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Pupforum presents your training questions answered by professional dog trainers.
Dawn has a background in competition in breed and the obedience ring, the whelping box, trained her own ‘registered therapy dog’, herding, tracking, lure coursing, water work training, field training, agility, and sailing with her boat trained dog. Dawn was one of the few trainers utilizing ‘positive reinforcement’ based methods before it’s popularity. Dawn has been interviewed by authors for a variety of articles such as Dog Fancy and The Washington Post. The Washingtonian Magazine chose Dawn as one of “Washington’s Best Dog Trainers”. As the owner, and founder of Merit Puppy Training, LLC, she continues to teach group classes and also works as a private consultant.
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7/13/2005
I have a two year old Australian Shepherd rescue dog. He brings in the paper in the morning, but for the last couple of weeks he will go to the end of the driveway and stare at a neighbor's tree. I call him back and send him again, he will continue to stand in the driveway near the paper without picking it up. He used to do this behavior just fine, by the way. I think he may have been distracted by some squirrels or birds in the neighbor's tree some weeks back, but there aren't usually any animals in the tree now. If I wave the paper in front of him he'll grab it and take it to the front door, but what's the sense of training a dog to bring the paper if I have to go to the paper before he grabs it and brings it in? This is a very bright dog who learns behaviors quickly. Thanks, Ben (bwestheimer, California )
I agree, you do have a very bright dog! Even the Sunday paper? Wow!
You did not mention the age of your dog, but perhaps he is an adolescent/young adult dog? The reason I wonder is that for some dogs that age range is when they can turn into total squirrel nazis. My Black Malinois Rakasha-Bride of Spawn started that up when she was around 10 months old.
Either way, you may want to back track a bit in order to proof your dog's retrieve using a long line and maybe a clicker if you are so inclined. Very important: Train in the area and time of day that you are having the problem!
Send your dog out, when they get to the paper click (or praise) and throw a treat as quick as you click
ed, as close to the newspaper so the treat is associated with it-not the squirrel. Call him back as soon as he puts his mouth on it. Especially well aimed treats would land right on the paper.
Praise BIG as he brings it back to you. Remember, you have to be as interesting in the whatever is in that tree!
Another option would be to "race" him to the paper and then running back really fast no matter who got there first.
Or try it without the paper at all, just send outs and returns in speed drills. Getting his brain in working mode will give instinct a run for it's money!
In other words, break it down into small pieces working in the environment that is creating the distraction.
This training problem has a bigger ramification: your dog might be learning to not listen to you when there is something more interesting. I would thank him for giving you this valuable piece of information "I am verrrry interested in squirrels and need work around them before I am racing across the street after one".
The only reason I trust my Dutch Shepherd's recall is because we practiced (on a long line) around suicidal bunnies that dared onto the training field.
I think you can fix the paper retrieve very easily and would work on "no matter what" recall too. With a little bit of training you will be reading the paper in no time!
Books that you may find helpful:
Don't Shoot the dog (THE clicking bible)
The Other End of the Leash (great recall tips)
Hope that helps
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