Training tedium. How to break through.

Discussion in 'Labrador Training' started by b&blabs, Oct 6, 2016.

  1. b&blabs

    b&blabs Registered Users

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    Ah, it's been seven years since I trained a puppy. And I'm facing the same thing I did last time. Wow, this is boring shit! :oops: I just watched kikopup training waiting at the door and watched her open and close the door about a hundred times and thought I was going to lose my freakin' mind.

    I know this is the nature of shaping behavior, especially when one doesn't use any correction/punishment. I'm all about the positive reinforcement. But any tips or thoughts on how to make it less B-O-R-I-N-G? Because I think this is where I've gone wrong before - I get bored and I give up.
     
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  2. snowbunny

    snowbunny Registered Users

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    Make it fun! Animate yourself and your puppy will get animated, too. Approach everything like a game and pup will learn more quickly.

    A couple of weeks ago, I decided to address a bit of a sloppy sit at heel. I wanted to get them to square up and point in the same direction as my body was facing. Pretty dull, huh? Not one bit! It was masses of fun for all of us because I kept energy levels up and used games for rewarding the really good ones. So much so, they were racing the length of a field to come and sit straight by my side. Maybe a little bit too excited on a couple of occasions where Shadow basically did a flyball turn on my stomach to get into position :D
     
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  3. b&blabs

    b&blabs Registered Users

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    That's great advice, @snowbunny . I think I might just be burned out. Watching too many videos, trying things but not having success (part of it is having two dogs, and there's a kikopup video on that too! ha), and generally overwhelmed with life at the moment, so it all seems like it's going to take forever and like I'm not getting anywhere.

    So maybe I just need to back off a bit and give myself a break? Relax?
     
  4. bbrown

    bbrown Moderator Forum Supporter

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    also do it in reeeeeaaaaaally small chunks, preferably no longer than it take the kettle to boil ;) then you'll hardly notice it at all!
     
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  5. b&blabs

    b&blabs Registered Users

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  6. snowbunny

    snowbunny Registered Users

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    With the two dogs thing, I understand, as I have two litter mates. So I had to train them to settle while the other one was working. It's pretty straightforward, really. I started off with one in the crate and me with the other outside. Every time "working pup" got a treat, the other one got one, too. I probably didn't really need to start in the crate in hindsight, as I very quickly went to having them on a bit of vet bed next to me. A very high rate of reinforcement at first for not interfering and, if they did get in the way I'd just get them back on the mat. If the game was more active, and therefore too exciting to expect the pup to stay out of it, I'd either use the crate or put them on lead. Over time (and don't rush, as with everything else), you can tart fading the treats for the settled dog, expecting them to go longer without a treat Just give them something really good at the end. Now, I can have a training session outside with both of mine there, having one settled at the side of the field and the other retrieving, tugging, chasing balls etc. They've learnt that their turn comes, so there's no point butting in beforehand.
     
  7. jessieboo

    jessieboo Registered Users

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    Your post made me laugh! I feel the same about training! I don't know if I have a solution. What is keeping me going is sheer stubborn refusal to have a badly behaved dog! I try to train out on a walk as I enjoy being out with her. So our walk to heal and sitting at a curb are excellent ( apart from when she goes insane for other dogs and people, so some work on proofing needed, but we are getting there slowly).

    Also I tend to do better with real scenarios. So we have eliminated door bargaining, because we trained every time we came to a door! Counter surfing was cracked because we kept a tidy kitchen and click and treated for paws on floor when she jumped up. Her recall is getting good because I recall her all the time.

    Our sit, stay, down and any other command that involves time in the kitchen or garden etc is mediocre because I find putting the time in boring. But I hope to rectify this by getting in the habit of a few v short sessions each day. I WILL crack it. And despite being bored witless by it we ARE making progress!

    Good luck!
     

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