Jump to content
Search In
  • More options...
Find results that contain...
Find results in...

Welcome to American Indian Dogs

Register or login now and gain instant access to our features!

Recommended Posts

Has anyone lost a valuable command? Last week my husband let Kaposia ignore the "come" command ONCE. Now it's totally out the window. I've tried working with her, but she's so smart! She will either totally ignore the command if she doesn't want to come, or she'll come just within a distance where you can't touch her. If she makes any attempt to come closer I do encourage, "good girl!" We worked so hard on this in class. Even the enticement of a treat is useless.What she's learned now is that she can ignore that command. :( Any remediation suggestions? I've tried turning my back on her and ignoring her to no avail, and we've had lengthy stand-off stare-downs where she just lays in the grass with an expression that says, "Ha ha ha ha ha! La La La La La!"

Link to post
Share on other sites

LakeGirl,

 

I'm sorry that happened and I don't know the answer. If it hasn't been that long, maybe you can engage an experienced trainer's opinion / help.

 

Off the top of my head, if she is toy or treat driven you may have to do that for a while. Our shepherd is hard wired to be "reset" with treats because of all the classes and training so maybe that will work? Although AIDs are not shepherds and more head strong in the to come or not to come when called department IMHO. That said, recall is a hard one because they don't always want to. Cake is really terrible with that but she is reliable with respect to getting into the car or putting on her "pants". It may be that you will need to trick her with something she reliably loves and can do a calculation - if I come the probability of something really fun is worth the possibility Mom is taking me inside. Honestly ours are thrilled to get in the car and go to the mailbox. You may have to give her a 100% something fun then taper it to normal probability. And yes I have taken just the "pants" for a walk before and then a second chance right away.

 

Grandpa came for a visit 2 weeks ago and the Shepherd was being a Pest so he used the Tsssst (vs no!) that we have always used as the correction yet it was a (I love you and don't really mean it and if you pester me some more I'll throw that toy version). Now as a person watching I am not sure I'd pick up on the verbal and non verbal queues that indicated I don't really mean it because I watched this and was impressed with the Shepherd and for a while after he wanted to know if Tsssst was compromised with everyone. The thing is, Grandpa went home. Tssssst never changed with me and my husband. If Grandpa had moved in I'm not sure we could ever get it's meaning back.

 

I have always said that my husband is far better as a pack leader than I am. That there is something he has that I don't have and they know it. I think they are really good heart/ mind readers. Even a little bit of soft spot goes a long way.

 

good luck and let us know how it goes. PS I have called Cake "Crackers" on occasion and that seems to always work at least so far. ha ha

Edited by Sherab
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

As pups, when ever I wanted my dogs to "come" like in following me, I said "this way." When I wanted them to come into the house I used "go home." Somewhere in my training I switched to "come" whether it was to "follow me" or if I wanted them to come into the house. They did, but it was a struggle. Then one day they didn't "come," period. They stood their ground. I realized I had switched the command over time....not good. Sometimes a command will work for one and not another. I think subconsciously I was trying to get them all on the same page thus the command eventually changed. Of course it was the oldest dog, Tolinka, that stood ground. When I changed back to Tolinka's puppy training, all followed and all is well. It seems my pups understand a two word command rather than a one word command......Interesting. Just a thought. Good luck. Let us know how things work out.

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, I've been working with her indoors, and she's flawless. We've always trained with a combination of words and hand signals. She responds beautifully to both, either alone or in combination. I realize all dogs are amazingly intelligent, but Kaposia never fails to amaze. We have no problem with her stepping into her harness, or standing still to be clipped to the leash. We can let her out the door to the driveway off leash and she hops right into the van. The reward is a given, she loves her walk or an "adventure" (ride in the van.) She knows the difference between the crinkling of a potato chip bag and a cracker wrapper from across the house because she knows she'll never be given a potato chip, but if she hears the cracker wrapper, she comes to the kitchen because she'll get a tiny piece of cracker with a dab of butter on it. She knows the difference between an opening crinkle and a closing crinkle. Due to my allergies, I always take water in some form with me when I leave the house so I can take an antihistamine if I need to. Again, from across the house, she knows if I've picked up my commuter thermos, or taken a can of seltzer water out of the fridge. She comes running giving me that look, "Where ya goin' Mom? Where ya goin?, me too? me too?" If I immediately pop the can tab to drink the seltzer water right away, she drops her head and walks away, "Well, OK, we're not goin' anywhere." When it comes to our emotions, she seems to be absolutely psychic. Back to the lost "come" command....she used to be flawless ALL THE TIME. Now she's flawless in the house...nothing to lose, maybe something to gain (a treat.) Outside off leash in the yard, it has become like she's in charge. She'll respond if it suits her, high value treat not withstanding. I just considered that hand signal or voice command to be like gold in case of a situation where she was loose, or in danger off the leash in unfamiliar territory.

Link to post
Share on other sites

My husband thinks that if you take away her off lead privledges, work her in obedience and make her earn off lead she'll do the calculation - come when called or no freedom.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...