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Old 07-29-2009, 08:02 PM   #1
QuickSilver
Thor's Human
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: San Francisco, CA
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Default Trick training versus life skills

I really enjoy training Thor. Ultimately, I think I would like to do rally with him, or get him a good citizen title.

So far I've focused mostly on tricks. He can Sit, Down, Up, Stay, Come, Roll Over, Bang!, Spin, Shake, High Five, and Speak. We are currently working on Quiet.

Now I want to focus more on his behavior generally. He is a pretty good walker, and can Stay outside in a park for about a minute. However, I've finally faced up to the fact that he doesn't know his name .

I also have a lot of trouble getting him to Sit when he knows he isn't getting a treat. I've been working on getting him to sit at street corners, and I believe the problem is that he wants to thoroughly check out the environment before he sits - so sometimes he'll look around for ten seconds, and then Sit, sometimes he'll Sit because I say it in a really stern voice several times, or he'll sit because I "walk into" him.

Anyway, I am wondering about what kind of general "pay attention to me and don't run out into the street" tricks people have focused on, and how they get their dogs to behave. Currently we are working on his name, and Watch Me. Generally, I would just like him to be more attentive to me and look to me more guidance when we walk by big dogs. Currently, his philosophy is, "When In Doubt, Bark It Out".
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