the beginning.