Can't keep her attention - Page 1

Akeemi is 8 months and when I take her outside all she wants to do is chase dragonflys. Has anyone else had this issue? I can't keep her attention .

Sure everyone gets such issues from time to time with 'teenage' pups - not necessarily dragonflies, but something they fixate on.  Lets go back to basics before people can provide
advice:  what are you doing to try to keep her attention ?

We do training inside 90% of the time. When we go outside I keep her on a short leash to prvent her from taking off after the stupid dragonfly. In two weeks she goes to a trainer for a couple of months due to the fact I can't get anything accomplished with her. I wanted to get some basics down and send her at 9 months, they recommended that age, but I can't get her to do anything for me anymore.

Can I assume from that, she is giving you attention properly during indoor training?  Could you perhaps find somewhere alternative to your usual inside space, - ie outdoors or indoors, but minus the dragonflies, - then let her off and rework the basic exercises ?  The more you can get
good results under lots of differing circumstances, the more solid her response;  then it becomes
easier to keep her eyes on you in the face of provocation by those darn' flitty things !

Btw, there's a posting on here from jcmeyer re a 6month old pup 'losing focus' you might want to read (if you didn't already).

You can't keep her attention because you are BORING :-)
Work on becoming more exciting then dragon flies or other distractions. Get the Michael Ellis DVD's from Leerburg on how to train with food and how to play tug. Sending her out to training with someone else isn't going to help your relationship with your dog. Work with a trainer one on one if you must BUT sending any dog
away for training is a BAD way to build engagement with you.

Thomas Barriano
Dubheasa Germania (11/05/99-08/11/08) SchH III M R Brevet AKC WD III AWD 1 STP 1 CD WAC TT
Ascomannis Jago (06/20/03) SchH III AKC WD III AWD I TT WAC
Belatucadrus (08/14/05) DS BH TT MR I
Flannchadh von der Bavarianburg (5/21/08) BH STP I

Pleasant style, hasn't he ?  Though there may be something in what dobermannman sez, don't forget whoever sends a dog off to be trained elsewhere still has to be able to convince that dog when it comes home that they are worth obeying;  but I'd guess from other posts of yours you are aware of that already ?

Thomas, do you always have to seem so confrontational ?

Do you have treats ?  I always have treats in my pocket so when we work, the focus is there, even if I don't always give treats, she still hope she will get one so she stay focused.  But I know all the trainers don't use it.  Mine does so let me tell you I listen to the trainer about keeping treats in my pockets.  When she was younger she used to have a treat every time she did a nice move according to the command.  Now she may receive one treat every 10 good moves, still work focused.  Last training session in the field I forgot my treats.  She is conditioned I guess because she was as good as usual.  What also helped me is training BEFORE meals (with her kibbles/meats pieces as treats).    I also use a toy, anything that moves in fact she don't stick to one toy.  It can end up with a piece of wood if I forget my things and I decide to train on the spot.  But I am a beginner maybe you have a good trainer helping you with that.

LSU,
Treats are rewards for a job well done, not for motivation.
I suggest you get a copy of Koehler's method and use the longe line before your dog gets any larger.
I promise if you follow his method correctly you will be amazed at your dogs behavior.
No matter what the distraction is she will focus on you and you will have laid the foundation for any type of training you desire.
You will see, you need not send her off to a stranger to be ruined.

Moons.

Confrontational?

Really, you must have missed the :-) ?
When someone asks for advise on a dog training list. I figure they want something that will work NOT to have smoke blown up their azz. It you don't have time or inclination to train your dog yourself (especially a working breed). Do both of you a favor and get a cat instead.

Thomas Barriano

Two Moons

Koehler???
That went out of style THIRTY years ago. There are a lot more effective and less confrontational :-)
training methods available. And yes I know it can still work, but a 1960 Rambler American will get you to work but you'll be safer and more comfortable in a 2012 Toyota Camry