At 13 weeks what should I be teaching my Yorkie? - Page 2 - YorkieTalk.com Forums

QuickSilver · 06-29-2009, 11:00 AM

I know the difference, thanks. I was wondering how you teach the dog the difference.

Marilize · 06-29-2009, 09:37 PM

I taught her to wait for me by putting her on my bed - she sleeps with me - telling her 'wait' and going to brush my teeth. I also use 'wait' when I am grooming her, when I just need a minute to get my things ready, etc. So, the 'wait' command simply means to give me a minute. She already knows this - I started the moment I got her.

Stay is a completely different story. Stay means that she has to stay in the exact position I put her in until I say okay (my release word). I plan to teach her this when she is a little older and less scatterbrained. I would simply ask her to sit or lie down and lengthen the time that she stays in that position. I have a hand signal for stay and while I won't say anything when she is in her position, I don't want her to get confused when I say something else. She is very in tune to what we say - I have to talk to her constantly when she is getting a bath, etc.

So, using a hand signal, I will get her to stay in her position. The success of this method might be doubted since I haven't taught her to stay yet, but my older yorkie, Cash, knows wait and stay very well. He waits for me to say 'okay' before he gets in the car, before he gets out of the car, when I have to attach his leash, etc.
Cash is also great in stay! I can walk around him, other people and dogs can walk around him and he will not get out of the stay. I can jump up and down, circle him, hold a toy, throw a toy or put food down, and he will stay. I can even leave the room for some time and he will stay in his position.

I think 'wait' is a more practical thing to teach your dog while stay is very impressive. I hope that answers your question.

QuickSilver · 06-29-2009, 10:24 PM

Hm. Well, riddle me this:

Thor is excellent at Stay, as long as there is no one around him. He can Stay for over a minute if we're in a calm area. If there is another dog or person, or say, a paper bag, he gets up. I've been trying to practice Stay with him quite a bit (minimum is 5x/day). I'd like him to sit at corners, while I am waiting in line, etc. The thing is, he is so small that I feel like to some degree he's right to be so nervous. One stray human foot, and he will go flying. On the other hand, he is overly nervous. I'm pretty sure he is not going to be harmed by a paper bag, for instance. Sometimes he just breaks the Stay because he sees something very interesting he wants to check out. Also, if he's not Staying, he's off exploring, trying to climb up people's legs and generally being a Bad Doggy.

I try to put him in Stays in a position where he can feel safe, like with his back to a wall. But I'm kind of wondering if I am being counter productive, because now he is breaking Stays all the time, and I don't want him to think it's optional.

allyboo · 06-29-2009, 10:33 PM

Hiya

How old is your pup? It's possible that if he is quite young, new things are just, well, too new and interesting for him to be able to control himself. When I took my Milly to training classes, the trainer (a highly respected Kennel Club trainer) informed me there was little point in trying to teach her to stay in an interesting and exciting place "this side of Christmas", because she was just too excited about life in general to keep her bottom on the floor.

It's possible that perhaps Thor is suffering from highly-excitable-adolescent-doggy syndrome? And maybe time will do the trick?

QuickSilver · 06-29-2009, 10:49 PM

Well, he is almost three, though he's very immature.

I just got him a few months ago and his first owner put zero effort into training him, so we are going through a major remedial effort.

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed tonight. He is a decently behaved dog, but we are working on SO many things.

I'm planning to start our first obedience class at the SPCA in a few weeks, so I'm excited to get the perspecitve of a professional trainer.

allyboo · 06-29-2009, 11:18 PM

If you have him in minute-long stays already, then it sounds like you're doing something right! If his previous owner didn't bother training him, it could be that he's also had limited opportunities to experience new and different situations.

He'll get the hang of it eventually

He sounds like a great little fella!

Good luck with your training sessions! Milly had a couple of different trainers before we finally settled on one who was suitable. She was his first Yorkie, but his methods really worked for Milly.

Marilize · 06-30-2009, 12:00 AM

If he is already staying, you just need to increase the distractions. It basically sounds like he knows what stay means, but he isn't used to staying when there are distractions around.
You can either lengthen his stays or increase the amount of distraction.
What is your release word? This is the most NB thing when it comes to stays.

You have to build up to the great stays. Cash recently finished another obedience course where the trainer would distract them with toys, other dogs and food. The distractions are gradually increased and only when he has mastered the previous distraction.

Also, when you treat him, don't let him come to you. He needs to learn that being away from you does not equal less or no treats. At the end of the stay, move towards him, give the release word when you have reached him and then treat. Don't ever let him move from the spot where he should stay - go to him. This tiny change made Cash incredible with stays.

The other big mistake that people make with stays is to keep the stay going until the dog shows signs of getting up (or he gets up). I am not saying that this is the case with you, I am just throwing it out there.
Every time he gets out of a stay, the process will be that much longer. You should end the stay, not him. So, I would actually suggest that you vary the amount of time that he is in a stay and quite suddenly give him the release word and then praise and treats. Doing this, you will condition him to listen to you, not act on a whim.

I hope this helps. I think it is a great thing that you are giving this baby a new lease on life. I am sure the training will go very well. Keep at it. Oh, and he is too cute! Love the colour!

QuickSilver · 06-30-2009, 09:01 AM

Oh dear, that could be it. I say oh dear, because my most common practice is to take his leash off at the park and then walk away from him. Then at some point I turn around and say my release work ("OK") and he explodes with energy running around. I can see the value of what you are saying about coming back to him before releasing him, because I am encouraging him to end his stay with a huge burst, and I am having an issue with that - if he decides to get up without me, he runs around like he's on fire and it's hard to catch him and put him back in his stay. The problem is that it is so darn cute when it works.

Marilize · 06-30-2009, 11:38 PM

Oh, I know. Sometimes they are just too cute.

What do you want out of the stay exercise? Do you want him all excited and running around after a stay or do you want him to have a reliable, consistent stay? If you answer this question truthfully, you can work on what you want and need.

I think you will find that he will be excited in a park anyway, regardless of whether you encourage it or not. To have a really obedient dog, he has to listen to you wherever he is and exciting him so much that you can't handle him afterwards may be detrimental later.

At the moment, he is getting his reward if he breaks the stay. His reward being to run around like crazy. So, in his mind, the sooner he breaks the stay, the sooner he gets his reward. No wonder he is breaking the stay. He is a smart little guy.

In your situation, I would take a ball or toy with me to the park and give it to him after the stay. This will reward him for a great stay in a great way. He should look forward to the end of a stay, but he shouldn't break a stay to get what he wants earlier.

So, reward him with a toy or ball and a fun game of fetch. He will soon learn that if he holds off a little while longer, he gets a better reward. I mean, he can run around as much as he wants, but that isn't going to get him the toy.

So, simply change your reward and he should do fine. Hehe, I find that even though they absolutely love running around like crazy, they will hover near you if you have a nice toy and a fun attitude.

A dog behaviourist friend told me something that has meant the world to me: The most important thing when you are training your dog is to figure out what he wants at that moment. So, he wants fun and games... give it to him, but only on your terms and only if he is a good boy.

Good luck. I think you are both going to have a lot of fun.

YorkieMother · 07-01-2009, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

Well, he is almost three, though he's very immature.

I just got him a few months ago and his first owner put zero effort into training him, so we are going through a major remedial effort.

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed tonight. He is a decently behaved dog, but we are working on SO many things.

I'm planning to start our first obedience class at the SPCA in a few weeks, so I'm excited to get the perspecitve of a professional trainer.

We pro trainers love to give a diffenrt view just make sure that who ever this one is is training from postive especcially as he is still very new and building a relationship with you.

JL

QuickSilver · 07-04-2009, 09:36 PM

Thank you for the advice, that is very helpful. I usually bring a couple tennis balls with me, so I will try using those as rewards for Staying. That is if I can train myself out of my treat, seeing him jump out of a Stay like there's a spring in his butt.

06-29-2009, 11:00 AM	#16
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	I know the difference, thanks. I was wondering how you teach the dog the difference. __________________ If you love something, set it free. Unless it's an angry tiger.

06-29-2009, 09:37 PM	#17
Marilize YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cape town, South Africa Posts: 703	I taught her to wait for me by putting her on my bed - she sleeps with me - telling her 'wait' and going to brush my teeth. I also use 'wait' when I am grooming her, when I just need a minute to get my things ready, etc. So, the 'wait' command simply means to give me a minute. She already knows this - I started the moment I got her. Stay is a completely different story. Stay means that she has to stay in the exact position I put her in until I say okay (my release word). I plan to teach her this when she is a little older and less scatterbrained. I would simply ask her to sit or lie down and lengthen the time that she stays in that position. I have a hand signal for stay and while I won't say anything when she is in her position, I don't want her to get confused when I say something else. She is very in tune to what we say - I have to talk to her constantly when she is getting a bath, etc. So, using a hand signal, I will get her to stay in her position. The success of this method might be doubted since I haven't taught her to stay yet, but my older yorkie, Cash, knows wait and stay very well. He waits for me to say 'okay' before he gets in the car, before he gets out of the car, when I have to attach his leash, etc. Cash is also great in stay! I can walk around him, other people and dogs can walk around him and he will not get out of the stay. I can jump up and down, circle him, hold a toy, throw a toy or put food down, and he will stay. I can even leave the room for some time and he will stay in his position. I think 'wait' is a more practical thing to teach your dog while stay is very impressive. I hope that answers your question. __________________ Cash & Orio RIP Beautiful Joni

06-29-2009, 10:24 PM	#18
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	Hm. Well, riddle me this: Thor is excellent at Stay, as long as there is no one around him. He can Stay for over a minute if we're in a calm area. If there is another dog or person, or say, a paper bag, he gets up. I've been trying to practice Stay with him quite a bit (minimum is 5x/day). I'd like him to sit at corners, while I am waiting in line, etc. The thing is, he is so small that I feel like to some degree he's right to be so nervous. One stray human foot, and he will go flying. On the other hand, he is overly nervous. I'm pretty sure he is not going to be harmed by a paper bag, for instance. Sometimes he just breaks the Stay because he sees something very interesting he wants to check out. Also, if he's not Staying, he's off exploring, trying to climb up people's legs and generally being a Bad Doggy. I try to put him in Stays in a position where he can feel safe, like with his back to a wall. But I'm kind of wondering if I am being counter productive, because now he is breaking Stays all the time, and I don't want him to think it's optional. __________________ If you love something, set it free. Unless it's an angry tiger.

06-29-2009, 10:33 PM	#19
allyboo Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: UK Posts: 67	Hiya How old is your pup? It's possible that if he is quite young, new things are just, well, too new and interesting for him to be able to control himself. When I took my Milly to training classes, the trainer (a highly respected Kennel Club trainer) informed me there was little point in trying to teach her to stay in an interesting and exciting place "this side of Christmas", because she was just too excited about life in general to keep her bottom on the floor. It's possible that perhaps Thor is suffering from highly-excitable-adolescent-doggy syndrome? And maybe time will do the trick? Last edited by allyboo; 06-29-2009 at 10:35 PM.

06-29-2009, 10:49 PM	#20
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	Well, he is almost three, though he's very immature. I just got him a few months ago and his first owner put zero effort into training him, so we are going through a major remedial effort. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed tonight. He is a decently behaved dog, but we are working on SO many things. I'm planning to start our first obedience class at the SPCA in a few weeks, so I'm excited to get the perspecitve of a professional trainer. __________________ If you love something, set it free. Unless it's an angry tiger. Last edited by QuickSilver; 06-29-2009 at 10:52 PM.

06-29-2009, 11:18 PM	#21
allyboo Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: UK Posts: 67	If you have him in minute-long stays already, then it sounds like you're doing something right! If his previous owner didn't bother training him, it could be that he's also had limited opportunities to experience new and different situations. He'll get the hang of it eventually He sounds like a great little fella! Good luck with your training sessions! Milly had a couple of different trainers before we finally settled on one who was suitable. She was his first Yorkie, but his methods really worked for Milly.

06-30-2009, 12:00 AM	#22
Marilize YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cape town, South Africa Posts: 703	If he is already staying, you just need to increase the distractions. It basically sounds like he knows what stay means, but he isn't used to staying when there are distractions around. You can either lengthen his stays or increase the amount of distraction. What is your release word? This is the most NB thing when it comes to stays. You have to build up to the great stays. Cash recently finished another obedience course where the trainer would distract them with toys, other dogs and food. The distractions are gradually increased and only when he has mastered the previous distraction. Also, when you treat him, don't let him come to you. He needs to learn that being away from you does not equal less or no treats. At the end of the stay, move towards him, give the release word when you have reached him and then treat. Don't ever let him move from the spot where he should stay - go to him. This tiny change made Cash incredible with stays. The other big mistake that people make with stays is to keep the stay going until the dog shows signs of getting up (or he gets up). I am not saying that this is the case with you, I am just throwing it out there. Every time he gets out of a stay, the process will be that much longer. You should end the stay, not him. So, I would actually suggest that you vary the amount of time that he is in a stay and quite suddenly give him the release word and then praise and treats. Doing this, you will condition him to listen to you, not act on a whim. I hope this helps. I think it is a great thing that you are giving this baby a new lease on life. I am sure the training will go very well. Keep at it. Oh, and he is too cute! Love the colour! __________________ Cash & Orio RIP Beautiful Joni

06-30-2009, 09:01 AM	#23
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	Oh dear, that could be it. I say oh dear, because my most common practice is to take his leash off at the park and then walk away from him. Then at some point I turn around and say my release work ("OK") and he explodes with energy running around. I can see the value of what you are saying about coming back to him before releasing him, because I am encouraging him to end his stay with a huge burst, and I am having an issue with that - if he decides to get up without me, he runs around like he's on fire and it's hard to catch him and put him back in his stay. The problem is that it is so darn cute when it works. __________________ If you love something, set it free. Unless it's an angry tiger.

06-30-2009, 11:38 PM	#24
Marilize YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cape town, South Africa Posts: 703	Oh, I know. Sometimes they are just too cute. What do you want out of the stay exercise? Do you want him all excited and running around after a stay or do you want him to have a reliable, consistent stay? If you answer this question truthfully, you can work on what you want and need. I think you will find that he will be excited in a park anyway, regardless of whether you encourage it or not. To have a really obedient dog, he has to listen to you wherever he is and exciting him so much that you can't handle him afterwards may be detrimental later. At the moment, he is getting his reward if he breaks the stay. His reward being to run around like crazy. So, in his mind, the sooner he breaks the stay, the sooner he gets his reward. No wonder he is breaking the stay. He is a smart little guy. In your situation, I would take a ball or toy with me to the park and give it to him after the stay. This will reward him for a great stay in a great way. He should look forward to the end of a stay, but he shouldn't break a stay to get what he wants earlier. So, reward him with a toy or ball and a fun game of fetch. He will soon learn that if he holds off a little while longer, he gets a better reward. I mean, he can run around as much as he wants, but that isn't going to get him the toy. So, simply change your reward and he should do fine. Hehe, I find that even though they absolutely love running around like crazy, they will hover near you if you have a nice toy and a fun attitude. A dog behaviourist friend told me something that has meant the world to me: The most important thing when you are training your dog is to figure out what he wants at that moment. So, he wants fun and games... give it to him, but only on your terms and only if he is a good boy. Good luck. I think you are both going to have a lot of fun. __________________ Cash & Orio RIP Beautiful Joni

07-04-2009, 09:36 PM	#26
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	Thank you for the advice, that is very helpful. I usually bring a couple tennis balls with me, so I will try using those as rewards for Staying. That is if I can train myself out of my treat, seeing him jump out of a Stay like there's a spring in his butt. __________________ If you love something, set it free. Unless it's an angry tiger.