AstasMinion Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 We need to re-train our sweet girl Asta to respond when we touch her collar/try to move or lead her with it. This winter she has TOTALLY stopped responding to it. She'll come when called and respond when on leash. But if there's no leash and we try to move her by taking hold of her regular tag collar, she will not budge at all anymore (digs in her heels and becomes statue dog) — and that worries me. We've had her for 6+ years, and she has always been super obedient and easy to train. She came to us already completely responsive to any collar action, though, so we didn't do the initial training on that . . . in fact up until a couple of months ago, she would follow/come just if one of us lightly touched her collar with a finger. So my question is, how do I train her now to respond again to the collar? Other training we've done has been with treats/positive reinforcement. But is it as elementary as giving a training treat if she moves half an inch or even just her head? I'm not sure she gets that connection --- it's so close to getting a treat "just because." Not sure I've clearly described the situation, but it's a start! Thanks for any thoughts! Quote Lisa Dog mama to angel-boy Ewan (racing name Atascocita Ewan), 3/26/10 to 8/23/20, and angel-girl Asta (racing name Pazzo Asta), 6/16/01 to 9/7/13. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAJ2010 Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Well.... I'm a big meanie. If Sunshine won't come when I place my hand on her collar, I just hold on and go until she starts to move. She screams and we have this whole dramatic scene, but she quickly understood that becoming dead weight in a little temper tantrum won't work. I only had to pull her 2 times so I'm not yanking her around all the time. Also our tag collars are very thin, so that adds to the discomfort of being pulled on. Now quick call the SPCA on us! Quote ------ Jessica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greytluv Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Well.... I'm a big meanie. If Sunshine won't come when I place my hand on her collar, I just hold on and go until she starts to move. She screams and we have this whole dramatic scene, but she quickly understood that becoming dead weight in a little temper tantrum won't work. I only had to pull her 2 times so I'm not yanking her around all the time. Also our tag collars are very thin, so that adds to the discomfort of being pulled on. Now quick call the SPCA on us! This is what I do if I need them to move with only a collar. It's usually in a situation where I need them to move NOW. I didn't know they could be trained to move with the collar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstasMinion Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 Greytluv, maybe it can't really be trained . . . just needs to be done . . . but the "meanie pull" has definitely been done and it fails. I'm comfortable pulling hard to get it done and so is my husband, but she has resisted SO hard that I really am worried about hurting her. Maybe we're just too wimpy. Quote Lisa Dog mama to angel-boy Ewan (racing name Atascocita Ewan), 3/26/10 to 8/23/20, and angel-girl Asta (racing name Pazzo Asta), 6/16/01 to 9/7/13. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MyBoys Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 (edited) Funny you should mention this because I just went through this with my very big boy Murphy, he is such a great boy and really does not have any issues at all but decided that he was not going to move whenever I tug on his collar, sometimes he just does not want to come in the house and plays a little game with me so that I have to go out and bring him in. What I did was move his collar up close to his ears and just gave it a slight pull and made a click sound at the same time, for some reason as soon as I did this he started to move forward right away. Now when he decides to do the statue act I just do this and he starts moving. Like I said he is a VERY big boy so just pulling on the collar does no good he is strong enough to stand his ground. Edited March 2, 2010 by MyBoys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstasMinion Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 Thanks for sharing your experience, MyBoys! Quote Lisa Dog mama to angel-boy Ewan (racing name Atascocita Ewan), 3/26/10 to 8/23/20, and angel-girl Asta (racing name Pazzo Asta), 6/16/01 to 9/7/13. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greytluv Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Greytluv, maybe it can't really be trained . . . just needs to be done . . . but the "meanie pull" has definitely been done and it fails. I'm comfortable pulling hard to get it done and so is my husband, but she has resisted SO hard that I really am worried about hurting her. Maybe we're just too wimpy. I know. You'd think I was killing them. I'd be interested to know how to train them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAJ2010 Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 If your worried about hurting the dog it won't work. DH is the same way. Too worried about hurting Sunshine so she doesn't get out of the crate for him. He jumps up and down doing a very good impression of a 6 foot cheerleader to entice her to come out. I have no time for that. Move the collar to the sensitive part of the neck and walk. Once she gets the idea that you aren't going to take her attitude, then you should just be able to put your hand on her collar and the dog will get up and stretch and move w/o a single tug. You could always pull her up and somewhere then immediately reward with a cookie to make it a bit more positive. If you clip the leash to her collar does she act any differently? Quote ------ Jessica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstasMinion Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 Well, she has without doubt learned that we're taking that attitude on this point. It's so funny, though, because she typically wants to do whatever she thinks we want her to do. Not sure if this is her terrible twos phase (6 years late) or the onset of puberty. But we do know she's obviously "testing" and winning. Ha! Good question about the leash. If that goes on under normal circumstances, she responds right away. If it goes on because she's not responding to the collar, she will not respond to that either. I will definitely try moving her collar as you suggested, and will likely also try treating her if I'm able to pull her up right away for some odd reason! Thanks for the suggestions! Quote Lisa Dog mama to angel-boy Ewan (racing name Atascocita Ewan), 3/26/10 to 8/23/20, and angel-girl Asta (racing name Pazzo Asta), 6/16/01 to 9/7/13. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fujiapple402 Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 What I found works is if your out walking them on the lease slowly pull the leash to the point where your basically holding onto the collar, and walk for awhile like that. Helps them also learn heel Brutis is getting really good about this. I only have to slightly move to touch his collar and he gets up and is ready for anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfish Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 If he's only just started doing it after so many years and he's previously been good, I'd personally ask the vet to check him out before you start hauling on his neck. Quote The plural of anecdote is not dataBrambleberry Greyhounds My Etsy Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest luckydog Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 If he's only just started doing it after so many years and he's previously been good, I'd personally ask the vet to check him out before you start hauling on his neck. My thoughts exactly. If you hauled on my neck if I had an underlying medical problem in that area, I'd be grumpy. And if you did it to the point where I had to yelp, then shame on ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstasMinion Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 (edited) She has been checked out by the vet recently, and we talked about the collar thing. Should have mentioned that. I have never made her yelp or done anything to hurt her!! I feel certain it's a behavior thing, and so that's why I've been wondering about training for it. Edited March 2, 2010 by AstasMinion Quote Lisa Dog mama to angel-boy Ewan (racing name Atascocita Ewan), 3/26/10 to 8/23/20, and angel-girl Asta (racing name Pazzo Asta), 6/16/01 to 9/7/13. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MyBoys Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 There was also no medical issues with Murphy and he is almost 10 years old, IMO, I believe because I always use a harness to walk him which he always responds to, that he just needed some refresher training with the collar when HE decided that HE would come in the house when HE was good and ready. I think he was testing me also because when he first started doing this and I would go out to get him he would make a game of it and wait until I got close then run away, I also think he was laughing at me when he did this So now he has learned again when I GENTLY tug on his collar and make the clicking sound mommy means business. There is no pulling back or statuing he just follows my lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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