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mario07

Bratty Ratty

05/01/2007 1:56 PM
I just got finished with Mario's training session teaching the command "come". We went in my backyard (fully fenced) and I noticed that Mario would sit and wait for me to walk away ... once I said, "come" he would come running!! He did it flawlessly every time! (please note, I still had him on a long line in order to control him) Well, I wanted to see how he would do in the front yard... he gets very excited and distracted by all the smells and sights. He was allowed to 'roam' a bit and when I would call, "come"...I had to pull him to me. I thought that was interesting. He is very comfortable in the backyard and prepared to get his reward every time but in the front yard, we had to work a little harder. I am still very proud of Mario and we ended on a good note. He's coming along but I thought it might be helpful to share my experience with you all!!!

~~Shannon, Mario and Pepper's mom!~~

JenMax

Firehouse Big Dog

05/01/2007 1:58 PM
Good job Mario and Shannon! You are doing great! Nora will be proud

Jenny - Max's sister

kimrose

Feisty

05/01/2007 2:00 PM
Thank you for the update... I'm really curious to see how it goes since I'm going to start this with Mic, and we have no backyard so its nothing but distractions!! yeah!!! Please keep the updates comin!

My Flickr Page MySpace

Russ' Pal

Rat-A-Tat-Tat

05/01/2007 2:10 PM
Good observation- just becuase a dog knows a command in a certain location/ circumstances, doesn't mean he will universally recognize that command. I think it's a good idea to work on any new commands in various locations, so they get the idea that Come always means Come, not just in the backyard after dinner. You two are doing so great!

-Sarah, pal to Russ & Peca

Paul

Feisty

05/01/2007 2:16 PM
YAY SHANNON & MARIO! You are doing the right thing! Once Mario gets comfortable with following a new command, it's time to add a little distraction. SMALL distractions at first, if possible. Eventually, you'll be able to take him possibly to a shopping center parking lot, or a park and practice with him (still on the long line!) with all sorts of distractions going on, and he will hear and obey you. You're doing a GREAT job, Shannon!

"Train now, or forever hold your leash" http://www.flickr.com/photos/doberdad/

Mitzy's Mom

PAWesome

05/01/2007 2:21 PM
Exactly! So many people with young horses who do fine in their riding ring at home will not understand the colt being spooky or frisky in a total new place with distractions. These are animals, not robots.

Mary Beth, mom to the Lollipop Kids Georgia Foster Mom, www.newrattitude.org Pics of my current fosters: http://imageevent.com/newrattitude/caradoc http://imageevent.com/newrattitude/willow http://imageevent.com/newrattitude/fiona

Mia and Zinnia

Ratastic

05/01/2007 2:23 PM
Man, I'm bummed! I missed the training session. I was not there that evening. Zin needs to learn "come." Paul told me about the long line and the size of the treats. I've read Nora's stuff (I think it was hers) about not giving them an option to not do it. When you need to "reel them in" on the long line, how, exactly, do you accomplish this? Mia

Mia and Zinnia

Ratastic

05/01/2007 2:23 PM
Oh yeah, GREAT JOB Shannon and Mario!!! I'm proud of you. Mia

rattytatty

Newbie

05/01/2007 2:38 PM
Shannon... when I first added the agility obstacles in my back yard, Bailey acted like he had never seen agility equipment before! I had to really work with him until he became comfortable with it. Then when I took him to an even different location in Nashville on Sunday afternoons, he acted the same way. It was like I had to kinda start over again. It's just how it is. Each time you take him to a different location, there are new sights and sounds and a multitude of various other distractions that the dog's keen senses alert him to... ones we as humans don't even notice. When Mario reliably comes when called in a familiar location (back yard for example), move to a busier location with more distractions, and repeat (like you did today). However, expect his performance to regress initially. Don't get frustrated with him if he acts like he's never heard the word "come" before, paying attention to you in the face of new and exciting distractions is a big effort for him, which takes time and practice and understanding on your part. Simply re-teach as you did indoors and in the back yard. - Be very gradual about raising the challenge for your dog. If you want him to eventually be able to recall from a distance around high distractions, it will take awhile to get there, you need to start from very short distances and very low distractions and practice until proficient at that before gradually increasing the distance, or the distraction. - The more distractions and things to tempt Mario away from you, the more exciting your rewards must be to him. Many people use things like small pieces of hot dog, cheese, liver and so on, as rewards when training in distracting environments. (Bailey likes stringed cheese and occasionally I give him deli roast beef or turkey). The dog must always believe it is worth his while to stop whatever he's doing and come to you when you call. If he's busy sniffing a bush and you call him to you and then reward him with a piece of old dry kibble he will think this is lame, next time I'll keep sniffing instead. Coming when called should never be a let down for him, and it needs to always be rewarded in a very special way with out of the ordinary treats. - Whenever you call him to come, you MUST be prepared to enforce it (hence the long line). If he is off leash, don't tell him to come unless you are close to 100% sure that he WILL come. If the dog hears you but succeeds in ignoring you, then he will learn that commands are optional. If he is off leash and you don't think he will obey a recall yet you really need to get him to you right now, try the running-away game to get him to chase you, or try to bribe him to you. (And then try to not get into that situation again.) - Never call Mario to you only to do something he doesn't like. Such as scolding him, giving him a bath, clipping his nails, and so on. The dog must always associate coming to you as the most rewarding thing in the world. For those other times, go and get him instead. - Practice, practice, practice. (but practice correctly, i.e. when you can enforce the command) Practice regularly throughout the dog's life, make it a daily routine to call the dog to you whenever you have something nice he likes so he can get rewarded for obeying that command. When outside the house, practice it so he gets used to doing it around different distractions and in different environments since you never know when an emergency might happen and you need him to know this command well. I usualy have a long line and air kong in the trunk of my car so we can stop for an impromptu game of fetch and recall if Bailey is with me. - Eventually when he gets hundreds and then thousands of successful recalls under his belt it will become a positive habit that he will do automatically. (it only takes a few seconds to do a single recall, so there is no excuse for not getting in hundreds of recalls over a period of a few weeks or months). Still, continue to practice or at least refresh throughout the dog's life since this command is so very important you don't ever want it to get rusty. Dogs, like people, can forget things if they haven't thought about them for a long time. I'm sorry this is so long... but hopefully I've added something you may not have already known and might be valuable to you in the long-term. I'm PROUD of you and Mario!

rattytatty

Newbie

05/01/2007 2:42 PM
Gosh... I've really got to stop this. (sorry) I often don't even realize how long my stuff is until I go back and read it!

Paul

Feisty

05/01/2007 2:46 PM
Posted By rattytatty on 05/01/2007 2:42 PM Gosh... I've really got to stop this. (sorry) I often don't even realize how long my stuff is until I go back and read it! Nora, dont you EVER stop! Your advice is SO VALUABLE and you cover so many bases that others (me) tend to leave out.

"Train now, or forever hold your leash" http://www.flickr.com/photos/doberdad/

rattytatty

Newbie

05/01/2007 2:49 PM
Hubby accuses me of "going clear around the world" to make a point ... I guess he's right. Well, if anyone doesn't want to read it all, I guess they don't have to, right? I'm just so afraid I'm going to leave something important out! Thanks, Paul... makes me feel better.

JenMax

Firehouse Big Dog

05/01/2007 2:50 PM
I agree with Paul Nora . !

Jenny - Max's sister

mario07

Bratty Ratty

05/01/2007 4:12 PM
Wow!!! Thank you, Nora!! I love reading your posts so please don't feel like you're writing too much! I NEED to know this and all of you are helping me so much! I think I was just curious to see if Mario would behave as well in a different place today. I didn't realize (to this extent) how important it is. I think I might keep working with him in the back yard (he does come every time) then move to the front in a few more days...maybe by the weekend. There were no other dogs or people out this afternoon when we worked together. He did get excited about the smells of his fur friends!! LOL I appreciate the info on using better and better treats. I will use cheese once we get to the front. Thanks SO much everyone!!! I'm so excited!!! Oh, I've had to stop myself from calling Mario a few times today..he wasn't on his leash...I just whistled and got down as if to play and he came to me. I rewarded him with verbal praise and fun playtime. I'm trying to say "good come" even in the house when he comes to me despite not calling him. Yay!

~~Shannon, Mario and Pepper's mom!~~

spence9118

Terrier Terror

05/01/2007 4:15 PM
We are working on the same thing with Charlie. He is kind of stubborn sometimes. But he has improved a lot!

Erica- Charlie and Tucker's Mommy www.myspace.com/ricka9118

Apollo's Mommy

Feisty

05/01/2007 5:49 PM
Go Mario! Go Shannon! Oh yeah! All right! YAY!!! Good job guys!

"You can't fix stupid." - Ron White ~ Jolene ~ Mommy to Apollo, Emma, & Indie

Katie'sMom

Newbie

05/01/2007 5:56 PM
Great job! Repitition, repitition, repition. Ooops, sorry, I'm repeating myself. Hahahaha

bratt

Firehouse Big Dog

05/01/2007 5:56 PM
Awesome Shannon!!! Sounds like your doing great! With a coach like Nora, you can't go wrong. When your done with Mario, you can come and help me with Savanna!

Debra~KSSM Queen II Savanna~Princess Easy Street

mario07

Bratty Ratty

05/01/2007 6:31 PM
Posted By bratt on 05/01/2007 5:56 PM Awesome Shannon!!! Sounds like your doing great! With a coach like Nora, you can't go wrong. When your done with Mario, you can come and help me with Savanna!

~~Shannon, Mario and Pepper's mom!~~

swatson6

Attention Starved

05/02/2007 7:24 AM
YAY SHANNON AND MARIO!!!! CONGRATS Now I need to get Jack to do this........

Sarah Mom to Jack, Jeter and foster mom to Teagan

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