She has learned all of the commands but is uncomfortable with "lay down".
Using treats and loads of praise will get her over her reluctance to do the "down". The "down" position is hard for some Icelandic Sheepdogs because it puts them in a position of submissiveness. Our dogs have strong, but very nice, temperaments (personalities); they do not like, however, at first, being passive or submissive.
For Saga, I would hold her treat between my fingers and place them immediately in front of her nose/mouth so she can smell, taste and even nibble the treat while she is in the down position on the floor. (What's the song from "The Sound of Music"? - A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down?) Making the puppy work for the treat is better than just giving the treat to it. Be sure the reward is immediate. If you give the reward a few seconds after the dog performs the command, the dog will not know "why" it got the reward.
Nevertheless, you and everyone else in your home, must be in a position of authority over your dog.You do NOT have to be mean. In fact, being mean will NOT work. A benevolent alpha is ideal. Using lots of treats and praise and toys will work wonders. They must "want" to do things for you. That's really easy to accomplish.
Saga has her own prong or pinch collar. It's very important to note that some trainers do not like prong collars, especially for puppies. Some trainers do not even like training collars, sometimes called choke collars. (I much prefer prong collars over choke collars because I believe that prongs are more humane.)
Be nice to your trainers. Sugar works better than vinegar. However, your dog is YOURS. You get to decide everything relating to your dog. Politely smile at your trainer, thank him or her for their input and quietly and with as little fuss and notice as possible do what you want to do. If you're nice, they may choose to accept or at least ignore your position.
Trainers often think their way is the only way. It simply is not. The expression, "There's more than one way to skin a cat" - even though it's a terrible expression - is spot on. There are many ways to train dogs. What works for one dog may not work for another dog - - even if they are in the same breed.
I teach classes with other instructors at Sportsmens, an all volunteer AKC affiliated dog training club in the metropolitan Detroit area. What I say is no better or worse than what the other instructors say. We all tell our students to keep and use the techniques that work for them and their dogs and discard the ones that don't work. It's that simple. My feelings are never hurt if a student does not use what I say. Honest. Period. Michelle often has better ideas, So does Jerry. And Steve. And Marcella. And Pippa.
Being nice to your trainer works better than being oppositional. They all like to think their way is the best and only way. It isn't. Their other suggestions may be great and you want to remain on their good side so you can find things that will work for you. (There is bound to be a good side.)
No comments:
Post a Comment