So Archie and I have been working on recall while we do our off lead strolls through the woods near our house. I've let him get ahead, then called him back for a load of praise and a treat. He's figured how to use this to his advantage. This morning, he let me get ahead of him; he just sat on the trail and watched me walk on with his ears up and eyes focused on me. He knew full well that I'd say and signal, "Come," and then he'd get a treat. That boy is led by his belly wherever he goes! I guess I'll need to change up our routine a little! What a goof! D.
Mole(just one) does this all the time!! Runs ahead then stops, looks at me and waits til I get there for a treat or stops, sits while I walk on and waits for the 'come' signal! I still treat every time as it's such a relief he's not running off. Not sure if I'm still meant to be treating for checking in all the time but having had a lab before that used to run off all the time I am so relieved he does this that I always give him a treat! He's also very food motivated! Sam
Sounds familiar! The dogs go out into the garden at least three times while I'm eating my breakfast. Tuppence knows they get a treat for coming in but, even better, she gets a treat for coming in while Wispa's still inspecting the new sniffs and then gets another when Wispa finally comes in and gets hers! She's much more food-driven than Wispa, although Wispa loves her food too. Wispa loves a fuss when she gets up in the morning, but Tuppence just heads straight for the door to the food bin and refuses any contact, even though she's the more cuddly dog!
What a smartypants! When Benson started to do this, I would turnabout and walk in the opposite direction, or run and hide, then start rewarding with small treats thrown out for him staying close. If Benson ranges too far ahead, I am less likely to be able to engage him, unless I have sent him that far. The caveat is of course, Benson is a chocolate!
If your dog run, then stops and sits waiting for a recall, that's a gift of behaviour to put on cue for your stop whistle! Otherwise, just ask for more before they get the treat. So if you are rewarding check-ins, shift to rewarding returns. If you are rewarding returns, shift to rewarding a walk at heel. Just up what you ask for before they get the reinforcer.
Im sure Thor is doing something similar with me at the moment. He kept climbing on the coffee table, so i would wait for him to get off and then click and treat once his feet were all on the floor. He now climbs up and looks at me with a look as if to say 'go and get the treats then'. But he doesnt do it for my partner who hasnt been treating him for getting off. I really am convinced he is only climbing up there now so he gets a treat when he gets down.
I still reward for check-ins at 2 years of age. I vary my criteria depending on where we are and how distracting it is. Most of the time, they're happy to offer a walk at heel now. When we arrived in the UK, with all the millions of doggy smells, I went back to rewarding for the slightest glance in my direction. By the time we left, I was back to rewarding for an offered walk at heel with Willow, and something in between for Shadow.
People spend quite a lot of effort getting the behaviour - stop, turn, sit, look at me - at a distance. Anything that gets you that behaviour you can use to put the action on cue. So as your dog stops, turns, sits, looks, blow your stop whistle. Obviously train that the stop whistle means 'and stay there' first. Ways of getting the behaviour are a stolen retrieve, running to a target stick or board and so on - or even just holding a ball up to throw will do it for some dogs. But if a dog for whatever reason reliably ran out, stopped, turned, sat and looked at me, I'd blow my stop when he did it! This is one way I train it. Charlie runs out to a board and stops - I blow my stop - and there is a remote controlled ball dropper by the board that I use as a reinforcer. ball dropper #2 by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr
Thank you I am going to try this as he reliably runs ahead on a walk then stops turns around and waits for me. I will try with using the whistle when he stops before he turns around. I use 2 pips to call him so should I just use one pip for stop? Thanks Julie and great video! Mole would love the ball dropper!! Sam
I blow my whistle on the turn, a fraction before my dog's bum hits the ground. One longish pip. Train one pip means stop and sit first, because a puppy will run towards you when they hear a whistle if all you've previously used it for is a recall.
He is just nuts. Actually, that's unfair. He is a dream of a dog to train, only, he just does nutty things in between all the good stuff. All the time.
That is such a great video! Charlie is working and loving it! Thanks for all of the ideas to help as we revamp our training routine a bit. We worked on rewarding the heel today. That is a real work in progress!! He's a smartie pants and eager to please, so I hope he will catch on soon! It is so nice to be able to come and share ideas here! Deb
Bahaha! That is one smart cookie to read you both differently like that! I guess they do train us too, don't they?!? D.
