Vivi displays some confusing behavior while learning basic commands.
Hi all! First off, Vivi is doing great! He is the best dog I could have hoped for.
Lately, I've been teaching him his basic commands so he'll be ready when we take the beginner obedience class later on. He already learned sit and down so far, and I'll be teaching stay, come, drop it, leave it, and some others just for fun.
However, I noticed an odd behavior he shows when I first start training with a new command. If I give him a command he doesn't quite know yet, he looks a little nervous and tries to turn and walk away as soon as the command is given, even if I have a great treat (tiny piece of cheese!) in my hand. He did this with sit at first, and still does it a little with down since it's the newest command. I use a quiet, calm voice with clear pronunciation to give the command and accompany it with a hand sign (point up for sit, point down for down). Anyway, I'm just wondering what might have caused this odd behavior. Could his previous owners have been too hard on him while trying to train him?
Lately, I've been teaching him his basic commands so he'll be ready when we take the beginner obedience class later on. He already learned sit and down so far, and I'll be teaching stay, come, drop it, leave it, and some others just for fun.
However, I noticed an odd behavior he shows when I first start training with a new command. If I give him a command he doesn't quite know yet, he looks a little nervous and tries to turn and walk away as soon as the command is given, even if I have a great treat (tiny piece of cheese!) in my hand. He did this with sit at first, and still does it a little with down since it's the newest command. I use a quiet, calm voice with clear pronunciation to give the command and accompany it with a hand sign (point up for sit, point down for down). Anyway, I'm just wondering what might have caused this odd behavior. Could his previous owners have been too hard on him while trying to train him?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Beauty and the Beast on
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What kind of treats do you use? He might respond better to something more "delicious" .
It has to be something very stinky, like Zukes training treats. Boiled chicken or warm hot dog pieces are good too. Do your training sessious when he's hungry, should help too.
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Try doing it without a command first. That's what all trainers recommend. He doesn't know what the word means, so he has no idea what you want. I noticed if I try to teach Shiro and start off something new with a verbal command he tries to du stuff that he already knows. So I just lure him or wait for the behavior and then reward. You can attach verbal clue when the visual one is completely understood (like hand down etc).
To teach leave it present a treat and close your palm. Give it to him when he turns away his nose from the hand. Say "good boy" or "yes!" too. When he turns automatically add "leave it". Timing is very important.
I also found out that it is A LOT easier to train my corgi when you get down to their level. That way I'm right in his face and he doesn't have to stare upwards all the time. I found it useful for thigs like "back up" and "bow". Otherwise he'll lay down instead of bow and sit on his pretty fuzzy butt for back up. hehe
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Permalink Reply by Abbea and Vivi on
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Ahh, that makes sense. When I started teaching a new command I had to squat down with him at first, since I had to physically help him into the position.
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Permalink Reply by Sky and Lyla on
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Itching can be a sign if stress in dogs (as well as sniffing). If your dog is itching everytime you start teaching a new command it's possible he is getting nervous and stressed for some reason.
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Permalink Reply by GoGoRainbow on
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haha, probably something triggers a histamine release with the stress ;)
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I was thinking.... probably not now that I've read everything, but Pooka walks away cuz she thinks I want her to go get something with my new word.
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Wow that's impressive. When my corgi knows that I'm out of treats he won't pay any attention to me. I'm trying to alternate treats/no treats.
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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I've heard that the speed of reinforcement is very important. If you have the treat in your hand, ready-to-go-BAM!, it's better than if the dog has to wait for you to fish it out of your pocket.
[I've heard that inhaling a drug like nicotine may be more addictive than mainlining it into your vein; if you inhale it, it starts in your lungs and only has to go through the left side of your heart and thence to your brain, but if you inject it, it has to go to your heart and thence through the right side of your heart and through your lungs first.]
So have the reward ready in an instant.
Be very careful to keep the vocabulary simple and extremely consistent. I've made the mistake of not being on exactly the same page as my wife, thus confusing the animals.
Our dogs have learned accidental commands. Sometimes they do not obey until we say "EXCUSE ME?!" in an imperious voice. When we say that, they know we mean business. This was unintentional.
Treats can be tiny. A small screw-cap odor-proof dog-proof container is handy.
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