Speeding Up Response

I have a really bad habit of teaching Hugo something and then ditching it once he gets it. I never end up working on duration or distance or anything like that because I had such a long list of things I wanted to teach him. I've realized that we have plenty of time to learn things and I wanted to go back and evaluate what he knows and where I want to go with each behavior, especially now that a lot of what I want to teach is complex and I need to start with basic, small behaviors to chain up.

So, this month we've been working on distance and it has made me realize that when Hugo already knows something, he does it so. slowly. Like, he gets really focused on me and even a sit is super slow. I don't need him to slam down, but I would like him to move a bit faster. When I'm teaching something new, he flings him self around in effort to understand what I want and works super quickly. He only goes really slowly once he has something 100% (mostly behaviors like sit, down, bow).

Any advice on how to get him to work a little quicker? The only thing I can find online says "click faster for a faster response." Do I click when he just starts to sit? What if he pops back up?

Thanks in advance for any advice : )

sounds like he needs clarity. He knows sit, close, he doesn't know it with distance. So he's slow. I've never found anything to increase speed, not even building drive because that can cause a slow sit too when they get so focused on the prey item. Clarity, clarity, clarity. if he sits fast at 2 feet, but not at 3, work duration at 2 and speed at 3. "sit" and the instant the butt touches, mark and reward. and build. Speed will come with clarity.

The more things you build with, the better he will generalize later

The funny thing is, he sits slowly no matter what. It's like he's so focused on the reward that all of his movements are careful and calculated. Even if I'm standing right next to him. It seems like less of uncertainty and more of a deliberate, focused energy.

I will definitely try clicking the second his butt hits the floor to entice him to get it there faster.

This might help?

http://www.clickertraining.com/node/2129

I love that, thank you. It's definitely helpful.

don't let him see the reward to focus on it. I go thru the same thing with most with my dogs. Once there's clarity in what's being asked and expected it all goes away, well mostly Some still try the hover sit on ocassion, but they never get anything for it.