[David DeSimone]

Any ideas how to get more focus from a dog in obedience, who seems only to live for the bite work?


Thanks,
David

 

[Lyn Chen]

Channel obedience through bitework?

 

[Jeff Oehlsen]

Yes, but I need at least 10 more posts before I can reply........ LOL

Gotta train, tell you whats up later tonight.



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[David DeSimone]

Could you be more specific? I am wondering if his hard head is genetic or training issue.

David

 

[Al Curbow]

How old is he and what have you tried already?

 

[Jeff Oehlsen]

Start with teaching focus at the house. Keep expanding the time until you can get the dog to look at you for a minute, then add small distractions, then go back to no distractions until you get two minutes, ect ect.

when you get to 5 minutes, then you can try it on the field.



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[David DeSimone]

I have been working on it today. He is in the sit postion facing me. I show him the food in my right hand lower my hand to my side. When he looks at me goodboy reward and treat. I did 4 sessions about 5-8 minutes each then crate for hour or so then back at it. Previous owner said if I teach this it will be a miracle. I am going to continue all week asking for longer stares each time. Is this a good approach?

David

 

[Jeff Oehlsen]

Do it at the heel position as well. Just get to the point where he stares at you for around 5 minutes before trying on the field.



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[Bob Scott]

Just don't push it to the point of failure. Each time the dog looks away, your startint over. Mark, reward, release! The mark can also be used for a release because once the dog is given the marker, it's finished th exercise. Some trainers want the dog to keep the position till they give a release command. Both ways work but, IMHO, that's two different exercises.

 

[David DeSimone]

He just turned three. I just picked him up from a friend. So I have had him a week not much time but he does have a mind of his own. I use to decoy him so I know that he lives for the bite work. He does OB but it is not flashy and he rarely looks up. So left turns mean driving my knee into him to get him to move. I never payed too much attention to the DDR stuff in his lines maybe that comes into the equation. He is real close for his B and Sch.1, if I can get with a decoy it will not take long.

David

 

[Al Curbow]

I may look at it differently but if i had a dog for only a week i'd want to bond and all that stuff first. Start with the food at the end of your nose and when he makes eye contact, reward right away, do that a bunch of times, then make it go on a little longer once he gets it, then move to heel, don't rush taking steps, heel, eye contact, reward, over and over and over. That's how i do it and it's worked for me,
AL

 

[Kadi Thingvall]

I agree with Al, I'd spend a little more time bonding with him. Then I'd do like Jeff suggested. Work focus at home, in a calm non-distracting environment. Like you are doing, with the dog in front, but also with the dog in heel. I like my dog to know how to give focus sitting in front, sitting in heel, and standing in heel, before I start doing any actual watching. Once he gives you good solid focus without distraction, then start adding simple distractions. Such as someone walking around. Or clapping, dropping something, talking, etc. Also, once you know the dog has a solid understanding of "look" or whatever your focus command is, you can start to introduce some minor corrections for looking away. Slowly just increase the level of distraction. I use food at first for the reward, since it's a quick/easy reward and we can keep working while rewarding. Later I use a toy. And after that I use the decoy. IMO a dog who lives for the bite, is great to do focus work with, since they have something they are VERY motivated for. If you require them to focus on you, to get the bite, they will very quickly be giving you strong, pushy focus, waiting for that release.

I heard the same thing, "if you can do that with this dog it will be a miracle", when I got Mac. Mac now focus on me for all sends in bitework, gives focus during the heeling, gives focus with a decoy standing 15 feet away jumping up and down, rattling the stick, etc. It's not 100% yet, sometimes he gets stupid then you see him remember "oh, I have to look if I want X" but he's getting there. He's already doing more than I was told I'd ever be able to get from him

 

[David DeSimone]

Thanks for all of the advice.

David

 

[Bob Scott]

I agree with Al, I'd spend a little more time bonding with him. Then I'd do like Jeff suggested. Work focus at home, in a calm non-distracting environment. Like you are doing, with the dog in front, but also with the dog in heel. I like my dog to know how to give focus sitting in front, sitting in heel, and standing in heel, before I start doing any actual watching. Once he gives you good solid focus without distraction, then start adding simple distractions. Such as someone walking around. Or clapping, dropping something, talking, etc. Also, once you know the dog has a solid understanding of "look" or whatever your focus command is, you can start to introduce some minor corrections for looking away. Slowly just increase the level of distraction. I use food at first for the reward, since it's a quick/easy reward and we can keep working while rewarding. Later I use a toy. And after that I use the decoy. IMO a dog who lives for the bite, is great to do focus work with, since they have something they are VERY motivated for. If you require them to focus on you, to get the bite, they will very quickly be giving you strong, pushy focus, waiting for that release.

I heard the same thing, "if you can do that with this dog it will be a miracle", when I got Mac. Mac now focus on me for all sends in bitework, gives focus during the heeling, gives focus with a decoy standing 15 feet away jumping up and down, rattling the stick, etc. It's not 100% yet, sometimes he gets stupid then you see him remember "oh, I have to look if I want X" but he's getting there. He's already doing more than I was told I'd ever be able to get from him

Kadi, congrats on your efforts.
That's the ONLY way we train at our club.
It never ceases to amaize me when I hear really top level, highly regarded trainers say "You can't do that with this kind of dog".
Of course, me being a nobody in the dog training world, I just keep my mouth shut and smile inside!

 

[Lyn Chen]

I sorta started working my dog like Kadi advised sometime ago and even for a dog who's not so flashy it works...maybe you'll even run across the problem of him being too focused, haha. Mine lately just stares at me with his entire body shaking if he knows he's doing it for bitework and will forge like crazy so he can look more into my face.

For left turns, you sorta have to teach him to move his butt (I just used a prong) and then start cueing with your head turning that way before you turn. So every time he sees the head turn he flips his butt and doesn't end up losing focus.