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Posted by: moof on 2010-08-04, 10:49:06
It would be helpful if you were more specific. Exactly what have you tried to teach him? What ways did you try? Some tips: - Be consistent. I mean ruthlessly, completely, totally consistent. This means selecting the best method and STICKING with it, or else you will simply confuse him. - Be patient. He's an animal. - View the world from his point of view. He's a dog, not a human. Dogs learn through immediate consequences; they can't make big leaps of logic (or, heck, even small ones). By the same token, stop humanizing him. There are stubborn dogs, but the average "stubborn " dog is not being stubborn. He just doesn't understand what you want, or he isn't being properly motivated! So, make it clear what you want. Reward him at the instant that he does the right thing. If you're asking for too much, then split the trick into small parts. All steps should be manageable. For instance, you can't expect him to stay on command for a few minutes right off the bat. You'd begin by having him stay for one second, and when he's mastered that, then two seconds, then three, then five, ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty, forty-five, a minute, a minute and a half, two minutes, three minutes, five minutes, etc. Do not increase the criteria until he's mastered the current criteria! Then, after working on the duration of time, you'd work on the distance. You'd start by standing right next to him, then a foot away, etc. Get the idea? Split everything up into very doable steps, and don't move on until he's ready! - Give him proper rewards. Experiment! Find what he likes! Try yummy foods like chicken, hot dog, cheese, steak or liver. Try different toys, like squeaky toys or tennis balls. Try finding a place he really likes to be petted. - Be unpredictable. Sometimes give him one little piece of chicken. Sometimes give him three pieces of liver. Sometimes just pet him. Sometimes play with him. Mix it up. - Keep all training sessions short. Dogs are like small children; they do not have long attention spans. A couple sessions of five or ten minutes throughout the day will be way more effective than one long session. - Keep all training sessions fun. Again, dogs are like little kids; they're often motivated by fun and games, so keep training like a game. Be lighthearted. You should both look forward to training. - Always end training sessions on a positive note. If he's doing well, then quit while you're ahead. If he's not doing well (and perhaps you're getting frustrated), then take several big steps back and have him do something much more simple that you know he's capable of doing so that you can end on a good note. Again, you should both look forward to the next session. - Make him work for what he wants: ahimsadogtraining.com/ blog/ say-please/ - Look into clicker training, which is a very concise form of training that focuses on positive reinforcement: clickertraining.com/ - Teach him the behavior, then add the cue. For example, say you're trying to teach him to lay down on command. You might hold the treat by his nose and slowly bring it down to the ground, and when his body follows, you give him the reward the instant that he lays down. Would you say "down " when you're doing that? Well, no. When he's catching on to the desired behavior, that's when you add the cue. You don't want him to think that "down " means to sniff the treat on the ground, you want him to think it's the act of laying down, so pair it up with the exact action. |
