I've got a mini Schnauzer who just won't listen! I've been doing agility with him 4 about 4 years now and unless there's treat in my hand he just ignors me.  He's an angel at training classes when i've got food but at shows he just runs off and won't come back unless I've got a treat! On walks you would almost think he was deaf cause no matter how much I yell he just looks at me!! He doesn't like toys, just looks at me as if I've gone mad when I try to get him to fetch or tug, so I can't even swoop the treats 4 something different, HELP!!

Sounds a bit like an Elkhound to me, enjoy his independent mature, if you want an easy life buy one of the breeds that like nothing less than doing and doing it quick :) Sorry no help I know but you have a member of an independent breed that like mine thinks they know best. And I suppose that as far as they are concerned they do. Most of mine think their name is Bonio because that is what I call when I want them in from the field.

Teaching a dog something, anything, using treats as rewards is not as straightforward as having a treat in your hand or not.  If you have been doing this for four years then you are going to have your work cut out.

Giving a dog food rewards is great for teaching them a particular behaviour but you would swiftly move on to the next stage of rewarding randomly in order to maintain that behaviour.

If you put 50p in a coke machine you will get a can of coke.  If you put 50p in a slot machine you might get £5 or £100 but more often than not you will get nothing.  Which machine are you going to keep giving your 50p's to? 

Firstly you need to work out a way of not letting your dog know if there is a treat in your hand and keep him guessing as to whether he is going to get it or not.  You should also keep him guessing as to whether he is going to get a bit of dog kibble or some roast beef!!  With something as simple as the sit exercise you could have some rewards on a table, ask him to sit, command and signal - however you do it - and if he doesn't do it immediately, take a food reward, show it to him, ask him to sit, praise him when he does but put the food back or eat it yourself.  Then ask for a sit again without the food.  If he again says "No, not unless you are going to give me some food"  then get a titbit, ask him again but do not give it.  Eventually he WILL sit without the food in your hand and then you can throw a street party and give him the lot if you like. :D  This will teach your dog that he is more likely to get a food treat when you have an empty hand than when you have food in your hand.

For recall I would use a long trailing line so that you don't have to call him at the moment.  For agility I would try to get him focused on a toy even if it is an old sock with some smelly cheese or liver in it to start with.  Reward him by throwing the toy after every obstacle to start with and then two and so  on.  If he will only work for food then toss him a treat from your pocket or a bum bag.  Don't keep it in your hand anymore.

If you can get him on to a toy as a reward then there are some shows coming up organised by UK agility where you are allowed to take a toy in the ring and do a 'not for competition' round.

try at home and on walks whitha halti or some kind of head coller i had the same prob. with me dog and I saw An improvment within 3-4 days

Another idea for getting a dog "into" toys is to get a fluffy pencil case with a zip, and fill it with smelly treats, a bit like the sock. idea of Sally's :) My friend's beardie wasn't keen on chasing toys but changed his tune when he realised that the toy was filled with tasty things. He got a treat whenever he showed interest in the pencil case.He gradually got into the idea of the toy as being great fun and would chase, retrieve etc.

Lindsay
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