Eager to please???

[Patp]

Hi,  I am not sure if it is the difference between show and worker cockers but Jinley my show cocker is not so eager and willing to please as my daughters working cocker (who gets excited if you say "good boy").

She is not as food motivated as he is either, so training has stalled lately.

When you see them together Max (working cocker) is almost looking at us saying "what do you want me to do" - "how do you want me to please you" whereas Jinley (show) looks at us as if to say "if I want to do it / fetch it I will, but only because I want to - not to please you"!

Any thoughts on how to motivate - or is it just that she has stopped responding to me?

Pat

[Jonnydog]

Yup, got the same with Penny. She's very independent minded. She performs pretty well at training class but when we're training at home she does it for a while but then it's as if she just says, 'right, enough already, I'm bored, bye! '

[seaangler]

Hi ya Pat...

..Just Waite a we while i have been told the same with are gemma...she to is not motovated at the moment and i to have been told just to Waite a wee while before i restart training Gemma...As she has no drive..but was told(by my trainer) to throw kibble into the grass to encourage her to work...he said she will come around they all do in the end..just needs some motovation to get them to kick in......

[Patp]

Hi ya Pat...

..Just Waite a we while i have been told the same with are gemma...she to is not motovated at the moment and i to have been told just to Waite a wee while befor i restart traning Gemma...As she has no drive..but was told(by my trainer) to throw kibble into the grass to encourage her to work...he said she will come around they all do in the end..just needs some motovation to get them to kick in......

Glad I am not alone on this one! Patience is key then.  The problem is she wont eat kibble as she is on raw diet!  I am going to make some smelly pilchard cake hopefully to attract her attention and make sure she is hungry when we train.

In the meantime, I will search on ebay for motivation - you can buy everything else on there! 

Pat

[aljeana]

Have you tried having a go with clicker doing quick things that can be food or toy rewarded.

Such as getting her to touch something say your hand click and reward fast I built up lots of fun games like touching a plant pot to even standing on top of a box.

Advantages of clicker is they get rewarded very quickly for the smallest of responses may be worth a go if you have not already tried.

[spaniel04]

I agree, clicker training is great fun for the dog. There are really only two reasons why a dog would get bored with clicker training - it is either not hungry enough, or the treats are not interesting enough. I also feed raw, so I use all sorts of tasty treats for training but never kibble, it just doesn't do it for my dogs. 

[Jessie_Pup]

My two are kibble fed.    I can use some of their dinner kibble for their Nina Ottersson games.  Kibble is a no no for clicker training or out on a walk. They love sardine cake . Jessie looks at me if I offer kibble when training as much to say " You have got to be joking".  Sardine cake or liver cake definately ticks the box

[Archie bean]

Exactly the same problem with Archie who is the same age as Jinley. No treat will interest him at ALL. He knows what he's expected to do but unless we are in a training situation he just won't bother to put what he knows into practice. I think we have a pair of teenagers on our hands!!  I'm hoping just biding my time and keeping patient will pay off in the end. I'm quite relieved to hear I'm not alone with this problem. x

[JulieM]

This might be a silly idea, but have you tried 'fun' training. I've been doing a tricks course with Florence and it's been amazing. I think because the end point isn't 'important' I'm more relaxed and more up for fun and that's travelling down the lead. Florence is super super motivated and tail beating side to side. I'm now interspersing the tricks with more 'proper' stuff and it's just made it all more fun for us both. Next week Florence goes mobile...skateboarding...now if that doesn't get them excited what will!

[Jessie_Pup]

Trick training is great fun.    Jessie at 7years  loves it.  Also I do freetime time with a clicker with her.   Also mix the training up put some obdience moves in with some HTM moves and some tricks.   If you go into Staples the Office Suppliers they sell an easy button.  The dogs have learnt to press it and it says That was Easy. I get Dylan to do a sit or a down or another move and then he can go and press the easy button.  Have fun

Erica.
 

[Patp]

with some HTM moves and some tricks.   If you go into Staples the Office Suppliers they sell an easy button.  The dogs have learnt to press it and it says That was Easy. I get Dylan to do a sit or a down or another move and then he can go and press the easy button.  Have fun

Erica.

Thanks will go and get one.  Sorry to be a bit daft but what is HTM?
 

I've been doing a tricks course with Florence and it's been amazing.

Thanks, did you get a book or is there a website?

Pat

[Jessie_Pup]

HTM Is Heelwork To Music.    You don't have to use moves to a piece of music.   You could teach her to weave through your legs  I found it helped with Jessies heelwork.  Twists and spins.   Getting her to touch your hand  Mary Ray has a couple of books on HTM and Trick Training. 


Erica.

[Dozy bird]

I've recently made some tuna bread (from the willows kitchen website) and Roxy loves it, she definatley give me her full attention when she knows it's on offer!! Which is good as I'm going to try and use it when out as her recall when she sees another dog is rubbish 
I've chopped it into pieces and frozen it so I can get some out when I want it, be warned the house did smell a little fishy for a while! 

Don't forget Jinley has got to have something to report to the norties, they wouldnt want her to be one of the boring "good" dogs 

[black taz]

i totally agreed - i think working breeds come hard wired trained.  Kira (working lab) has always been much easier to train that Taz (show cocker).  My friend has a working cocker the same age as Taz and i swear he came ready trained at 8 weeks.  Unfortunately i think some of the problem with the show cockers (definately in Taz's case) is that they have the hunting drive without the bidability of a worker.