Maisie and the stubborn mule gene...

[Top Barks]

have a look at this video it shows one of my Alfies first ever lessons and at the end there is some hand target training done with a clicker

http://youtu.be/ZFoLHsbqMiQ

[clairep4]

There are a couple of simple TTouch techniques that can help if a dog is refusing to budge. If they are on the lead, rather than pulling on it, try doing long, firm, hand over hand stroking of the lead (practise with a human partner to feel the difference between lead stroking and lead pulling - the stroking is much more encouraging in terms of you wanting to move!).

Also you can try doing zigzags over their body - start with the flat of your hand on one shoulder, and then move your hand (pressure is a sort of firm stroke) over her back to her opposite ribcage, then back over to the opposite waist, and back over to the opposite haunch.

[LottieLu]

Thanks Top Barks and Claire for this. I'm going to pick up the clicker and do some work with that. It may well help with her general focus at other times too if I'm lucky.

And I hadn't thought of the touch techniques. She is very receptive to massage, I've done it in a very arbitrary way - I'm no expert(!). I just used it as a means to keep her used to having every part of her body touched and it's amazing how you just see her relax. So that might just break that cycle she's got herself into with the walk/don't walk.

She was at it again this morning. Returning from a lovely walk and refusing to budge about 25 yards from the car! If you turn and walk the other way she's up and off faster than you can blink.