How long should you stay mad at your dog.

From my experience, Doberluv's trainign methods work better and ultimately produce a dog that is happier to complete the stay excersize. My cocker was trained with corrections, and has a very consistant stay, but it could be ten times better. I have switched training methods, and have never been better for it.

My motto, why punish when you can reward?

Tessa, is your post directed at me?

Can you tell me where you found training with corrections noted in my post, if so?

Thank you.

^^^

I don't believe you are in any way being abusive with the corrections you train with, but I don't like encouraging beginners to correct their dogs. Frustration leads to anger, and anger leads to abuse. It is best, IMO, to always recommend a lot of Positive Reinforcement to beginner trainers.

I don't see anything there which looks like much of a correction. Redyres methods look to be very much in line with the motivation and reward process. I personally don't see anything wrong with correcting a dog or showing him what you want. Corrections are bringing the dog around to presenting wanted behavior. They need not cause dejection, fear, distrust. I think too, that we sometimes over the Internet, interpret words like corrections differently. Angelique pointed something out to me. Some of what we call corrections may be simply communicating to the dog. That was a light bulb moment for me because I was wondering about my own interactions with my dogs. I tell them things in no uncertain terms. I'm firm, quite bossy but I also, when training skills rely on motivation and reward and not collar yanks, harsh words etc....it's all fun and games when training obedience etc. But certain behaviors around the house, I will let them know they need to quit. I'll incorporate things like sidling up to them, herding them over, speaking firmly, "Hey"...."eh-eh" while distracting them and then letting them know when they're on the right track. I don't feel like I'm over dominating them, but I am keeping them inside the boundaries I've placed and making it worthwhile to them to go on the path of the straight and narrow. LOL.

I see in Redyre's ways a definite emphasis on the wanted behaviors. Holding the dog back with the leash to make him stay is one way to do it...to show the dog. I like to, whenever possible, leave a bit of a choice for the dog, as opposed to holding him in place so that he has to think more...."why didn't I get a treat? What is it she wants? Oh....I see....when I stay, even for 2 seconds, I'm getting a treat." Then I go from there....3 seconds, 5 seconds. Click/ treat. "Why is the door closing in my face? Hmmmmmmm. Oh, now I get it." I like to see those wheels turning while the dog is thinking and how he comes on it. If I forced him to stay back while I opened the door, he would learn, but he's not using his own head as much. I like to develop that in my dog.

I see Redyres methods as sensible, patient, gentle and rewarding as well.

A distraction is not a correction.

A distraction is something like a person walking by, a toy rolling by, another dog walking by, etc, that causes the dog to move. Similar distractions to those present in everyday life that dogs will be exposed to on a stay.

If dogs do not learn, and EARLY in the learning process, to build their focus in ignoring distractions, you will never have a strong stay.

I do not view putting a dog back into position as a correction, altho some might.

I also do not view holding a puppy in place with the leash in the very beginning stages of the stay exercise as a correction.

I do not use correction when puppies or dogs are learning an exercise.

DISTRACTION should not be confused with CORRECTION.

LOL Redyre. While I was editing my post, adding some things, you posted, so I don't know if you saw what I wrote. I hate that when I go to edit and someone has posted meanwhile. LOL.

Heavens. I don't know how else you'd be able to show the dog what you meant. That's what I do. You don't know how many times I jumped up from my dinner table with guests sitting there (how rude) to replace my dogs in their down/stay which was about 8 or 10 feet away on their rug. I mean for the whole dinner time. And I'd get up and give them a tiny treat, telling them to continue to stay. When the dinner is over and I'm washing dishes, they get released and get to come over by the sink and get some handouts. I was jumping up and down like a jack rabbit. Now, they stay put for the entire meal time and I don't have to do anything but save a few bites for them for afterwards.

Okay, okay. Sorry.

Hey, it's hard to know what people mean sometimes over the cotton pickin Internet. Sometimes, don't you wish you could be face to face with a leash in your hands so you could show people what you mean? I sure do. Words are so confusing sometimes.

Yeah, you can't see me grinning when I'm typing.

I just realized how contradictory my last post was, describing the dinner hour down stay as opposed to the gradual increments of time they had to stay. LOL. A whole 1/2 hour. Well, the thing is, they understood a stay, and had been able to get it pretty long, but dinner time...now that's another story....mmmm, that pork roast and dumplings, how the aroma wafted through the whole house. That was a little too much to bear. So, we just had to skip from a pretty good stay to a really good stay all at once so I could impress my guests next time I had people over for dinner. LOL.