Teaching the "fuss" - Page 1

 Hello, 

I have a 6 month old girl, working on Obedience. She is showing great promise and drive. Anyone have any good articles, youtube etc on teaching the Heel? She Sitz and Platz well, and stays, but as soon as I say Fuss she is off to the races. 

- Prong collar at this age until she learns the proper position? She doesn't seem to want to focus on a toy, but when she sits or lays down she stares directly at me waiting for next command, but not when we are walking. So the focus is there, just not when walking. I try turning, saying her name etc, and she looks for a minute then loses it. 

I do realize she's pretty young, and don't expect the world, but want to lay the correct foundation.

Thanks for any feedback. 

I would not use a command or introduce corrections until she understands what it is you want.  It sounds like she 1) doesn't understand what Fuss means and 2) doesn't have a good enough reason to do it for you.  You will need some way of motivating her, some toy or food or game that gets her wanting to focus on you and rewards her when she does.  The correct foundation would be building this bond and drive with the dog before training the specific command/behavior (for example, I spent a few months getting my dog obsessed with his ball or toy, wanting to always have that toy and play with ME, not just run off with the toy, before I started using this to train behaviors).

I always look at it like Fus isn't a command, it is a place to be.  Wheather I am standing in one place and not moving or walking  or a side step or a step backwards.  I teach my dogs that Fus is a spot where I want him to stay.

Liesjers,

Nice advise on the ball/toy!

Vickie
www.PowerHausKennels.com

Yep, don't say "Fuss" until the dog understands it means being in that spot, otherwise if you say it while you're training it and the dog isn't really there, then you are reinforcing incorrect position and will confuse the dog.  Use a marker word and rewards, and use other praise words to encourage the dog and communicate that she is in the right spot.  Then when she figures it out, you can start saying "fuss" as you go.

For my young dog I use a ball on a string around my neck so the ball sits on my left shoulder, or I use a tug toy and tuck the tug under my arm.  My dog did not have much interest in balls as a young puppy, this is something I really had to create in him, but worked hard at this so that now it is so much easier to train and reward the dog using the ball.

I'm very new to all this and having my own issues with "fuss" and "focus", and this in a 2 y.o.

No way would I use a prong or even a regular choke (for corrections) on a 6 mo. I'm sure that under the direction of very experienced trainers it can be useful, but I see people at my club teaching fuss on a totally loose leash and even off leash. They sometimes only take one or two steps and then reward and play. And no leash jerks at all.

I do see them correct their older dogs, who know exactly what they should be doing, but most exhibit an amazing amount of patience in the younger dogs.

JMHO,
Rik

Correct, Rik.  There's many ways to teach a skill but I teach my dogs without a leash, or dragging a leash (sometimes we work in proximity to other dogs and animals so I have them drag a line for safety).  If you need to physically manipulate the dog into the position just to learn it, something is going wrong.

With my puppy, I use a food to teach position and teach the skill, then use toys to build speed and drive.  So when my pup was like 10 weeks, I fed him little treats as he pranced alongside of me.  Since he knows what "fuss" means, I use toys get a more animated, focused, prancy heel.  I just taught him the finish I want, so initially I taught it slowly, luring him with food.  Then once it "clicked" I took it outside with the toys to get more speed and focus.

I am no expert but here is my 2 cents -

Working on Focus is the key - your pup is only 6 months old - use food as a reward - use a clicker - when you pup looks at you click and reward - use the word look as well or just tap my pup on the head or tickle his ear - puppy can be sitting by you in a fuss position...... do that a million times - it will become habit for your pup....  then start walking - if you choose to do it off leash - you can hold the food in your left hand - at dogs nose - let the dog get a wiff of it - pull up - click and reward when the dogs looks at you - every time the dog looks at you click and reward - do it fast and continuous - dont give her the chance to look away -

For those dogs that are less attentive - use a leash - but use the same method - treating is the key on rewarding the looking at you... 

But I have to say - if you are new to it - you yourself has to practice on the reward handoff, watching the dog when he/she gives you what you are after - and learning to get that food in the target area - "the mouth" - dropping it on the ground makes the dog lower it head to find the food on the ground... and defeats what you are trying to teach them....


Happyday

My advise

If you don't know what you are doing, you should get help from someone that walks the walk and not talk the talk
Even simple food training is difficult when you have not done it for many years with experts to point
things out to you.
Nothing is easy get help.
V.

Here is a video of my pup and we are working on positions. I use the clicker and food for reward. Everyone has a different way of training the fuss so this is just my way and has worked very well for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LlNoDauu-w



Denise

 Denise, 

nice video, and thanks. Happy day, she has a high prey drive, so she catches everything. Thanks for the pointers.