drift. wrote:Fostering this big handsome hunk. He's really well-mannered, but he's really stubborn when I give the command 'down'. He follows the command, just alot of vocal protest and he takes 5 minutes to get there. How would I encourage him, besides treats, and get him excited about it. Down is the only command he doesn't like, and the reason I say besides treats is that he still refuses even with a treat incentive.
Imzadi83 wrote:drift. wrote:Fostering this big handsome hunk. He's really well-mannered, but he's really stubborn when I give the command 'down'. He follows the command, just alot of vocal protest and he takes 5 minutes to get there. How would I encourage him, besides treats, and get him excited about it. Down is the only command he doesn't like, and the reason I say besides treats is that he still refuses even with a treat incentive.
How old is he? It is possible that laying down could be painful, does he seem to have problems laying down on his own, does it take him a while or vocalize then? Or could getting up from the position be a problem?
Also where are you asking him to down? It could be he doesn't like laying down on hard floors because it's uncomfortable for him. You could try softer flooring, a dog bed, or a mat to help.
If you've ruled out those problems I would suggest upping the value of the reward which could mean a higher value treat or another type of reward entirely. Also limit the amount of time you ask, don't ask for the 'down' ten times in a row for example. Other then that it's just a matter of ignoring the vocalizations and being consistent, then shortening the amount of time you wait for him to respond in order to receive the reward slowly by a second at a time to get him to respond quicker.
drift. wrote:@NaecoHe was an owner surrender, very well taken care of. The dad's job moved and unfortunately, Bojak couldn't go with them. The family had three kids, and when he came in there were no scars bruises or cuts.
@ImzadiI suppose I could try a mat, but I've tried on grass, carpet and tile. Anywhere I've decided to train, he resists. He's only 3, so I couldn't imagine it would be painful joints. I'll try amping up the treat as well as not give him morethan a minute to lie down. He enjoys it, I think. His tail is always wagging a mile a minute as I tell him 'down' and he barks back. He thinks it's our own little game I bet. I'll start there and try other things. I've been working on 'focus', so he takes his attention from his barking to me. It's not going so great, but he'll catch on.
drift. wrote:@ImzadiI suppose I could try a mat, but I've tried on grass, carpet and tile. Anywhere I've decided to train, he resists. He's only 3, so I couldn't imagine it would be painful joints. I'll try amping up the treat as well as not give him morethan a minute to lie down. He enjoys it, I think. His tail is always wagging a mile a minute as I tell him 'down' and he barks back. He thinks it's our own little game I bet. I'll start there and try other things. I've been working on 'focus', so he takes his attention from his barking to me. It's not going so great, but he'll catch on.
Naeco wrote:drift. wrote:@NaecoHe was an owner surrender, very well taken care of. The dad's job moved and unfortunately, Bojak couldn't go with them. The family had three kids, and when he came in there were no scars bruises or cuts.
@ImzadiI suppose I could try a mat, but I've tried on grass, carpet and tile. Anywhere I've decided to train, he resists. He's only 3, so I couldn't imagine it would be painful joints. I'll try amping up the treat as well as not give him morethan a minute to lie down. He enjoys it, I think. His tail is always wagging a mile a minute as I tell him 'down' and he barks back. He thinks it's our own little game I bet. I'll start there and try other things. I've been working on 'focus', so he takes his attention from his barking to me. It's not going so great, but he'll catch on.
Sounds like he just thinks it is a game then.Keep working with him then. Another option is to take a collar and pull it down until he "gives in" and then reward him big time. It is a bit forceful, but it sounds like he is trying to get away with it and that would teach him that he can't get away with refusing it. Of course, that option is up to you to use. I've used it on a few dogs that were stubborn and sassy and it worked out well.
Imzadi83 wrote:-snip-
I wouldn't recommend this technique, especially with a foster dog. Right now he thinks it's a game but if he's not comfortable with the force you put on his collar it could frighten him and your hand will be in a perfect position to get bit.
You can also try capturing the behavior as well. When you see he's going to lay down on his own say 'down' and then make a big deal of it when he does.
If he's taking more than a minute to lay down it may simply be that he wasn't taught this behavior correctly and you may need to go back and teach it to him like it was brand new. Sometimes changing the cue word can help as well.
nearly.witches wrote:hello, my name is mel, and i have gone 16 years of my life
without a pet/dog, and animals are my fave things in the entire world.
so please
anyone and everyone feel free to send me pictures of your dogs. please.
thanks ;0;
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