Training help needed

[HayleyMarie]

Ok so I am having a little bit of trouble with Teagan. Her training was going really well she learned sit. down. shake roll over, stay, catch ect ect no problem, But now she is getting this idea in her head that she is only going to do a trick other than sit ONLY if she sees a treat in her hand and there is something in it for her. And when I do get her to do a trick alot of the time she screws them up because she gets so excited. Last night I was going through her tricks with her. I would ask her to lay down and I would have to use the treat to stretch her out to lay and as soon as she would lay she would roll over and I did not ask her to do that. Sometimes she will give me the paw when she see's I have a treat. She must think she is so smart The thing that stumps me is that she knows her tricks and has done them on command without treats.

It does help a little if I get her to lay down and tell her to stay and put the treat about six inches from her nose and make her wait abit until I say "OK". That seems to calm her down a little

Also I would love to start agility with her this summer so I want her ready for that.

I am thinking I just need to start over, but how? Any suggestions that might help?

 

[RawFedDogs]

Put the treat holding hand behind your back so she isn't distracted by it. After she performs the behavior asked of her, give her the treat. If she doesn't, don't treat. Be consistant. If she doesn't perform she doesn't gete a treat. You don't show her a treat to show her what she missed. Just say the non reward word (often it's "wrong") and begin again. Eventually she will do the behavior and ONLY THEN will she get a treat or even see a treat. It won't take her long to learn she doesn't have to see a treat to get one. Right now it sounds like you are bribing with the treat instead of rewarding.

 

[adojrts]

That is the problem with luring (which is what you are doing) instead of training with rewards and then fading the rewards. Get rid of the treats in your hand as already suggested but I wouldn't have them on me anywhere. Not in a bait bag or in your hand behind your back. Put them out of sight, get the desired response, mark it with a Yes, (and/or click) then give the reward.

 

[kenbig]

Continue with The Training

Hi, you don't have to start over again i think you have to continue with
the training she will improve on the cues.
Good luck.

 

[adojrts]

She may have to go back to the start, it is very common for dogs to regress in training (actually I expect it) but the beauty of it is most dogs work through the regression quickly and often then have the desired behaviours completely learned.

Always remember that there are three levels to learning, regardless of whether it is a dog, person, horse etc.........Progression, Regression and Plateaus and those can hit at anytime in any order.