Refusing To Train

[krissy]

Does anyone have a grey (or other breed) that does this?

 

When Summit is on he is ON. I mean he will work incredibly hard and do tonnes of repetitions. But when he is off... he is OFF. I just tried to do some work with him and it was like pulling teeth. I mean, I asked for a sit and he did it but then wouldn't take the treat which was my first clue. And then he was just refusing to do things. It's not like we were learning anything new and he just didn't know what I wanted. We were working on things he knows. I finally got him working and taking treats but he still wasn't quite on. I don't even really know how to describe it.

 

He has done this before but there's usually an obvious reason. If he knows I'm about to leave he won't listen, or if he does he won't take treats. Yesterday when he was getting his x-rays done he more or less statued and wouldn't take treats. He did lay down on the table when I asked but he wouldn't take anything for it. But this is totally random. I'm still in my PJs, I haven't done my makeup, I have done none of the usual "I'm leaving" routine so that can't be the problem. It was honestly almost like a "I don't want to, I don't feel like it, you can't make me" attitude. Is this normal for all dogs, normal for greys, a personality thing. Any reason why he would not want to train in the middle of the day? Yes, he was sleeping on the couch when I called him, but other times he's been sleeping too and he's been very eager to train. Just weird.

[greysmom]

Sounds pretty greyhound normal to me.

 

Every once in a while you will find a grey that LOVES to please, LOVES to work, LOVES the stimulation, and or LOVES treats. Mostly, they do have a kind of "meh!' attitude. They like people and being around people, but not so much the eager-to-please-people training eagerness.

 

You can approach this two ways - get frustrated, which your greyhound will definitely pick up on, which will make him less, rather than more, likely to want to do what you're asking. Or you can just go with it - do a couple things, even if he's giving you the equivalent of doggie eye-rolling, praise praise praise and let him go relax again. At those less than engaged times you also might consider upping the treat value quite a bit, or even just varying them more. If he's not especially food/treat motivated he probably gets bored with the same treat all the time.

[Guest Hokiebuck]

It sounds like you have training "periods". I have a couple of suggestions. One, every day and interaction with your dog is a training (learning) opportunity. You'll have greater success by using commands throughout the day, not just running through them for 15 mins each day. Also, dogs are very contextual, meaning, if you only teach him the sit in the kitchen, the likelyhood of him sitting in other environments is less likely. You need to use commands everywhere. Also, you don't always have to use treats. Treats are useful when learning the command, but should be needed less as they are trained more. Also what Greysmom said about not getting frustrated. Keep a calm but assertive tone and posture, and try not to repeat the command more than once.

 

Hope this helps!

[Guest mcsheltie]

Sighthounds (in general) are so different than other breeds I have worked with. On top of the attitude, so many aren't food oriented.

 

I always asses their mood before I start an actual training session or I am setting myself up to fail When I get that kind of attitude I think of something I know they will do. It might be to call him up on the couch or back to bed! Praise, treat and quit.

 

I've been taking classes with mine and had that happen. Which is a lovely waste of money. I have never been able to Rah! Rah! some of them into working. I usually just ignore them for a little while and try again. I put Lira in a crate at the training center and worked with another dog. That got her interested. You can do the same thing at home, put them behind a baby gate and let them watch.

[krissy]

I should clarify a few things.

 

I do not get frustrated with him. I either find one of his treats that he will work for and try to coax him into working which worked today and I eventually got him to accept the rest of his treats as well. When he's like this I ask for a couple of things done well and then call it quits instead of pushing him.

 

He gets a variety of treats. I didn't want him to get bored. He gets dehydrated liver, dehydrated beef lung, dehydrated tripe, Zuke's little training bits, dehydrated white fish, and I just got a bag of grain-free biscuits (venison stew flavour). I kind of just buy whatever and have a couple of bags on the go. When I run out of one thing I open a new bag of something else, so treats are changing over time and there's always variety.

 

We do training sessions in the sense that we will get up and do some work for a couple of minutes about 5 or 6 times a day. I don't train him for 30 minutes all at one shot once a day.

 

We do have a specific room which is the "training room" (i.e. the bedroom) simply because it's the only carpeted room so he feels more comfortable offering behaviours, but he does get taken out to school and pet stores, friend's houses etc. and he gets asked for behaviours there too. So yes, he is learning to generalize.

 

I doesn't get a treat every time for behaviours he knows well (i.e. down) but considering we've only had him for 4 months and I only started training him about 2 months ago, a lot of his tricks aren't consistent enough to remove treats yet. Especially right now I'm training a play retrieve and quite frankly I will probably give a treat for that always, or at least every other retrieve. I doubt it's ever going to be too inherently rewarding in and of itself and to keep him motivated I'll likely keep giving treats for that.

 

He is VERY food motivated. Just not when he's "OFF". He's food motivated enough however that unless there's a reason (like at the clinic when he statues) I can usually convince him to work for treats.

 

But it sounds kind of like a greyhound thing I guess. I suppose he just has his moods. However, I'd like to get the point across to him that even if he doesn't feel like it, he still needs to do what I say. Maybe not in the sense of learning something new... I'd abandon ship on that. It's just irritating when I ask for something I know he knows and he just decides he doesn't feel like it. How do I make a point of "okay, you don't feel like it, but do it". I mean, it comes down to one day he might not FEEL like coming back when he slips out the door by accident, but he needs to know that when I say to come that he does it. I've never had a problem with the recall and "not feeling like it", but if it can happen with a down or sit, it can happen with come. That's what worries me.

[kudzu]

But it sounds kind of like a greyhound thing I guess. I suppose he just has his moods. However, I'd like to get the point across to him that even if he doesn't feel like it, he still needs to do what I say. Maybe not in the sense of learning something new... I'd abandon ship on that.

I don't know that this is a Greyhound thing. As a breed they may be more inclined to it since they were bred to work more independently. However, all other breeds & mixes have individuals who need more motivation or different motivation to train. I know because it was a Spaniel mix like this who sent me on the search for more effective training methods that led me to clicker training. And it was clicker training that taught me how accept that my dog was different. She didn't like repetition. She needed lots & lots & LOTS of reinforcement. Plus in the beginning she needed very short training sessions, like 30 seconds to one minute max. If she felt any pressure & most especially if I tried to use any sort of assertive behavior including tone of voice & most particularly assertive posture she would shut down. It was in fact the assertive training methods that had brought us to her not taking treats at all & not being able to work for more than a minute. But even if I'd not started with those methods the problems would have existed in the beginning, just not to such a degree. You Summit are light years ahead of where I was with this non-GH.

 

After that Spaniel my timid, needs-gentle-encouragement-but-not-pressure Greyhound was a dream come true! However, she also needs shorter sessions with minimal repetitions per session. Now she may be happy to try 6-10 sessions a day if I keep them brief. In the long run that may be better for most dogs. Latent learning is a great tool & it can't be latent if you don't give them a break to process what they're learning. (That is my personal opinion & nothing scientific despite throwing out the 'latent learning' term.)

 

It's just irritating when I ask for something I know he knows and he just decides he doesn't feel like it.

Oh how well I know but it is something everybody experiences at times, some more than others. As you said if he won't take a treat then that's a clue. Take it & accept it for now. Your approach of picking something he will do & stopping is the best idea. Just try not to put too much pressure on him before you stop. Yes, we do want them to know they should listen to us & follow our commands but you can't force him to train. You can though force his mind to close, to create enough stress that he just isn't capable of learning. And for some of our dogs the force that causes such stress can be something as simple as standing too close, leaning over, looking or speaking sternly, appearing tense or stressed ourselves. Sometimes in agility classes when I am getting frustrated, whether with my dog or myself, I just say "Thanks but we're taking a break." I leave the ring to the next student & go chill somewhere. Then we come back & ask for another try. Often it goes better the next time. I mention that because what you are describing sounds so much like what has happened with my Grey when I am pushing for too hard or expecting too much of her at that point. The problem may not be this. I am just speculating but you've nothing to lose by evaluating how you act during a practice session. Oh, I will also mention that with my girly Grey often in the beginning when I tried the cheerleader approach, probably what mcsheltie called "Rah! Rah!", I only seemed to make things worse. If something, anything made me smile or laugh though she improved. I'd not realized until a fellow student pointed it out.

 

How do I make a point of "okay, you don't feel like it, but do it".

Try this for a few days. Before each session pick one thing, just one not two & not 1.25, to work on for that session. Think of something to do immediately after that session that he would consider highly rewarding like breakfast or a walk or a ride in the car or a game of chase the stuffie on the lure pole. Set what you think is a very, very easy & readily attainable goal for that session. When he's reached it stop. Don't ask him to do it again. And then immediately, right-away-quick go do that highly rewarding activity you planned. You want him to connect doing what you ask with getting to do something else even more fun. That's what works me when I've had dogs who start seeing training as a chore sometimes.

 

Training the basics is important for safety, convenience & a happy life. I consider basic training a necessity but it should not be a chore or high pressure for dog or human. Training past those important basics is often as much or more for the human so we owe it to our dogs & ourselves also to learn how to make it rewarding for the dog. It sounds like you are already trying to do that. BTW, are you keeping a training log? It's a very good idea. (So says the girl who has one she almost never makes entries in.) Am just wondering if you will see any pattern to this happening.

 

You & Summit are filled with promise. Just try a variety of approaches & you will find one that works. You are creative & have already proven willing to adapt your methods as needed. The example that comes to mind is your food stuffed toy idea for advancing his retrieving skills. I know you will get there & glitches like this will diminish.

Edited February 23, 2011 by kudzu

[krissy]

You & Summit are filled with promise. Just try a variety of approaches & you will find one that works. You are creative & have already proven willing to adapt your methods as needed. The example that comes to mind is your food stuffed toy idea for advancing his retrieving skills. I know you will get there & glitches like this will diminish.

 

Thanks. I'm definitely not a perfect trainer. He's my first dog and though I've always had an interest in training and behaviour and have a fair bit of exposure to dogs, he's the first one I've had to really train so it's kind of a learning process for me too. Though, I think it's a bit of a learning experience with each new dog because they're all different, but still. I guess sometimes I put pressure on myself that if he's not getting something or not doing something that it's my defective teaching methods (which it probably is, but it can be a moment of despair). I definitely try to pay attention to when the right time to quit is. I like to finish on a high note, but sometimes he shuts down really suddenly and then I have to make do with not getting that good finish, and I just ask for something else he knows well so he doesn't lose confidence and we have a good ending to the session.

 

We've got obedience class tonight, so hopefully he'll be on his game. I definitely notice he is on in the evening. I just got him home from his blood donation this afternoon and he's been following me every time I get up hoping to be asked to do something for a treat. I guess he's just a night owl...?

[GeorgeofNE]

My Greyhound is NOTHING like any other dog I've ever trained. He simply has no desire to please. He's really more like a cat than a dog in that regard.

 

It bothered me a bit at first, but for five years, he had a job, and he did it well. He does not take to obedience training at all. I did manage to teach him sit and down, he grasps the concept of heel, and he walks quite nicely on a leash. Beyond that? Honestly, after my last dog, who was a superstar at learning commands, it was just so ... not fun that I admit, I've given up.

 

Sounds like your guy had an off day where he copped the same sort of attitude!

[Trihounds]

My Greyhound is NOTHING like any other dog I've ever trained. He simply has no desire to please. He's really more like a cat than a dog in that regard.

 

It bothered me a bit at first, but for five years, he had a job, and he did it well. He does not take to obedience training at all. I did manage to teach him sit and down, he grasps the concept of heel, and he walks quite nicely on a leash. Beyond that? Honestly, after my last dog, who was a superstar at learning commands, it was just so ... not fun that I admit, I've given up.

 

Sounds like your guy had an off day where he copped the same sort of attitude!

 

We have one the same - super stubborn and independent. He's an amazing dog but we don't push him on these things. Like Susan's George, we feel Bumper had a job through until 4.5 years old and now, within our boundaries, he is retired from 'work'. There are some that enjoy it and / or need it and others....are just a bit more low key.

 

I like the responses above, though - there is a lot of good information. Good luck.

[cleptogrey]

Sighthounds (in general) are so different than other breeds I have worked with. On top of the attitude, so many aren't food oriented.

 

I always asses their mood before I start an actual training session or I am setting myself up to fail When I get that kind of attitude I think of something I know they will do. It might be to call him up on the couch or back to bed! Praise, treat and quit.

 

I've been taking classes with mine and had that happen. Which is a lovely waste of money. I have never been able to Rah! Rah! some of them into working. I usually just ignore them for a little while and try again. I put Lira in a crate at the training center and worked with another dog. That got her interested. You can do the same thing at home, put them behind a baby gate and let them watch.

 

 

i ended up taking felix to annie's training classes. she just shut down and that was it. fortunately the instructor, who has goldens, has experienced exactly the same thing w/ one of her own dogs and understood our frustration. gotta go w/ the flow! felix works no matter what, emily who left the track after 168 races adored her obedience work- she was a working gal and needed a job. annie....another story but i managed to reinforce an excellent recall and basic obedience skills and she is who she is.

 

in the past my salukis were even more disinterested in training, greys seem like mutts when you compare the two! my welsh terrier was always the first to "get it" and #1 demo dog- i swear he had his master's degree he went so much, but that's a welshie for you- other wise... and my scottie was a worker but aloof- it's all a matter of reading your dog.

[NeylasMom]

I haven't read all of the responses, but I did read the list of treats you use. My feeling is this was a combination of not hungry enough (you said he had eaten a ton of treats at the vet) and not high enough value treats. Do you eat steak? If so, make one for dinner soon. Save your scraps adn cut them into tiny pieces then throw them in the fridge or freezer. The next time this happens, get them out and use them instead. I will send you a large sum of money if he doesn't magically want to work.

 

It's possible also that he was stressed from the vet visit, but I doubt that would cause him to not be able to do even a simple sit.

 

The other suggestion I have is to start him working with something REALLY simple, like a simple hand target (assuming he knows that). Do that a bunch of times, and then move on to something else.

 

FYI, the treats in our regular rotation when we are "working" - chicken, or beef or pork heart cut into tiny cubes and cooked, sometimes I cook the chicken in bacon fat and then drain it, hot dog pieces that have been microwaved until crisp, etc. And even using that level of food, when I pulled out the steak bits at the end of class Wednesday night (when he was pretty much done and starting to shut down) weaving through my legs became the BEST. THING. EVER. And that's not the type of activity he loves.

 

Or, if I'm a total liar and none of this works, or you don't have anything higher value then quit and try again later. It's supposed to be fun for both of you after all.

[Batmom]

I always asses their mood before I start an actual training session or I am setting myself up to fail When I get that kind of attitude I think of something I know they will do. It might be to call him up on the couch or back to bed! Praise, treat and quit.

 

 

Exactly!

 

Some days/times, the dog is just not in the mood, and like mcsheltie, I respect that. Making sure that training/practice sessions occur when the dog is willing and "on" help to ensure that the dog will offer the behavior when you really need it.

 

 

I've never made sure the dogs are hungry before training nor found much difference in treats for basic training. Might get a snappier response with hot dog slivers vs. a dry treat, but I've never found it to be those factors that make or break the session. For a long session such as a class, I want to wait 3-4 hours after feeding but only to make sure training time doesn't coincide with "my tummy is full and I want to nap" time.

[kudzu]

krissy, the work you're doing with Summit so far is fantastic. I went to your blog with the videos of the retrieve training. It's such fun to watch dogs treat training as a game while learning how to think things out. The treats you are using as rewards sound excellent. My dogs would love those. However, I will second the suggestion for meat like steak or grilled chicken as reward if at some point in the future you are again faced with an "I don't want to work right now" attitude. It can also help them start to take treats when stressed or in distracting environments. Will add that for my dogs, hot dogs aren't a really high-value reward. They would like to treats from your current list more than hot dogs. 

 

Happy training!

Edited February 25, 2011 by kudzu

[krissy]

Thanks guys.

 

He was definitely having an off day for whatever reason. Yesterday and today so far have been much better. I think being to school with me for vet appointments 2 days in a row probably had him a little tired. I've never given blood before (was deferred for a long time because I lived in the UK as a child, and more recently I got a couple of tattoos) but from what I know it can leave you feeling a little tired. So I certainly can't blame him for being off that night at obedience class. I was slightly bothered that he was so difficult in the morning before he went to donate blood though, but again, he had x-rays the day before and probably just wasn't totally up to it. He had also just had breakfast not too long before.

 

I do give meaty left overs as treats if they are available, but I'm almost vegetarian (I don't particularly care for a big slab of meat), and whatever I don't finish my boyfriend is usually too happy to take off my hands. I did originally start teaching him his down (his first trick) with steak bits, and I've used pork as well. It's just not particularly available in this household. I also will give sandwich meats if we have any, or cheese. I usually leave those kinds of things for teaching him new things though. I sort of expect to lower the treat value for tricks that I know he knows. But I suppose the odd high value treat for a sit or down will keep him gambling for next time!

 

I'm going to try to always have something "new" on the go for him to learn. I think he likes that. It's just hard because he mastered the hardest thing I had to teach him (retrieving) in 2 days... there's only so many new things I can think up for him to do! I've also noticed that he seems much happier to work if I'm really excited. I've been trying to not get super excited with him because I find it gets him too amped and he jumps around and really exaggerates everything he does (and nearly takes my fingers with the treats), but I have noticed that when I get really excited and give him some good thumps on the bum or sides that he seems very pleased with himself. So maybe he does work for praise and approval. lol

[RobinM]

My Greyhound is NOTHING like any other dog I've ever trained. He simply has no desire to please. He's really more like a cat than a dog in that regard.

 

It bothered me a bit at first, but for five years, he had a job, and he did it well. He does not take to obedience training at all. I did manage to teach him sit and down, he grasps the concept of heel, and he walks quite nicely on a leash. Beyond that? Honestly, after my last dog, who was a superstar at learning commands, it was just so ... not fun that I admit, I've given up.

 

Sounds like your guy had an off day where he copped the same sort of attitude!

 

 

Agreed 100%.

[Guest mcsheltie]

One thing I have noticed about GHs is that a lot of repetitions will work against you. I had one Sheltie years ago that taught me that lesson. She was an agility star. Went from lesson #1 in the spring to earning her Excellent title, doing reliable send aways and go-outs by fall. But if she did a sequence right and I did it again for practice, she would shut down. In essence she was saying "I thought I did it right, I guess not, I can't understand you... I give up". So the minute she did it right I did not do that sequence again during that session.

 

Withe the GHs when I am actually asking for a behavior I reasonably think they know, if they do it I don't ask for it again. I pause, go into the kitchen (messing around in the treat dish always has a good result on resetting their mind ) and then ask for something else.

 

Shaping behaviors is a different story because I usually teach those while watching TV. The click ends the exercise and throwing the treat resets the dog. I wait until they start to sit or lay down click and throw. You can do things like this over and over because GHs always want to lay down I don't add a verbal que until I know they realize what the deal is. They will usually look me in the eye while sitting or laying down, then I know they got it. Next step is adding the cue as they are offering the behavior, as their butt lowers I say sit (I do not give the cue first at this point)

 

As for high value treats, I haven't had a dog yet who didn't go nuts for these - link They also respond to chicken breasts cooked in butter with a lot of garlic sprinkled on it. I use both of these in the ring.

[NeylasMom]

I'm going to try to always have something "new" on the go for him to learn. I think he likes that. It's just hard because he mastered the hardest thing I had to teach him (retrieving) in 2 days... there's only so many new things I can think up for him to do!

 

What?! I have a long list of tricks that Pat Miller is using for her trick titling competition (it's for fun) and at the end of class each week we play a board game called "My Dog Can Do That". Apparently it's not made anymore so expensive to get on ebay, but it's got a huge box of cards that have different things you can teach. So far the things we've pulled from that game are:

 

Back (or moonwalk) - Walk back 5 steps (fyi, the tricks have 3 levels of difficulty, this was an easy one)

Somethign I forget the name they gave to it, but it was laying on their side, all 4 legs extended - a sort of playing dead

Say your prayers (Dog sits with butt on ground and front paws resting on something - for a grey a chair should work well - then lowers his nose down to his paws)

Crap, I'm forgetting the rest.

 

Some of the tricks from teh titling comp:

Dry off (shake)

Figure 8 through your legs

Shake head "no" or "yes"

Play possum

Speak

Whisper

Howl

Play the piano

Touchdown (push ball across finish line)

Go round - sned your dog around object in front of you

Bowling - knock over cups

Shame (hide your eyes)

Poor baby (limp)

 

There are more...

 

Karen Pryor's Reaching the Animal Mind also has fun ideas for behaviors to shape and she has videos on her corresponding website (it's the site for the book specifically) with videos of howt o teach some of them. That's where I got the idea to teach Neyla to "blow bubbles" (put her nose into a bowl of water and blow out). She won best trick for that one at her last group picnic.

 

I hope that gives you some good ideas.

[Guest katethegreyt]

Lots of great stuff here (I love reading from some of the members on here that do SO much cool stuff with their greys), just wanted to add my own experience with our new grey.

 

I definitely get the same feeling as others have mentioned that my dog does something right a couple of times and then thinks, why the heck would I be like that silly lab over there and sit 100 times in a row? That's so pedestrian, haha. And then she just stares off into the distance. We're currently taking an obedience class (with a trainer that has a lot of greyhound experience), but working for the whole hour on 2-3 tasks is just not her bag. So when all of the other dogs are doing 20 repetitions of a down or a sit stay, I just back off when my girl starts to seem bored (unlike the golden retriever across the way who ALWAYS wants to do whatever is asked of him, haha). Last night, when we were all working on heel, halt, sit, stay (all walking around the room then doing halt, sit, stay at the trainer's command), I knew my girl would not be doing a sit stay (we just aren't there yet in that setting, plus I don't think a sit stay on a greyhound has the same effect as it does on dogs that actually are comfortable sitting - greys can pop up so fast out of their sit/squat, that it sort of defeats the original purpose of the command). So instead of getting frustrated, I let her do a stand stay, which she is quite good at = ) and it's a more realistic thing for us to use on walks and other situations considering most greys don't "sit" and relax like most dogs, they kind of squat and are ready to pop up in a flash anyway, haha.

 

I've been training horses my whole life (my grandmother is a professional horse trainer and I grew up following her around and working for her), but this is my first dog. Still, there are a lot of basic concepts that seem to carry over. If I get on a horse and can tell he's just not in the right mood, maybe we'll just work on stuff he can do well that day. I ALWAYS make sure I pick a "battle" that I can win. I've been telling my fiance the same thing with the dog: don't ask her to sit unless you're darn sure you can get her to do it, otherwise you've just trained her NOT to do it when you ask. Which at this point in her training means, don't ask her to do it unless you have a very nice reward to persuade her with, haha. So although the final goal is: you need to do this right now because I said so even if you don't want to, you can't expect that for awhile, especially with these dogs. All of the other dogs in my class respond well to a push on the bottom or a leash tug upwards as a correction if they start to move from a sit stay - that just doesn't work with my girl at all or, from what I have read/heard, for a lot of sighthounds.

 

Honestly, I have very little experience with greys or hands on dog training in general (all horse stuff here, haha), so to me it sounds like you are doing a great job!

 

I just wanted to add my story to let you know my girl sounds a lot like your dog - she will work really well sometimes and then will all of the sudden zone out. When that happens, I just try to get her to do something easy to end the session on a positive note, and then continue at a later point. I've also found I REALLY need to keep the variety up, whether it's with treats, locations, or whatever. I try to move from room to room while we're working on something because she seems to get an added boost of excitement with the moving around (and I try to keep a very excited voice when working with her) and it sort of helps reset her. I also figured out I have to vary the treats because the most delicious thing in the world yesterday is now boring. She also responds well to a new person taking over - in our obedience class, my fiance and I switch out or the trainer comes over for a bit, and the change often gets her interested again. And then, for the everyday boring commands (we're nowhere near the neat things NeylasMom mentioned, probably mostly my fault, haha), I just try to get her to sit, down, etc whenever there's something she wants (food, collar, toy, couch, etc). She does a goooorgeous sit wait for her squeaky toy = )

 

I'm also going to go get a clicker plus a couple of books (Karen Pryor's is supposed to be a good starter) because I think my girl will respond really well to it (and I want to try it out on my cats too!)

 

Good luck. It sounds like you're on the right path for sure.

 

 

[krissy]

Our class yesterday was amazing. Summit brought his A-game. Actually, he brought his A-game all week. I really think all those trips to the vet really sucked it out of him. He was by far the best dog in his class. I didn't even use a leash for the majority of it. He loves other dogs and people but there were no distractions last night even being off leash. He had a wonderful sit/stay (for which he was rewarded with a small container of left over shepherd's pie mixed with cottage cheese), we raised the height of his bar jump, and I had him in and out of a full sized tunnel all on his own just by throwing a treat in and racing to the other end to call him the rest of the way through. He was watching me all class just waiting for his next command. He was still looking for commands when we got home. He's done really well. I have to say he will do lots of repetitions. I'm always watching him to see if we need to take a break and leave the room for a bit and have a pee or something, but he was just on the ball last night.

 

I agree though that unlike other breeds there's really no way to successfully correct the "I don't want to do that right now". With other breeds if they get the idea they don't have to sit when I say so, I make sure they understand that they DO because otherwise I will make them (gently, but firmly, of course). You can't really do that with a greyhound.