Motivating a laid back dog

I have one-to-one agility lessons with Rossi and just started sharing the lesson between the two of them before Enzo got ill, but he should be able to go back in a couple of weeks. I can only afford an hour every two weeks and the rest is practise on my own.

Rossi is a very laid back dog and it's so hard to get him motivated to go over the jumps. I even have trouble getting him to go to the start of the jumps and place him correctly, but sometimes he just stands there and looks at me or will wander around the course looking bored until I ask him to do a tunnel, the contact equipment or weaves. Once he's going he's great and seems to be really pleased with himself but it's getting him started that's the problem and even my very experienced trainer finds him frustrating!
He has been doing agility since he was a year old and did a bit of puppy agility before that and he's always been like this. I have been to classes but it takes so long for him to get started he just holds everybody else up!

I have tried using a target stick which he likes, but he got bored of that quickly, but it means I have to treat him before he's done any jumping.

I was chatting to my trainer at the end of the lesson and trying to work out ways of getting him motivated and he said it's just a matter of finding his 'on' button! He has suggested using different treats until I find one that he really gets excited about; using Enzo to make him a bit jealous and make him want to have a go (tried that), not giving him breakfast so he's hungry and will want to work for food. I'll try all of these before our next lesson!

I was using a fluffy pencil case with treats in for a while and he loves it but doesn't see why he should do anything to earn the treats inside. He hasn't seen it for ages so I'll introduce it again during our next practice session. I could spend a fortune buying toys but he's not really interested when there is food on offer - he just can't be bothered to work for it!

If I could get a squirrel or cat to go over the jumps before him then we might get somewhere because that's the only thing he gets really excited about!

Sorry no advice really but a laid back weim who isn't totally food obsessed, my dream, i'll swap you for a highly strung and greedy gannet of one?

I`ve got a chilled GSP who isn`t really interested in anything much...except pheasants. He likes pheasants. He could look at them for hours. He`ll retrieve a ball (once only) occasionally, and do something for a sausage now and again (but soon gets fed up with that) but that`s about it. So I`m watching this thread with interest.

But he is a gannet, he just doesn't see why he should go over jumps to get food! I did look for a laid back dog so it serves me right, I couldn't handle two like Enzo (also highly strung, but will happily perform all his tricks and do the jumps for one treat!)

Ah yes, phessies are a favourite, too, but I can't take a live one to agility. Perhaps I should make pheasant cake!

Why bother? I have a male Dobermann who is pretty much the same. He can do all the agiltiy stuff and will do it once to prove it, Then he wants to lie in the grass and doss while the others give it a go. I just don't see the point of hitting my head against a brick wall with him to be honest. He has other things he loves doing, so gets plenty of exercise. So why give yourself the aggravation when you could just do the agility with the one that enjoys it.

Because I'm too stubborn to give up on him! If he clearly hated it I wouldn't take him, but once he starts he's really good and gets really pleased with himself. I just can't work out why the starting is the problem!

Enzo has health problems so I don't know if he'll be able to continue or for how long.

Hi,

Does he have a "favourite" person? I mean someone other than yourself?
My bitch, Ellie will do nothing if she decides not too. But if my Son, Oscar is about, she'll do anything for him. Literally.

When I take her to agility (unfortunately rained off tonight), Oscar goes over the jumps, through the tunnels etc first with Ellie about 6 inches fom his rea end.

Its' really funny to see,particulary when she gets excited and puts her nose under his backside, thus upending him!

So for me it's live children. I don't see anything wrong in taking alivce pheasant to agility - although hw you're gonna get it to run the course first is something I'd really like to see.

Sorry can't be of much help.

Laura xx

No, his favourite person is me! I do everything for them so it's not surprising he loves his mummy and will usually do anything for me.

I've come to the conclusion that he is just lazy! He doesn't see why he should go over 3 jumps and through the tunnel to get a treat when he can go over the dogwalk or A-frame and get a treat for less effort. He seems to forget that he does actually enjoy it once he's jumping.

So from today he will have to work harder for his treats and meals, he's had it too easy so far. This morning I made them both do two jumps before they could have their breakfast and they were perfectly willing. All biscuits will be earnt and not just by sitting and giving a high give as usual, he'll be jumping for them. By the time we go to our next lesson I want him to love jumping!

I will have to take an extra tasty treat to lessons just for jumping so think I will make dreadful stinky liver cake. I really hate the mess and the smell but if it works it's worth it.

Hahaha, Max is like this!

I took him to flyball for a season or so, as he is a fast runner and good at jumps. He just couldn't be bothered!

All the other dogs were hyped up, straining on harnesses ready to go, and would shoot off...

Max would be laid on the floor, eyes closed and I'd have to drag him around. I'd let him go at the beginning of the course, and he'd run half-way down the lane, stop, turn round and nonchalently saunter back to me, lay down and close his eyes...

And this from a 2 year old Boxer!

After 2 seasons, 1 indoor and 1 outdoor, I have come to the conclusion that he honestly just can't be bothered.

We stopped going after that, as I felt it was a waste of money. I'd thought about agility and cani-X, but have a premonition that he would be the same!

We stick with running on the beach and long walks in the Lake District now!