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39. General Problems
How To Overcome Them

Inattentiveness

Correct your dog every time she looks away. Jerk the leash, bump into her, tumble her by catching her off guard. Use any trick you can to make your dog watch you while she is in training. Praise with all corrections and the dog will not resent them.

Sniffing The Ground

Every time your dog lowers her head, jerk up on the leash with­out saying anything. If she is off leash, throw something or kick at the spot the dog is sniffing.

Dog Follows Handler When Left For Drop On Recall Or Stay Exercises

Carry an object in your LEFT hand. This can be a rolled maga­zine, or the leash wadded into a ball. When you leave your dog, ask an assistant to watch. If the dog moves, have the assistant call out "Throw it," in which case, toss the object BACKWARD, so it lands at the dog's feet. Take her back and try again.
Alternate correction: When you leave your dog, BACK AWAY. Hold something that you can throw to check the dog when she starts for­ward. RUN toward her at the same time, and put her back where she was.

Barks While Working

Carry a small, rolled-up magazine! When the dog barks, throw it at the dog's feet, or have an assistant toss the magazine for you. After the correction, give praise and clap your hands in a playful manner.

Dog Does Not Sit Close In Front

Use only your voice and a coaxing motion with your hands. Avoid moving your feet. As your dog slows down, or comes to a sitting position, quietly but firmly repeat, "Come, come, come!" until she moves forward of her own accord. When she does, reward her with a pat or a tasty morsel.

Crooked Sit In Front

Practice with the dog on leash. With the dog facing you, hold the leash in BOTH hands. Walk backward and take the dog with you. Come to a halt, wait for her to Sit at an angle, THEN pull the leash taut and spank whichever hip is out of line. The handler should CORRECT rather than PREVENT crooked Sits. In other words, let the dog start to Sit crooked before you make the correction. Hold the leash tight, and give praise as you do it. When the leash is off, hold the collar instead.

Alternate correction: Two assistants stand facing each other, one on either side, and close to the handler. When the dog starts to swing her rear end out of line, an assistant gently taps the dog on the hip, while the handler coaxes the dog to come close and Sit straight. A persistent "Sit straight! Sit straight!" should teach the dog to correct her own crooked Sits.

Dog Ignores Command To Go To Heel

LARGE DOGS  Without moving your hands or feet, command "Heel!" THEN with BOTH hands, jerk the leash to your left and as far back. as you can reach. Praise as you do it. Pat your knee to turn the dog and make her face front.

SMALL DOGS Lean over. Hold the leash in your LEFT hand. Without mov- ing your hand or feet, give the command, THEN jerk the leash, low  and  close  to  the  ground. Give praise WITH the  correc- tion. Pat your left leg to coax the dog to turn around.

In extremely stubborn cases, an assistant stands in back of, and off to one side of, the dog (depending on which way she goes to Heel). AFTER the owner's command, the assistant taps the dog on the hip "accidentally" with the toe of a shoe, so she will move around by herself. Both owner and assistant give praise!

Dog Does Not Do A Complete Finish

Wad the leash into a ball and hold it in your LEFT hand. Give the Heel command WITHOUT MOVING YOUR ARM. Let the dog move around to Heel position, and wait for her to Sit at an angle. THEN jerk the leash backward, giving praise.

Sloppy Finishes

For practice, hold the leash, wadded into a ball, in your left hand. Do a series of:

• Steps to the right
• Quarter-turn pivots to the left
• About-turns
• Steps to the rear

With each change of direction, command "Heel!" and snap the dog to the correct Heel position with praise.

Dog Circles Wide On The Finish When The Leash Is Off

During practice, give the command to Heel, and at the point the dog goes wide, give a SECOND Heel command, forcefully. Praise.

Dog Goes Directly To Heel Without Sitting In Front

Put your dog on leash. Face her for the Recall. Ask an assistant to stand behind you with a rolled-up magazine. Call your dog. DO NOT use the leash to make her Sit in front. Wait for her to go to Heel without Sitting. THEN have the assistant toss the magazine at your side, directly in front of the dog. After the correction, gather up the leash, make her Sit straight, then praise and pat her. Repeat the exercise but take care the assistant makes the correc­tion ONLY if the dog goes directly to Heel without stopping in front.
The owner can make the correction herself by dropping some­thing at her left side, if the dog is trained to go to the left; or some­thing on the right, if the dog is trained to go to the right.

Dog Turns Out Instead of In, When Going To Heel Position (when going to the left)

Put the dog on leash. Give the command to go to Heel, and if the dog starts to turn the wrong way, spank her hindquarters AWAY from your body with your RIGHT hand; then pat your left leg with your LEFT hand to coax her to turn toward you and Sit close.

Dog Takes Judge's Commands

During practice, have someone call out the judge's commands. Count five before you tell the dog what to do.
If you train by yourself, give the judge's commands aloud before you give the commands to the dog. This will teach your dog not to respond to the sound of the voice, but to wait for definite com­mands.
Dog Runs Away
If your dog, while heeling, darts away, call her name sharply, reach out and slap her across the rump, or toss something at her heels to make her look around. Pat your side! Repeat the Heeling command, using a more demanding tone and follow the command with praise.
If the dog ignores your commands and runs playfully about, throw a rolled-up magazine, your shoe, the leash, anything, at her heels when she is NOT LOOKING, then drop to a kneeling position, and call her to come to you for protection.
Teaching a dog to come when she is called is a family affair. At home and in the training class, cooperate by making a dog go to whoever calls her. Point to the person who called, and tell the dog "GO!" Even chase her, if necessary!
Station several assistants around the training area, armed with empty cartons. When your dog starts running around and ignores your command to "Come!" ask those who are assisting to block her by tossing the cartons directly in front of her. Kneel, call her again, and give constant praise.

Dog Anticipates Commands

Avoid following a set routine. For instance, alternate the Come with the Sit-stay. If your dog anticipates the "Finish," pivot back to Heel position on your LEFT foot, and don't let her complete the exercise. Throw the dumbbell, but don't let the dog go for it. Place her in front of the Broad Jump, take your position but don't let her jump. Any time she moves WITHOUT permission, DEMAND "Stay!" emphatically.

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