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Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Texas
Posts: 875
| ![]() Pixie is in Basic Obedience classes. She is doing extremely well with everything... except lay down. I absolutely cannot make her lay down when I ask her to. And worse, in class, we've been building on "lay down" - such as down/stay, down/come/down, etc. We do use clicker training, but treats don't work - she's not interested if you bring out the treats. I have tried the treats to convince her to lay down, but she just absolutely refuses. Any ideas? Help!
__________________ ~Lopsi... and Pixie & Bogey; RIP Baby Caddo, 2/15/2007 ![]() |
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Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Sequim, Wa
Posts: 4,541
| ![]() How old is she? It took Gracie forever to master "down". Now whenever I say "sit" she goes "down", because I trained "down" after "sit". It took Gracie until she was 6 months or so to start getting it, and 7 months before she mastered it. Have you tried training when she is hungry? Don't feed her before puppy class and train her at home just before a meal. Use something extra special only for "down", like a frankfurter or some string cheese, or some peanut butter. Also remember that puppies will do something at home that they won't do at class due to distractions, etc. They don't always generalize from one place to another. Keep persisting, she will eventually get it!
__________________ Gracie loves Bailey. Holly loves Tucker. Proud member of the YT Gracie Girls. |
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Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Texas
Posts: 875
| ![]() She's 8 months, and the "don't feed her before training" thing doesn't work. Her little tummy just doesn't hold enough for her to care. She may perform for about 3 treats, then she's done. Even if she hasn't eaten at all that day. My trainer kept telling me that, too. I don't think she really believed that I wasn't feeding her in the mornings until my husband said the same thing one day and she was shocked. Pixie does know "sit" really well - and when she's not selectively listening, she will sit for me. But even at home with no distractions, I can't make her lay down. Sometimes I try to gently push her into it, but she like jumps up and runs. She lays down to sleep, but other than that, she wants nothing to do with "down." Any suggestions on how to change her mind? ![]()
__________________ ~Lopsi... and Pixie & Bogey; RIP Baby Caddo, 2/15/2007 ![]() |
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Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: New Zealand
Posts: 944
| ![]() Hi. Does she do down at home? It might be that the floor or ground at training class is cold. I wouldn't be keen to put my warm belly on the cold floor! If it's as simple as that try taking a blanket to class for her to do her down on. Don't let the instructor poo poo this. You've gotta start somewhere and Pixie is still a wee baby! If that's not that then you can try "capturing" the behaviour. Presumably there are times when she lies down at home. Keep treats and your clicker in your pocket during this critical "capturing" phase and everytime she lies down naturally say "down" (or whatever word you've decided to use) and click-treat her. Hopefully she'll quickly associate the command word with the position. and she should start "offering" the position ie doing a down without being asked when that happens say down and click and treat and PRAISE! Once she starts offering you can try giving the command when she's not in position and seeing if she'll go into a down. If she doesn't don't force it and go back to capturing. You could also try shaping. Do you have a super tasty treat that Pixie loves - something you don't usually use? Maybe cheese. Get her in a sit and without saying anything put the treat on the floor in front of her - when she dips her head to get it click - repeat until she starts offering the head bob. move the treat out a bit so she has go forward and down click treat and repeat. You should be able to work up to the full down position. Once she starts offering the down position you can start using the command word. Don't give the word before she's in position otherwise she won't know what particular behaviour the word signifies. Once she's solid you should be able to give the command and she'll then go into position. I hope this is helpful and not too long winded. If you google clicker training you should be able to come up with some tutorials for the basic commands. Keep it up! training's about the best fun you can have with your dog!
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Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: New Zealand
Posts: 944
| ![]() LOL I took so long to write my response more info was added! LOL! Does Pixie like toys? Use the toy as the reward instead of the treat. Play a short game of tug war with her as her reward. When i go to agility I go armed with squeaky toys, treats and clicker. DOugal loves to play tug of war with his lead. I have the same problem of dixie filling up quickly on treats. Are they cut into the itsiest bitsiest pieces just a couple of mm across? For a wee baby you don't need much!
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Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Texas
Posts: 875
| ![]() We do cut her treats up really small - and we've used everything from cheese to hotdogs/ham/chicken/etc to 10 different kinds of storebought treats... We even tried peanut butter and the spray cheese. Hah! She's really not big in to her toys either. She does chew on bones, but her thrill is playing with the cats which is way too much distraction for trying to train her. We have tried with the treats several different approaches: We start with put her in sit, then: Put the treat by her nose and move it down, then in/out; Put the treat by her nose and pull it up beside her neck; Put the treat under my leg... Though with her limited appeal of the treats, she never goes all the way. She'll follow it, then decide she's not interested and walk off.
__________________ ~Lopsi... and Pixie & Bogey; RIP Baby Caddo, 2/15/2007 ![]() |
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No Longer a Member | ![]() I had some trouble in training class at first with Chloe because she too is not too interested in treats. She would turn down chicken and hot dogs. Well, finally, the trainer brought in freeze-dried liver. She absolutely LOVES LOVES LOVES them. Since I got them, training has been a whole lot easier. They're not cheap though. It was about $14 for the tub. The crumbs are also like magic powder sprinkled on her food to get her to eat. For the past two days, she has wolfed down all three meals a day without my begging, pleading, and returning her to her food bowl. If you have not tried the freeze dried liver, give it a try. The chunks are huge, so I have to cut them much smaller, but hey...they last longer that way! |
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Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Texas
Posts: 875
| ![]() We tried those once. She did seem to like them, but we were working on easier stuff then (like - sit). The trainer hasn't brought those back to class, but we have tried the other stuff she's brought. I may have to invest in some to see if those may help. Thanks...
__________________ ~Lopsi... and Pixie & Bogey; RIP Baby Caddo, 2/15/2007 ![]() |
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Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: New Zealand
Posts: 944
| ![]() Gosh that's hard isn't it. Not liking the treats. I suspect it'll get easier when she gets older. At 7 months she's still just a kid. The world is just way too exciting at the moment! Dixie was hard to train at that age - now her little face lights up every time the clicker comes out. ![]() ![]() So sorry no easy answers. ![]()
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Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Texas
Posts: 875
| ![]() On the up side... the treats we buy for her that she refuses to eat.... The cats and our other dog welcome the chance to scarf down. ![]()
__________________ ~Lopsi... and Pixie & Bogey; RIP Baby Caddo, 2/15/2007 ![]() |
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No Longer a Member | ![]() Quote:
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YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 695
| ![]() My trainer told me that the little dogs she's taught never love doing down. Howie doesn't love doing it, but at almost 11 months old and 7 months of training classes, he will finally do down for me without looking at me like I have 6 heads. Age and persistance help a lot. One day I'm sure Pixie will have an a-ha moment and just get it. Keep up the good work with your training!
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Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Texas
Posts: 875
| ![]() Ok, so has anyone got a time machine that builds patience into it? Sounds like that's what I need! ![]()
__________________ ~Lopsi... and Pixie & Bogey; RIP Baby Caddo, 2/15/2007 ![]() |
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YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: American in London
Posts: 1,739
| ![]() Lopsi, Since luring her into a down isn't work, I would change to "capturing". Perhaps that concept has been explained in your class? Dougal&little explained how to do it above: Quote:
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