Opi is driving me nuts.  I am training her and Remy to recall reliably, and Remy is coming along beautifully.  We're using this method:

http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/Lesson6.html

If you skim through it, Remy is now at step 7 (the longline, still at a familiar place), and doing well, running back at top speed for his ham or cheese :)

Opi, though, is another story.  Inside the house she's great, reliable, fantastic, no problems.  but her tendency toward distration outside the house is verging on the rediculous!  I have worked through the method above with her the same as Remy, but taking a little longer on each step because of her wayward interest.  We've been at it a month now (for both), Opi is stuck at step 6, on her 6 ft lead.  We're only going to the most familiar place, our nearest park, as it has the least distraction of anyplace we go - but it's still too much.

As soon as we are there, she'll looking at something - though I've yet to figure out what!  Sometimes it's a small bird, but usually nothing (that I can see anyhoo).  She has quite an intense focus on her, and it can be hell on earth to get her to stop staring and walk.  Forget recall training, she'll just ignore the whistle - despite the many thousands of repetitions already under her furry belt, and the lovely treats.  And this is at an empty, boring park!  I daren't bother to try taking her over the road to the fields, there are rabbits and crows and I wouldn't stand a chance!

I've tried working on attention - click/treat for her looking at me, but it never happens - and if she does and gets c/t-ed, she'll just look away and start staring at nothing again.

Any ideas?  This really is driving me nuts, I am desperate to get her trained so I can let her off leash again, right now it just isn't an option regardless of where we are.  It is frustrating, as a pup up till about 10 months old (yes, the dreaded teens!) she was fantastic and always, always came back (though I never trained her to), but now she is just hell.  Keeping her on leash the rest of her life isn't an option, unless i suddenly come into a lot of money and buy some land, she's just too energetic, she'll go crazy.  Or I will!

Then one thing I do NOT want to do (before anyone suggests it, you know who you are) is use an electric collar.  I would consider using a remote spray collar as a last resort, but I would much prefer to go all positive if it's at all possible.  I was thinking about buying a vibrating collar to use as her recall signal - right now I use an acme whistle, 211 1/2 tone - but I'm wondering if a more physical signal might help get her attention?  If I'm trying to get it when she's staring, sometimes if I touch her she'll turn to look at me.  Kind of like a reminder that I'm here, don't forget about me, I figured maybe a vibrating collar could have a similar effect?

Thanks in advance!

Hi Nikita, I've looked at some of your previous posts and I think I'm right is saying that you have Dobermans!  I know that they can be hard to train.  First of all, have you tried having a favourite toy for her (maybe a squeaky!) that she only gets to play with at certain times when you bring it out?  This will make the toy much more interesting for her and it could be that you take that out with you on walks and use it for recall.  The problem is clearly that there is something around that is more interesting that you!!!(?).  Start first of all in the garden playing with the toy and really get her into it.  Then put it away.  A bit later on bring it out and play again with it and put it away.  Get her really focussed on the toy so that this toy is the most interesting thing in her life.  You can then take it out with you and when she is distracted you can squeak the toy and let her play with it, and put it away again.  Do you see what I'm getting at?  I have a few friends that train dobermans for working trials and they are not the easiest of breeds, purely because they are soooo intelligent.  The secret is to always keep their interest.  If you don't then they become bored.  Some of the antics I've seen my friends do with their dobes is just amazing.  I'm afraid its a case of being creative all the time with this beautiful intelligent breed.  Good luck!!!!

Annie

I'll try that with the toy, thanks.  I don't have squeaky toys at home - they just get destroyed too fast, but it's certainly worth me buying one and keeping it hid unless we're training!

Youa re right, I do have one doberman - ironically, he's Remy - the one who's behaving wonderfully :) Opi is a rottweiler X GSD, she's an extremely intelligent dog as well.  They seem to have swapped over in the last few months - where Opi was well behaved and calmish whe she was younger, and Rem was a complete loon, now Rem is very calm and Opi is the nutter and badly behaved! *sigh*

I do use a ball up the park, or at least I did when she used to come back!  She loves it and will chase it, but a little while ago I tried it - she just took one look at me, bouncing and wooping and waving this ball around, and ran off to sniff a bush! arg!  Well, off to the store for a squeaky tomorrow.  Watch this space!

I know what you mean.  I have the same problem with my pup just now.  She's 11 months and is wonderful.  When she gets out and about though she just wants to hunt.  I met somebody yesterday who told me about a lady who works her Braccos and I'm going to contact her to see if I can get any tips.  I'm taking my spaniel gun dog training on Tuesday morning.  He's great at retrieving etc., but I want to make sure he isn't gun shy although I don't think he will be.  I'm taking him to a game fair in a couple of weeks and want to enter him in the scurry.  Wouldn't it be embarrassing if he was gun shy!!!  Anyway, good luck with the toy.  Let me know what happens!

Annie

I have possibly missed it, but I couldn't see a reference to Opi's age? but presume she's around a year old?
Is it possible she is coming up to her first season? :)

IME some bitches can show the most dreadful distraction problems several weeks prior to their season. I have had bitches who had not shown much behaviour change, but my most recent one (a Belgian Terv) was distracted at agility for 3 whole weeks before her season, so is it possible this is what is happening with Opi?

I have read ShirleyChong previously so have an idea as to what you are doing and agree the advice generally is sound (agree about the collar though! ;) ).

I also tend to feel that bitches can go through phases as they grow, certainly if you are doing a lot of training with them; mine has had times when it was best to actually forget an exercise for several weeks; then coming back to it, latent learning has occurred and she improved without any actual training as it were.

It can sometimes be best to relax, continue easy training and set up for success, and see how it goes for a short period of a few weeks.

John Rogerson  the working trials trainer and behaviourist has written 2 excellent little booklets on toy training (agree this is important) and also recall, his ideas are interesting and I suspect may well work with owners who are having ongoing problems as opposed to the odd blip. I have them both and would definitley recommend them.Re the toy training, you have to get the dog keen for one toy which is kept for training and special occasions, and isn't left for the dog to play with at other times, that way it becomes much more valuable :P

Just a few thoughts, hope they help.

Good luck!
Lindsay
x

Never thought of it possibly being connected to a season but that's a really good point.  I learnt the toy training tip from a friend's training class (she has now gone on to become an associate of John Rogerson and is a natural - she also has a passion for Dobermans and guarding breeds!) and it really worked with my rescue dog Bazil.  He still has a few problems but I always have a ball in my pocket in case we see a jogger, bike or somebody with a hat on without a dog!(????).  That way as soon as he is looking anxious we get the ball out and everything else pales into insignificance.  But I have to say we only play with it outside on our walks(and not all the time) and on very special occasions in the garden.  He doesn't get access to it 24/7.

Annie

Same here Annie, I take my girl's fav. toy with us on all walks and was able to teach her several really useful exercises with it as well as have fun :P

Lindsay
x

Not a chance on the season!  She turned 2 yrs old on Friday, had a lovely birthday muffin :)  She was spayed back in january, a little over 3 months since her last season, although she had had two seasons previously - her behaviour out and about got worse after each, first she was just a bit more boisterous, the second time around even more so.

I will get a squeaky tomorrow, it's worth a try for sure!  I'll keep it hidden at home tho, otherwise it won't last a second.

I'll have a look for those booklets too, anything will help at this stage - it's frustrating to have a dog that picks things up so quickly when we train at home, but couldn't care less about me elsewhere!