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Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly  Hard-headed is kind of a misnomer with dogs. They are just improperly motivated and when you find their currency, they will work and learn. In fact, they prefer it. Tibbe will choose training over a walk every time! Unless he's starving, he'd rather train and learn than eat. Even "slow" dogs can learn where the water and food dishes are and remember what time to expect a family member home and where the toys are kept. And unless they are scent dogs, it's NOT done from scenting those objects - they remember. If you take the bowls up and move them, for a while they will keep going back to where they used to set. They remember their name and alert when you call it. A "hard-headed" dog is usually just one that a trainer hasn't properly motivated with enthusiasm or authority or pride or interest or all combined.
Face it - some trainers are BORING and only a Border Collie or Standard Poodle would do well with them. I watch them and think - why would I do anything extraordinary for that person? No fire - no authority - no fun!
A skilled trainer of service dogs that also works with matching and training clients with dogs and training that person how to interact with and continue to train that dog to serve them will know how to "train" you - show you what to do and how to act when you are training and living with your "hard-headed"(unmotivated) girl.
Almost anyone can find enough things to make a good yard-sale and do without some of the extra's they live with for a while if really motivated to get some help for themselves and their dog. Not saying it is easy but it can be done and when you find a truly good trainer with a history of pairing dogs with people of disability and training those people how to handle and train that dog to perform new behaviors and services it needs to learn, you will likely have to part with good cash for purchase of those services.
But I promise you if she teaches you how to handle your dog and train her happily to do what you request, you will be thrilled with the money spent! A well-trained, well-behaved, happy and healthy dog is a pleasure and a daily bonus to life! Having a dog that is bouncing around happy, having fun but not bolting out an open door and running down the block, one that settles down when requested to and will drop that pain pill out of its mouth when you tell it to rather than gulp it down - those dogs are a pleasure to be around and gift to your life. They don't nip ankles or chew woodwork or couch pillows and learn to control their impulses often with just a stern look from you or at most a pointed finger. Yet, they stay happy and motivated because they know you will almost always get up and reward/praise and kiss them - give them a little hug - take the time to thank them. Oh, how you will love having a dog that happily co-exists with you without misbehaving and keeping you upset! There is a better way and good dog skills will get you there. |
With Fancy she would like to be outside walking or riding in the car more then anything else. I know she can be werid at time. if she don't have to do work then she wont do it. But it is hard to find someone in this small of a town to train her. all we can find are petsmart and petco. when I did look online for others it said places where never around here or places I am not to sure where they are at. and if I did look it up on the mapquest to see how far they was from me it would say 8hrs and something or longer. I knew that was out and I tryed putting my town or few town near me to see what it would come up and it came up the same way. So I am not to sure if I am put it in wrong or the shear thing is reading it wrong or something.
She got to be a very slow leaner. there are somethings she will do every now and then like sit and stay but sometime not for that long either. I did do this when she tried to go after my feet today I did tell her don't think about it and she seem to stop and she start to try again I said it again and she stop and started to go other way. so that is something that we might have to use on her and see how long that stay with her. what do u think about that. it's something different to try on her since the others things not working right off hand. and I have did the samp if thats how it's spelled my finger together and she seem to work some but I am not to sure how long that will last with her. but do u think that she could be getting bored with the training and would like something new to do the doing the training that she learned in class. so what do u think of that.