# how to get dog to move where she doesn’t want to



## 136497 (Apr 23, 2016)

I find myself using treats too often and giving too much. For example, she might want to move towards a pile of poop and eat it but I don’t want her to do that. If i use the come command it hurts the command. if i use leave it it hurts it as well as the poop is higher value than anything i could give her. another scenario is when i need her to come back inside from the backyard, say when i have to have a meeting at a certain time. or i need to put her in her crate for bedtime she won’t listen. she isn’t scared of her crate, in fact when i need to clean her ears she runs there. any ideas? i don’t want to use any fear inducing or pain methods, but at the same time i don’t want to rely on treats every time.


----------



## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

A nick from an E collar isn't painful, especially compared to getting ran over by a car while running across the road to eat some poop.


----------



## SoCalEngr (Apr 11, 2020)

Our trainer helped us with this (i.e., what to do when treats and praise don't work).

#1 - Our trainer distinguishes between "old enough to know better" and "too young to know better".
#2 - At six (6) months, our Kona "knows better"...and sometimes becomes obstinate.
#3 - When dealing with "eating rocks", her approach was to play with the rock...and reward Kona for not reacting/playing.
#4 - But, she also introduced a water bottle, with a very mild vinegar solution. It's kept hidden (behind the back), and used with one-quick-spray accompanied by a "no" or "ehhh" (it's a sound we use for "whatever you're doing, it's not what you should be doing"). And then? Effusive praise for "doing the right thing". We appreciate that she recognizes that, sometimes, "all positive" can take too long to be workable for some of us. 

We're working on recall with a long lead, effusive praise when the lead isn't necessary, and slowly increasing levels of distraction.

Our trainer also has us playing hide-and-seek to help with recall. With two people, one keeps Kona occupied whilst the other goes out-of-sight (in another room, around the corner of the house, etc.). The person "hiding" then calls Kona's name (name only, no "come" or other commands). When Kona makes eye contact, it turns into an animated "come" command.

Our trainer also has us on a 50/50 ratio food-as-reward. The rest of the time, it's praise and rubs.

From what I gather, each dog is going to be different. But, for us, having access to a trainer has been a life saver.


----------



## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

If you are treating when the dog comes you are rewarding the behavior you want so building reinforcement. Why do you see this as a problem, this is training. My girls are grown and still reward the recall, every time. It might just be just some love and kisses but I like to get paid for a job well done, why should the pup expect to do anything for free?

If you feel like you are constantly trying to control the dog with commands... put the pup on a leash. When they start to get into something you want them to avoid, give a quick tug on the leash to get their attention then get all crazy excited the minute they look your way, treat when they get back close to you. 

Reward the behaviors you want. As far as the poop, clean it up after every outing so this is not an option. When they need to be in the crate, no negotiations... just put them in the crate. You really need to think about getting someone to help you learn how to train your pup, your pup has you figured out  If there are no classes around (Covid issues) then find an online course to learn how to train. Lots of really good trainers have online courses or webinars... Janice Gunn, Leerburg, Connie Cleveland.

When it's time to clean the ears, have everything ready and put on a leash so running away isn't an option. Treat often while cleaning so they associate this as a good thing but this (and nails) are a fact of life and not up for negotiations. Take control of the situation BEFORE they have a chance to find their own solution.

Just remember anytime you let them make a choice vs doing the command or treatment, you have given the pup permission not to listen to you.


----------



## SoCalEngr (Apr 11, 2020)

Add note...

I don't know what/how you're going about things, but our trainer pointed out an error we had been making that was actually teaching things we didn't want taught.

Lesson learned : Don't hold treats when planning on rewarding a dog for a desired behavior.

Rationale:
#1 - The dog is smart enough to start picking up on cues we didn't know we were giving (i.e., the closed hand holding the treat).
#2 - If we are giving away the presence of a food treat, it subtly changed from a "reward" to a "bribe".

What this meant was that we were starting to train Kona for "no treat, no desired behavior". Once we quit holding the treat in our hand, this changed the whole dynamic of Kona's periodic "eh...no thanks" attitude towards a command.

Of course, she's still "a puppy", and she's going to have her moments. But, having a trainer point out how we were unintentionally "bribing" vice "rewarding" significantly improved Kona's responsiveness to commands.

Biggest takeaway?

Trainers can be incredibly helpful with techniques for training your dog. But, their real work is in training the owner.


----------

