Attention During Heeling

[DobeLove]

Hi, next week I am doing Novice Obedience with Avril. She is going for her 2nd leg.

I need help having her "watch me" in the ring during heeling. When we are practicing she does great if I have cookies or if I continously say "watch me!" in a really happy voice. She has gotten by with ok scores without looking at me but we get marked down points because she's not paying attention so when I stop she keeps going then turns around and sits when she realizes I stopped.

I reward her when she looks up without me saying anything, but if I don't one time she sort of shuts down and just spaces off. I don't care if she isn't looking up at me 24/7, but I want her to look up occasionally. Right now she usually only looks up at me right before I change paces or when I stop.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[Kat09Tails]

How is her food drive?

If it's decent you can do the human pez dispenser trick of spitting the treats at her while moving. BTW... lil hot dog chunks work fantastic and zukes aren't too bad either. It's a time honored trick of getting a dog really interested in always looking at your face.

 

[release the hounds]

you build focus the same way you build duration for a sit, or a long down and then add distractions. I started spitting treats, then found I didn't need to put that in my mouth. I used to put slimey goobered up balls under my arm pit too, and learned I don't need to do that either.

 

[DobeLove]

She LOVES food. But she knows right away when I don't have it. Which includes in the ring. She's fine when we are practicing if she knows I have treats

 

[Saeleofu]

Is there anywhere that has a ring set up where you can practice? (The training center I go to has a full size ring set up, gates, mats and all.) Try tapering treats off slowly. Take them into the practice ring if you have one, spit treats randomly. Do not carry treats on you other than in your mouth.

I had a lot more to say and it just went *poof*

 

[smeagle]

Yep it sounds simple but you need to build drive and focus - her attention on you will come naturally if you have those two things.

 

[corgipower]

That's one thing I really like the clicker for. It lets me get treats off my body and onto a table, or even in the next room.

I did it three times with Nyx and she no longer checks to see if I have treats before deciding to work. I started with treats in my pocket. Click, pull out treat. Repeat. Then I moved the treats to a shelf. Click, take a couple steps, get treat. Then I started further away from the shelf. Click, run over to the treats, give her one. Repeat. Then the treats were in the next room. Click, run to the next room - with her, keeping her hyped up about it - get her a treat.

Now she's happy to perform when I don't have treats on me. She has no idea where they're going to come from, but she's fairly confident they will appear.

Also, lots of changes of pace and direction helps. If you walk a relatively predictable pattern, they learn they don't need to really watch you.

And you do need to build the duration slowly. Do you have sustained attention while not walking?

 

[AdrianneIsabel]

That's one thing I really like the clicker for. It lets me get treats off my body and onto a table, or even in the next room.

I did it three times with Nyx and she no longer checks to see if I have treats before deciding to work. I started with treats in my pocket. Click, pull out treat. Repeat. Then I moved the treats to a shelf. Click, take a couple steps, get treat. Then I started further away from the shelf. Click, run over to the treats, give her one. Repeat. Then the treats were in the next room. Click, run to the next room - with her, keeping her hyped up about it - get her a treat.

Now she's happy to perform when I don't have treats on me. She has no idea where they're going to come from, but she's fairly confident they will appear.

Also, lots of changes of pace and direction helps. If you walk a relatively predictable pattern, they learn they don't need to really watch you.

And you do need to build the duration slowly. Do you have sustained attention while not walking?

Great post!

 

[release the hounds]

That's one thing I really like the clicker for. It lets me get treats off my body and onto a table, or even in the next room.

I did it three times with Nyx and she no longer checks to see if I have treats before deciding to work. I started with treats in my pocket. Click, pull out treat. Repeat. Then I moved the treats to a shelf. Click, take a couple steps, get treat. Then I started further away from the shelf. Click, run over to the treats, give her one. Repeat. Then the treats were in the next room. Click, run to the next room - with her, keeping her hyped up about it - get her a treat.

Now she's happy to perform when I don't have treats on me. She has no idea where they're going to come from, but she's fairly confident they will appear.

Also, lots of changes of pace and direction helps. If you walk a relatively predictable pattern, they learn they don't need to really watch you.

And you do need to build the duration slowly. Do you have sustained attention while not walking?

Exactly, you can spit treats, hide toys and try any number of ways to trick your dog into looking at you. And it will work for a driven dog.

But dogs are usually smarter than you and know when it's there and when it's not.

It's easier to teach them that watching me gets what they want, though they don't know where it's coming from. though I imprint heavily the presentation that keeps them in position, but after it doesn't matter.

Then they get to learn to move and watch me with any amount of distractions. Too many are in a hurry and think heeling is moving with your dog at your side. a dog can't do a long down over night, they can't put together a retrieve over night, they can't do focused heeling overnight either. It all has to be built the same way

 

[Doberluv]

Great post CP! Yes, removing that predictability is a key component in PR. Without it, that's when we hear, "treats cause issues," "dogs that are treat trained become reliant on treats," etc, etc, etc... Gotta keep 'em guessing which keeps 'em working harder.

 

[Danefied]

Thank you for this thread, I'm just soaking it all in.
I'm new to obedience competition, and I feel like I'll never be ready!

 

[corgipower]

I'm new to obedience competition, and I feel like I'll never be ready!

I've titled two dogs and put one leg on a third dog and I still feel like I'll never be ready.

 

[AdrianneIsabel]

I've titled two dogs and put one leg on a third dog and I still feel like I'll never be ready.

I'm right there..... :lol-sign:

 

[Saeleofu]

I've titled two dogs and put one leg on a third dog and I still feel like I'll never be ready.

That's how i feel with rally - two RNs and and RA and I'm still freaking out about the trials this weekend and next week. And Logan will be starting obedience trials before long :yikes: He would have had his first trial this weekend, but I freaked out and put him in rally instead.

 

[Danefied]

What do you guys think about entering in Rally Novice and Novice Obedience at the same show, for our debut??
My trainer thinks we'll be fine, she's going to dose ME with rescue remedy though

 

[Saeleofu]

Oh I'm totally taking Rescue Remedy on Sunday :rofl1: That stuff is awesome - I take it all the time.

I think you will be fine. The one problem is that rally and obedience are usually at the same time, so you might have to rush back and forth.

 

[Danefied]

thanks!

Back to the OP though - would building a default attention help?
I do this with all my dogs (not just the two who will compete one day). Things like if you want out, you have to look at me, if you want in or out of the car, you have to look at me, if you want your dinner, you have to look at me first, not stare at the dog bowl and will it to be set down. And of course with default leave-its you have to look at me too. None of this is off a "watch me" command, its without any verbal (or hopefully body language) cue. It helps me keep some semblance of control with four big dogs and it helps them learn to check with me before doing something like diving for the boiling hot pasta I just spilled all over the kitchen floor.

Would this transfer in to the obedience ring too?

 

[corgipower]

Back to the OP though - would building a default attention help?

Oh, now that's not a bad idea.

 

[Saeleofu]

Oh, now that's not a bad idea.

I agree - excellent idea!

 

[DobeLove]

Thanks everyone for the advice! We don't have a ring to practice in sadly We either practice in our garage if it's rainy or if it's nice out we practice at the school. I have been carrying the treats with me, then only giving treats at the end of each exercise, I will slowly give her less and less then eventually have them off to the side and not actually with me. Hopefully it works.

I will also start the default attention thing! Thanks again for the great advice everyone, I will keep you all updated on how she does next weekend.