Abrams backs up when he sits about 70% of the time, and I have no idea why he does it. I also have no idea how to get him to STOP doing it. Today in class I was marking when he would give me his attention. I ended up with a dog that was staring at me...three feet away. Every time he'd shift his weight, he'd inch backwards. There was a few times he would look at me, step backwards, and then sit. And I know when I was working with him at home the other day he would quite literally take three steps backwards before he would sit.
I don't think I'm leaning or putting my weight forward to somehow cue him to back up, but then, I guess I never really thought about it, either? And I suppose when we train at home, he's typically a few steps back from me at all times.
Also, when we play fetch, he will run a few steps away and stop, go down into a creep, and stare at me to throw the toy, and if I wait he backs up a step or two to better catch the toy when I do throw it, so I'm not sure if maybe I've just inadvertently reinforced it there, so he applies that to other things?
Our basic obedience instructor recommended not giving him as much slack in his lead, so when he goes to back up to sit he can't and I can properly mark/reward correct sits. In theory, that sounded great. In practice, Abrams is like, "She told me to sit! I am sitting! I don't care that the leash is tight and my head is being pulled forward, I'm SITTING! She told me to sit, so I am! Screw the uncomfortableness of the situation!"
So I obviously need a new plan of attack.
When I train at home, he's never on lead. Which, I can certainly change if I need to in order to help shape some things, but I guess I never even thought about clipping a lead to him since we're in a secure environment and I don't want the lead to be a requirement for commands.
Train so his butt's in a corner and he can't back up? Only reward sits where he remains stationary, and ignore the rest? Any other ideas?
I don't think I'm leaning or putting my weight forward to somehow cue him to back up, but then, I guess I never really thought about it, either? And I suppose when we train at home, he's typically a few steps back from me at all times.
Also, when we play fetch, he will run a few steps away and stop, go down into a creep, and stare at me to throw the toy, and if I wait he backs up a step or two to better catch the toy when I do throw it, so I'm not sure if maybe I've just inadvertently reinforced it there, so he applies that to other things?
Our basic obedience instructor recommended not giving him as much slack in his lead, so when he goes to back up to sit he can't and I can properly mark/reward correct sits. In theory, that sounded great. In practice, Abrams is like, "She told me to sit! I am sitting! I don't care that the leash is tight and my head is being pulled forward, I'm SITTING! She told me to sit, so I am! Screw the uncomfortableness of the situation!"
So I obviously need a new plan of attack.
When I train at home, he's never on lead. Which, I can certainly change if I need to in order to help shape some things, but I guess I never even thought about clipping a lead to him since we're in a secure environment and I don't want the lead to be a requirement for commands.
Train so his butt's in a corner and he can't back up? Only reward sits where he remains stationary, and ignore the rest? Any other ideas?