OB Training Question - Page 2

I just realized I left out the 'reward' part from my post! Yes, VERY IMPORTANT!!  After just a few seconds of 'doing it right', I reward her by giving her the tug or a treat. Then, I gradually increase the time she has to maintain the focus before getting the reward.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!

Nan, I know from previous posts that you use a wheelchair. Is that why you tell her to 'pull'? She's helping to move the chair?

No Sun, I was trying to teach her the difference and a command separate from the heel "like OK pull"  actually I told her mush and would kind of let her run ahead (only in my power chair) and let her go for quite a ways;  then back to OK now heel and put her back in the heel position.  Was trying to let her know when I wanted her to go ahead and when/why I wanted her back in heel position.  Kind of taught it as different exercises, however, all the time having fun and giving her praise,  OK GO AHEAD OR PULL OR MUSH, then praise, back to heel and praise.  Clapping and hollering "GOOD GIRL".  She loved the "mush" part; I do feel she got it though.  Have not done that in a while though.  My own damn fault I am sure but now I need to straighten it out.  Just thought if I could teach her different commands she might differentiate between them.  Well she has made up her own program I guess and doesn't want to heel back by my knee.  Wants to be about at least a foot ahead and will keep going if I let her.  So that is pretty much it for now.  Am going to try all and see what works with food motivator and definitely work on her focus or watch command first; nail that;  then we will move on.

Also taught my german boy to pull the manual chair but could only work that outside as it was like a locomotive going down the street without brakes, I loved it and so did he but probably not the safest thing to do.  This girl is a natural puller (so was her father) swear  to god thought his owner was a sled.  So have not taught her to pull my chair, if fact, don't want her to pull my chair.  And she can't pull the power chair when exercising as it only goes to a certain speed.  We probably look like frick and frack going down the street.  But that is what I exercise her on the power chair.   

I do feel it is time to take a step back with her training and retrain the focus or watch; then the different heel speeds and maybe separate her exercise from her training.  I think that is where she has picked up these bad habits.

Thanks  everyone for all the training tips;  really appreciate it.  Feel like I have some new tools to work with.  Nan

The problem I've found with food rewards is that some dogs won't work well without them. Are you training for AKC OB? If so, you don't want your dog to crowd while fussing, it will cost you points. My current GSD is a foodie. She will do anything for a treat, but when she knows there are none she loses her focus. I will never again train a dog for AKC OB using food rewards,  just praise and maybe a favorite toy tucked under my left armpit at the beginning. They might not "get it" as fast, but they won't always be looking for food rewards either.

If she forges in practice, I just let her get ahead of me and then do an very fast about turn giving her a lead correction, and start to run. I seldom use a prong, usually a fur saver that is hooked so it fits like a collar and doesn't choke. When she returns to heel, I say something like - oooh....oops, my fault, GOOD GIRL while patting her on her left side and continuing to move. I tell her to fuss ONE time, don't jerk on the lead or repeat the command until the exercise is finished.  Mix it up with left abouts, left turns, right turns, come forward, finish right, finish left. Make it a game to keep her from getting bored. Rally exercises are good training for AKC OB too. They are fast and don't give the dog time to lose focus and obsess about food. If you use a chair while training, it may be harder for you to make the quick changes in direction?

Everyone has ways that work for them and it often depends on the dog they are  training. I've trained northern breeds too and they do have a tendency to  forge more so then a GSD and they get bored a lot faster.They don't have the "will to serve" gene  .

I agree Blitzen;  I would teach my german boy of course one time unless he was hard headed about something;  but usually once would do it;  he had it he got it and we moved on.  Of course he would screw up once in a while but for the most part (except for cutting his toenails) he did not buck me.  Well maybe a couple of times.  My point is this bitch being a northern breed is extremely hard headed.  Extremely smart also.  BUT the will to serve is definitely challanged however, with age she has gotten better which is good thing.

Anyway from a chair the positioning is a little different and a little more difficult with about turns, etc. but definitely can be done.  I will work on that.  Don't know if I want to compete with her, my sister did Rally and too much pressure for me.  I just want to love and enjoy this girl as I have decided she will be my last Samoyed.  Am bringing in a gsd for service work, etc.  Hopefully in the near future and will teach him with a pro trainer, not just on my own.  I need the regiment to keep me moving forward in training, If I know someone will be correcting ME and my handling also, I am more motivated to not screw up.  Move along quicker in my training, etc.  I have been sort of old school in that if a particular method worked with the previous dog, I try that again, and keep trying, and keep trying.  So new ideas are great for me.  Thank you for your thoughts and assistance.  Nan