Re: Agility Prospect
Cheryl, I reward mostly with food and tug, but I also use praise and affection. I do correct my dogs. Generally a sharp "no" and I escalate from there, such as grabbing the scruff, or taking something away (such as, you pull, the walk ends). I am not a huge fan of correction collars so I try to avoid them if I can use other methods. I have good timing, so I look for my dog to make the correct choice and instantly reward with something meaningful to the dog (one of my boys is more food motivated, the other will work for toys). My terriers are quite smart, so the absence of a reward generally tells them they did not make the correct choice. I find that consistently rewarding the right choices and not allowing bad behavior to be rewarded, has been effective. I have had four terriers (2 currently). I have never owned a herder. The guy I train with has very well behaved Mals which has piqued my interest in the breed. So I have some limited exposure to the breed and someone to lean on for breed-specific guidance.
|