Naj wrote:This is a learned behaviour - a throw-back to the game of keep-away that all puppies learn in the nest - that has been triggered, accidently in the first instance, by something Fran has done, presumably the walking-in to correct the dog when it ignores a command. The behaviour worked the first time, by escaping the impending correction, & was strengthened through repetition & so has been added to the repertoire of the pups' successful behaviours, in this instance an evasion mechanism, cued by Fran when she moves in to correct the dog. If this only happens occasionally, although under the same circumstances, then that may be because Fran looks particularly menacing or irate or whatever on those occasions that the dog exhibits the behaviour, or the area may be more open/less contained & offer the prospect of successful escape. Whatever, it appears to be the sniffing/ignoring that is causing the problem. If the dog performs OK in training then is it the end of the world if it has a bit of a sniff when it has been given permission 'to do it's own thing'?
It sounds like Fran is using this to test the dog's compliance & it's become a bit of a sticking point. The dog, no doubt, is sensing the situation building & will be surreptitiously watching for the familiar cues. So first thing to do is not to provide them ie. as Kent says, don't give the command if you don't think that the dog will comply. Second, to re-educate the dog. As Wullie says, ignoring the dog altogether & /or walking away then giving it copious praise & reward when it comes to you is strongly reinforcing. You can also give the recall command when you know that it is already coming in to you. And in the early stages of retraining a couple of hundred yards isn't a great distance to have to walk - I'd just keep on walking & preferably hide if I could. If you are used to using edible rewards & want to break the dog from a scent when it is distracted then get as close as you dare & toss titbits at its head (a distracted dog will always react to thrown rewards better than taking them from the hand) until it switches focus to you & the titbits & then draw it away with rewards & recall command, then rehearse the recall in the same area while you still have its attention, or give it a retrieve or send it on for another 'play'/hunt. Eventually when it sniffs & you want to call it away & approach a little closer your behaviour will no longer be a cue to prepare for imminent escape manoeuvres but will be a cue for the opportunity of gaining something more rewarding, & so the dog's focus of attention will more easily switch from the illicit scent to you.
Of course, you can always use traditional methods & they are supremely effective when done correctly.
Naj
Another "problem" with her is that she's far from stupid. If I let her do her thing and wait patiently until she comes, and she then gets praised for it, then it's a double reward for her: she was allowed to ignore me and have fun on her own, then she gets a reward for finally coming towards me. With her, I know that doing this simply won't work.
I've followed the advice of running her down this afternoon (even though I feared it would make it worse), and I must say I'm impressed at the results already! I had to do it twice, as she totally ignored the recall in favor of some smelly plants, but it improved after the first time. She now seems to be much more reactive when I ask her something while distracted. Here's how I approached it, it's more walking than running down though, as I knew that rushing her would make it more difficult for her to give in:
1. Recall ignored.
2. I walked towards her in silence, at a fast pace, looking determined but not menacing.
3. She waited until I was about 2 meters away, then started backing up and moving around. Her body language showed pleasure (no fear at all), she was in for a game.
4. I kept walking towards her every time she moved away (luckily, she didn't run far at all, she stayed around me until I got too close).
5. After about 10 "escapes", she didn't find it funny anymore. Her body language changed from happy to submissive in a few seconds.
6. About 3 more escapes, but I could get closer and closer every time. I didn't change anything to my attitude, still stayed calm but determined.
7. She was finally in reach, and she looked worried for a split second. She was relieved when I simply put her on the leash, without saying a word.
8. I walked her back to the spot where she ignored the recall. I let her stay there while I walked back about 10 meters, then called her to me.
9. She came straight in, looking as happy as always.
The second time I had to do it, it only took 3-4 escapes, then she gave in. I think it's on the right track, and I'll make sure to update this post. Many thanks for the advices!
