Bryley is picking and choosing when he wants to obey commands. Even a simple sit. For instance today I needed in my closet. This is a location he still finds beyond exciting with all the shoes, belts, scarves and other do-dads just made for his busy mouth! I usually tell him to sit, then lay down and wait while I go in and do my thing. He would not sit. I repeated the command waaaay too many times and he finally did. Then when I had him 'down' with a point to the ground he mouthed my hand. 'Wait' lasted 5 seconds. Lather, rinse, repeat...worse this time when I was asking for a sit he just stood there, looked at me in the eye, and slowly wagged his tail back and forth. It felt like he was giving me the middle finger! The second attempt he did eventually sit, down and wait while I was in the closet but there was way too much discussion if you know what I mean!!
Another example is we were outside practicing what I call 'around'- he circles behind me into a sit heel. He went around but then did not heel, but rather started sniffing around! And with that he knew a treat was at hand because we were in training mode.

So to finally get to my question... when he knows what I want but is refusing what should I do?
I know multiple repeats of the command is not good, and what if he is walking away ignoring... I want to stop this before it gets way out of hand.

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4/1/2000 ~ 1/7/2011

Bailey Missing you Loving you Forever and ever.

How old is he. My Tayla has started doing this and she is 11 months. I'm just upping training and treats. I try not to say the command than once and will use a treat for compliance.

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Barb, Rick and Tayla (STAR Puppy)



Cheyenne (CGC) and Jesse (CGC) who will be always loved and never forgotten.

If my dog does not respond immediately I will put my hands on him to cause the behavior, praise him, release, and repeat.

For example, i tell my dog to sit and he doesn't, I immediately slide my hand down his back to tuck his rear under him, then praise him "good sit" release him, and ask for the sit again.

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Jodie

AJ's Maiden By the Sea CDX RE (Annabel - retired)
Mud E Paws UDX OM2 RE OBHF (Conner - retired with 28 OTCH points)
Sunfire's Flying Head Over Heels UD BN RA (Flip)
And the odd one of the family - Colby Jack Teeter Smack CDX GO RA (Colby - Lhasa Apso)

Same thought as Jodie, but I also expect less of 1 year olds than I would 4 year olds.

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Always loved, never forgotten, all our previous boys -

I definitely agree I expect less of a puppy, but what I stated above is still exactly what I would do with a puppy. Using my hands is not considered a negative thing, it's just showing the dog what I want. So while I might not expect a puppy to immediately sit in a room full of frolicking puppies like I would expect my fully trained adult dog, that doesn't mean I'd just stand there and let the pup ignore me or take his sweet time deciding to sit. The hands-on make my expectations clear and shows them they really can do it!

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Jodie

AJ's Maiden By the Sea CDX RE (Annabel - retired)
Mud E Paws UDX OM2 RE OBHF (Conner - retired with 28 OTCH points)
Sunfire's Flying Head Over Heels UD BN RA (Flip)
And the odd one of the family - Colby Jack Teeter Smack CDX GO RA (Colby - Lhasa Apso)

Jodie - I am a hands on trainer too.

I really was saying that I do expect young dogs to disobey or do the "golden ear" thing when I'm calling them. So I will handle them more or only put them in positions where I can quickly reinforce what I'm asking of them.

Older dogs who have been trained for years, I definitely expect more.

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Always loved, never forgotten, all our previous boys -

When he is ignoring your command I would make a high pitched abrupt noise to regain his focus on you, then I would ask for a simple behavior, praise that behavior then ask for the original behavior and give a treat when he does it.

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Carolyn (A.K.A. Aunt Care) and

Creekwood Tanglefoot Selchie CD, RN, AX, AXJ, CGC, CCA, (A.K.A. Selli-Belle) Golden

Valentine Byrd McDuff (A.K.A. Duffy) Golden/Sheltie

Tanglefoot Autumn Dexter CGC (My Heart Dog at the Bridge) Golden

Thanks for the responses!
I guess I will have to start carrying around treats again to reinforce his good behavior and to coax the not so good! Training never ends, does it?

I like Loisiana's suggestion on the hand tuck for the sit very much! Its just such a PITA when trying to do a routine chore and then having to stop to 'train' just to get said chore done! LOL! Such a handful my Bryley is!

Any thoughts on what to do when he walks away from me like he did in my 'around' example in my original post?
This would be where a high pitched noise would be used to gain his attention?
What I did do was when he lifted his nose from whatever it was that distracted him in the first place, I called him to me and gave the 'around' command again and he did it nicely.

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4/1/2000 ~ 1/7/2011

Bailey Missing you Loving you Forever and ever.

Walking away, turning the head away, and ground sniffing are all calming signals, he is either trying to calm himself (possibly not certain he has got it right? needs a little help?) or you down - if you were/are frustrated, irritated, or tense, (regardless with what) he absolutely knows it and he really just wants to give you some space.

When BaWaaJige does this and your dog and mine are close to the same age. I take his collar bring his head up so he is looking at me give the command once he is in the position I want I praise but quietly ( I will whisper good boy). I have started talking very softly to Jige and I noticed he is getting alot better at following through on commands he has to pay better attention because I am talking so softly.

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U-CH, CGC, TDI Top Flights Reap What You Sow " BaWaaJige"