To recap:

1 - work on hand touch.
2 - work on hold.

Should I encourage him to hold anything and everything. Like take tea towels out, my handbag - he knows that one already, but generally different textures?

Thats what I have to do right - I haven't got confused?

Work on your hand touch ONLY ie not with anything else!!!!

Work on hold, separately, as per article, sitting down so the dog has to take it out of your hands get THIS right before you move on to moving the item elsewhere.

Do NOT start on different things, work on getting the hold PERFECT on ONE item, ie a bit of hosepipe FIRST!


You should not encourage him to hold ANYTHING else and especially not ANYTHING outside of your specific training.

Why?

Because you will give him MORE opportunities to make MORE mistakes which will give you MORE work!

I wasn't going to do it all at once - just when I have the hand touch perfect - then move onto holding an article - that sort of thing. sorry I didn't make that clear.

Aimee, have you thought of writing a list out of the things you need to teach and in what order, maybe also write a bullet points list of what exact behaviour you need for the exercise to be successful, ie. Teach the hold, build up to ten seconds and then proof the ten seconds (im not saying this particular exercise- just used as example)

To make it clear as im not 100% sure you understand fully the meaning of "proofing an exercise" ...Proofing, for me is once you have successfully trained an exercise (eg the hold), the dog - once asked to do this- will then be fully aware of what is being asked and will do what is asked 99% of the time. You go over and over and over the exercise to be fully sure the dog understands 100% what is being asked.

IMO, you cant fully proof most exercises in a day or two.

I know what its like to want to rush through things, with my GSD I rushed through certain exercises- i thought she had learned what was asked so i moved on to the next part, I rushed, trained out of sequence and didnt proof the exercises.
I soon (but not soon enough) realised my mistakes and to this day I am still paying for my hastiness with her, I have a very unreliable stay (the exercise i rushed most with her), ive managed to go back to basics on everything else and have a fantastic dog when it comes to other exercises but i have (so far) never been able to get a consistent wait since i rushed her. Its ruined my hopes of competing in WT and obedience with her.
I guess my long winded reply is really to say DONT RUSH!! You will regret it!

I know SB has a no nonsense approach and could possibly do with some lessons in people skills (though i dont know her in "real" life so it may be just over the computer ) but she knows her stuff, her credentials speak for themselves so you would be wise to at least give her methods a go...meaning reading them carefully and doing them in the order she suggests- otherwise its almost pointless following her advice at all.

I am really quite nice in person!

Oh I know - Layla - That is why I asked for help.

Aren't we all I'm sure you are.

I am not rushing anymore - but would like someone to take the damn dummies off me - they look abandoned atm Might give them to Pilgrim or Leanne when and if I see them this weekend.

Right a question..

I've just got in from having a walk with the OH without the dogs, Louie greeted me with his tug toy and pushed it into my hand - so I threw it for him and he delivered it to hand, I did this several more times and got the same result - what am I doing wrong with the dummy if he delivers his tug rope to hand?

I will hazard a guess............... I may be wrong..............

(yes such a thing is possible)

You TRAIN with the dummy you don't TRAIN with the toy; I expect you have, without realising it or meaning to, put too much pressure on the dog with the dummy, so instead of it being fun, you have made it a chore......................

Well your wrong!!!

Hahaa - just wanted to say it if it was possible

Probably, but I can't allow him to have the dummy all the time like he does the tug rope - Sadie is fascinated by them and I've had to sew one up already.

What ways can I make training fun...? I do try, squeaky voice, lots of treats, lots of praise..

I have an idea!

What if I can get a tug toy that resembles the shape of a dummy - I know you can get them!

Would that help? On top of all the basic training?

Like this:
http://www.petsperfect.co.uk/products/Cotton-logs.html