Zane's training

Hi,

Since Zane was old enough to go out to attend formal training classes he's absolutely loved going out to what we call "doggy school". He knows when it's Tuesday and sits by the door waiting for my Mom to come to babysit for me.

Still, the advanced class he goes to is enjoyable bot h for him and for me even though he can do everything I ask of him - although he does have his moments where he decides to vary a few of the tasks/jobs/activities he's supposed to be doing (but that's another thread!).

Last year, as some of you rightly pointed out, I was over stimulating him. His training was great for both of us but I accept that I was overdoing things with him and the more I did, the more he craved more training.

Since Yiannis was attacked in September, I've allowed his training to slide. I don't mean attendance at the local classes although I haven't been so often recently but I mean the training at home where he learns the most.

I've tried going back to basics with him which isn't a problem and he'll do as he's told but he seems to be bored with it. How do I know what, if anything, he's forgotten about? Do I have to go back to square one with absolutely everything? I know it seems tedious but if it gets both him and me back on track I think it's worth it. Although I'll be careful not to overdo things again.

I'd love him to eventually get into the obedience circuit. I know he can do it because I've seen what he can do.

I have plans for all the dogs - Buddy is already entitled to go to Crufts. I'm starting Yiannis on agility in the summer but will contiue with the obedience also and I'd like to get Ellie to Scrufts (all in the future). I've made NY resolutions regarding the dogs and have struck to the m so far but it's so hard to remember what I'd like for all of them.

But Zane is my priority at the moment. I need to get him back up and running so to speak, whilst not overdoing things but also making it interesting enough fo rhim to want to carry on with it.

Please - any ideas? Advice? I think I'm finding it hard to get him back into his training routine because he's already done so much so I'm assuming he can still do everything.

Laura xx

Its obvious to me anyway that you have to start from scratch if your having problems. Just like you did when you first started training.
As he is at ''advanced training'' surely the class you go to have advanced trainers that can give you advice, plus with your own advanced knowledge of training, you just need to fall back on your own resources. (go back in time using what knowledge you gained).

I wouldnt have thought an advanced dog would just forget it all in the space of a few months unless there were something underlaying illness or brain problem,

its more likely you have changed your method of handling or hes bored,

what sort of things have you done with him? if you could list the things he could do with ease before that would be good.

what are you having problems with?

The best thing to do, isnt start from scratch as such. But to make it really easy for him, So try with very little distractions etc & do some static work.

Eg the really easisest thing for him to do is a sit then into heel, just do that a few times, then praise him then a few steps etc, he will soon cotton back on, in the space of a few days he should be back to where he was, even though you are back to basics its not going to take the same amount of time!

I'm a little confused as on the one hand you are saying he can do everything that is asked of him at Advanced Training Class and on the other you are saying you need to get him 'back up and running'

Can you clarify what the problems are? Exactly what sort of stuff are you working on in the Advanced Class? What is it that he could previously do that he can't now?

Hi,

Thanx for the replies guys.

Hali - I see where you may have got confused. what I meant was that Zane is capable of doing everything asked of him in the advanced class. I know he "can" do it but because of the time lapse in his training I dont know if he's forgotten or can't be bothered. But judging by how he used to put everything he had into his training, I'd like to think he's just forgotten and is out of practice with some things.
I don't want to run before I can walk in terms of getting him back up to standard but I don't want him getting too bored with something either. I suppose it's a happy medium only I can find given on what I know about Zane and how he behaves usually during training.

I have gone back to basics with him before but it was only as a temporary thing to reinforce certain things with him. I know that if I ask him to sit, he will. He will do it straight away and I know it's second nature to him. That's where I'd like him to get to with everything I ask of him. All of the basic stuff that we teach them as young pups is basically OK and I don't have a problem starting freom scratch with these things and reinforcing them, although these aren't the things I'm having difficulty with.

When I stopped going to formal training (partly because of what happened to Yiannis, partly due to personal circumstances and partly because "Neil" had returned to training the intermediate group) Zane was just getting to a point where I could ask him to sit or lie down and stay whilst I left the room. I would leave him for anything from about 30 seconds to 3 minutes or so and re-enter the room. He could't see me at all whilst I was out of the room. Now if I try to do this exercise with him, he'll stay for maybe a minute at the most, but then he'll get up and walk towards the door. So I know he can do it but I don't knw the reason for him to break the stay (although being a GSD I've come to expect it to a certain extent).

Another thing we're having a problem with is send-aways. He'll go into the box but won't turn around and sit or lie down. I've tried at home to get him to do this properly by using treats, his favourite blanket to lie on etc but nothing is working. I dont' know if I'm missing something out or doing something wrong.

Obviously these exercises/tasks aren't essential but I'd like to hm to get up to speed. what I'm really concerned about though is his recall - or lack of it.

He used to have almost perfect recall with the worst incident of him not listening to me was when I was in Sutton Park with him (Steph you may remember this). His saw a small, terrier type dog across the field. I think he thought it was maybe a rat, rabbit, cat, weasel, ferret etc. I know if he thought it was another dog I could have recalled him successfully. he chased this very small, poor dog for what seemed like ages. He didn't catch her. He was far too slow. He wouldn't have hurt her as we found out when she'd worn him out completely and they both stopped running. It was really funny at the time but i worked harder with him after that and his recall improved further.

But now, it's almost as though he's never had any recall training. He'll run up to ANY dog at all regardless of whether I call him or not. it's not all the time, only sometimes bu tthose times are too much. So now in the park he has to stay on a long lead. I think this in itself is easy enough to resolve but it seems to be taking so long to get him back to where he left off.

I did think maybe I was trying to push him too hard and to do too much by practising/training more or less everything he knows or should know. Maybe if I go back to doing only the basic stuff first then ease off on that to continue with the harder stuff will make it easier for him. Would that work do you think? Then maybe as time goes on and he gets back up to the standard I'm used to I can increase the intensity so he can enter major shows when he's around 3 years old (he's only just 2 years old at the moment). Obviously this isn't set in stone as it will depend upon Zane himself but I know that if I don't have a target/goal to work towards, I'll never achieve what I'd like to.

Laura xx

Hi,

Having read through my reply post I don't think I've explained myself very well. In fact ithink it's easier to ecome more confused the more you read it.

In a nutshell, I'd like to get Zane back up to the standard he was at before in obedience without overstimulating him and going overboard with the intensity of his training (which I know is down to how I control it).

Zane's always enjoyed his training (or seems to) and I try to make it interesting for him by changing bits of it to make him think. With things like sit, stay, down etc he can and will perform these tasks on command when asked to do so.

Tasks such as send-aways, retrieve are a problem because he sometimes seems as though he doesn't knwo what's being asked of him, then another time he'll do i tperfectly.

His recall has gone from bad to worse and at teh moment it's a case of practising in the garden and keeping him on a long lead in the park or on the field at the end of the road (near the airport). There aren't many dogs about at the times I walk with him there so we can practise there too with minimal distraction; although other people, children and dogs coming by enable me to see how far he's come (or hasn't as the case may be).

It's his recall that bothers me most because to me it's essential, but I need advice re practically everything other than the most basic stuff.

Laura xx

I think I understood your reply, although sorry alittle long winded LOL

Admittedly I haven;t seen Zane recently but he always comes across as a more sensitive chappie than the others.

When out all he seems to want to do is play and be a dog...if you get my meaning. Reading your reply, it sounds like he's bored, could it be that your hoping to expect more than he is capable of wanting to give....not that he can not as you say, but he doesn't want to....if you get my meaning.

Yiannis (again I haven't seen him recently)I think maybe the one that could do all the things that you hope/ want from Zane, why not try him instead cooling off from Zane or slowing down with Zane.
I always get the impression with Zane that he will come into his own once he reaches 3 plus.

From the experience I have from my sons GSD's IMO because they are big dogs we tend to forget they are still babies (if you get my meaning) at 2.

Maybe you do have great hopes and dreams for him, but does Zane share them....this is something you can only guess at LOL maybe he won't until he reaches a more mature age.

Sorry that may sound harsh, but perhaps slow things down a little, I think maybe instead of thingking he used to stay in position for upto 3 mins (3 mins is a long time to a dog) maybe settle for the 1 min at the moment and slowly work upto 3 if its that important.

I think Zanes recall has always been a little hit and miss if you are honest, again this is ''kevin'' stages I think pushing at boundries.

As you say long training lead until you can be sure is the right thing IMO.

Still a bit confused - your first post said that you were still going to your advanced training classes although not as regularly but your later posts say that you stopped going altogether when Yiannis got attacked in September.

If, as your first post says, both you and Zane loves going to these classes and (before you stopped going) Zane could do everything asked of him, why don't you start them up again?

I know the trainer you don't like is there but as he's training the intermediate class and you are in the advanced class, i can't see that you would need to have anything to do with him?

Sounds like he found out that he didn't have to come back every time you called him when he chased the small dog. What reward does he get for coming back to you.?

What rewards does he get when training generally?

The stays you need to do lots and lots of short ones and not allow him to fail. Again if they break once you are scuppered and will need to go right back.

If you told him off or breaking and coming to you you will make it worse---especially for a GSD.

rune