I have actually posted this as a guest before I joined so i thoughti would post this quesion again and hopefully get some expert help!  I am an owner of a 6 month old male westie.  I have had him for around 3 months.  We have been attending dog training for just over a month now and the wee man is great at the class doing his sit, stay, heel etc.  AS soon as I get him out the class he will not do as i tell him unless he is on the leash.  When we are out walking i make him sit etc and he does it but in the house he wont do it.  The nly time he sits is when he knows he is getting fed!  What am I doing wrong?  I use a stern tone etc when giving commands as i have been told to do in the class but the wee blighter wont do as I say.  Any suggestions?

Hi Harry04

I have a male westie who is nearly a year and a half now, and we also go dog training every week, where nine times out of ten he is good as gold. Again, when he is on his lead he does what he is told, and even when we take him off the lead at class he does what he is told.  But as soon as we get back home all the training seems to go out the window and he plays about. We've found that being stern and giving him a biscuit everytime he does a command right, is now begining to pay off, because now he does sit when told. I think you just have to keep on, and on and on, and keep alot of treats in your pocket, after all what puppy cant resist a treat.
My logic thinking here, is that when they are on the lead and in the park/streets they know that they are 'working' and when they are off the lead its 'playtime' and lets muck around with the owner loads.
I think you have to persist in telling him to sit and everytime he does it give him a treat, he'll soon pick up that everytime he does something right, he will get a reward for it.

I think Westies are cheeky monkeys anyway, especially the male ones.

Good luck thou, and im sure the older he becomes the better behaved he will become. :-)

Hi Stevo

Thanks for the advice.  I think what you say makes perfect sense about the 'working' and 'playing'.  Wee Harry loves cold meat especially chicken so i think i will take a few bits and when we are out walking i will call him to me etc and give him a piece when he does what he is told - hopefully then that will transfer over to being in the house and being off the lead.  I know he is only a baby and still full of puppy fun so hopefully as you say as he gets older he will settle down.  I wouldnt change the playfulness its just a bit frustrating sometimes when i want him to be good he is a wee bugger!

Donna

When you have got him expecting a treat in return for doing as he is asked, dont stop there. Westies arent daft, and if they KNOW there is a biscuit when they do as they are told, they will soon know that that biscuit will still be there half an hour later when they have finished peeing up stuff or sniffing in the bushes.

Vary the rewards, some exciting some boring, somtimes nothing! Its all a gamble so get your dog addicted to that gamble and you will have a much better response!

Em

Not sure why you have to be stern to get your dog to do as its told?

Dogs do what works, and so he must be getting more joy from not doing as he is told or perhaps he is confused and does not actually KNOW what he is supposed to do?

Why not use food during your training; it does not have to be given twice a day in a bowl, the dog will then have a reason to do what you want as it is in his best interests.

Saw a lovely WHWT in a Working Trial recently, it was cracking, hope it sorts its jumps out and he will qualify easily.