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Feeling rebellious, ignoring commands.
I'm back with yet another question about my puppy, Ava. Seems she's hit a rebel phase, and she wont listen to commands that she was previously very obedient with. I've been trying my hardest to teach her it is NOT ok to ignore me.
When she ignores I usually put my hand on her butt and force her to sit. Sometimes I'll pop the leash to get her attention. She usually (reluctantly) obeys after I do this, but I think she's starting to lose trust in me. I don't like being rough with her.
My question is, should I praise her even after I've had to force her to sit, or will praising for a forced sit only make her think it's ok to ignore me?
And do you have any other tips for teaching her it's not ok to ignore me?
Thanks for your answers!
Asked by
Ava
on Jul 12th 2009
in Commands
Status
- This question is closed.
Best Answer
Hi Ava!
Cookie's right; leash pops are not effective, and you may react with fear or frustration. The idea is for your human to be calm, patient, and low key. We dogs don't listen to people who are loud, or use physical force - just as we would ignore and avoid a loud, pushy dog. Read The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., for a great explanation of alpha behavior (calm leadership) and beta behavior (pushy, aggressive, wanna-be-alpha), and how to communicate better.
I went through a rebellious phase, too, and being very smart, I tested how patient my human could be. When she said "sit," I sometimes ignored it. After about 20 seconds, if I didn't sit, she repeated the command and waited. The longer she waited, the more I realized I had to do it. Finally, I would duck my head and sit, and then she would be so happy! She would give me a treat and praise me in a happy voice.
Giving random yummy treats will help reinforce any wanted behavior - always have them available!
Katie answered on Jul 13th.
Other Answers
Answers
Dogs live in the now. You reward them and they'll think they're being rewarded for whatever action they did when you presented the reward.
It's normal for puppies to go through a rebellious stage, so I've read. You need to provide rewards whenever she obeys, and remain patient. I am personally against leash pops, no matter how much I use them out of impatience. (*insert embarrased red face*)
When she has them fully down pat, you can begin fading the reward out.
To learn more about dog training, I recommend the book "The Dog Whisperer: A Compassionate, Nonviolent Approach to Dog Training" by Paul Owens with Norma Eckorate.
Burkett's Cookies 'n' Creme
answered on 7/12/09.
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Since you think she understands 'sit', take it on the road. When it is dinner time or she wants to go outside or go for a walk or play with her best buddy use it. She sits she gets dinner. Doesn't sit, oh well, no dinner. No handling, just be patient. Any time she complies, be as happy as can be about her amazing feat. The last 10 minutes of her being completely baffled are over, she did it. I really learned a lot from Andrea Arden's book, *Train Your Dog the Lazy Way*.
Sassy
answered on 7/12/09.
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