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I was actually quite pleased with my dogs this weekend. I had them at two seperate parks unleashed and playing ball. They completely ignored people walking around and came to me everytime I called them. They have also been ignoring cars driving by. I consider that moderate success in itself. However, they still seem to struggle around kids playing and I have to grab them fast if I see another dog. Anybody have any tricks or suggestions for keeping their attention in a busy setting or when around other pets? Do they just need time and discipline? Lord knows my past dogs never made it this far.

 

Kids and dogs? Is it the quick sporadic movement that sets them off??? But then sometimes the 'other' dogs aren't doing anything? But then we've passed by cats and birds that they have completely ignored??? I can't figure out what the trigger is????

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I'm not to worried about Jin and kids. We hgad him at a B-day party yesterday for a 4 yr old. As lonmg as Jin is off lead he igonores most dogs however there was one that was brought by on a leash the it had at full extension and was walking all stiff and tail up. I think it was that daog that bothered Jin since he charged him. Fortunately Jin's call off (recall) was working very well that day so no probs. It could just be the other dog and it's attitude that sned your dog off.

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I was actually quite pleased with my dogs this weekend. I had them at two seperate parks unleashed and playing ball. They completely ignored people walking around and came to me everytime I called them. They have also been ignoring cars driving by. I consider that moderate success in itself. However, they still seem to struggle around kids playing and I have to grab them fast if I see another dog. Anybody have any tricks or suggestions for keeping their attention in a busy setting or when around other pets? Do they just need time and discipline? Lord knows my past dogs never made it this far.

 

Kids and dogs? Is it the quick sporadic movement that sets them off??? But then sometimes the 'other' dogs aren't doing anything? But then we've passed by cats and birds that they have completely ignored??? I can't figure out what the trigger is????

 

They ignore people walking around because the ball play is more motivating than the boring people. They don't ignore children and pets because they are more motivating to them then the ball play. So some would say you have to make yourself more interesting than the children and pets via different toys, or treats. You can go that route. I prefer to teach a good "leave it". I would also not let my dogs off leash in a busy area without a solid recall which you don't seem to have yet, at least when it comes to certain distractions. So you're taking a risk with that. To train in these areas with the distractions that set them off, I would use a long line. Good luck!

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They don't ignore children and pets because they are more motivating to them then the ball play. So some would say you have to make yourself more interesting than the children and pets via different toys, or treats. You can go that route.

 

I prefer to teach a good "leave it".

 

Never thought of it that way. You may be on to something.

 

Talk to me about a "leave it". What do you mean?

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A "leave it" command is something you teach a dog and, in my opinion, means "leave that alone, period". That is, versus, "that'll do" or any other command that means that what you are doing is good but you are done for now.

 

There's more than one way to teach "leave it" and I have found that some pups/dogs pick it up very quickly and some (more stubborn ones) may take a lot more effort to teach. The way I taught Celt and other pups was to sit in a chair in the kitchen, and drop a treat on the floor (something lower value and hard). When the pup/dog goes to investigate or pick it up, I covered it with my toe (this is where sitting comes in handy) and said "leave it". As soon as the pup/dog stops fussing at my foot to get the treat, and looks up at me, I praise him/her and give a treat - a better treat than the one on the floor (or at least one that is equal - either will do).

 

Celt picked it up in no time. Dan was another issue as he very quickly lost interest in the dropped treat (and left the room) because he realized he wouldn't get it. In that case, you might wish to do everything the same but, when the pup/dog looks up at you, then praise and move your foot to allow him/her that treat. Two very different dog personalities showed me that while the general method works, it may have to be adapted for the particular animal.

 

This is an excellent command to train for many reasons - with children or other animals, as noted; when you come upon something very appealing to your dog that isn't appealing to you, like stinky stuff or trash or dropped food; if you train your dog for Therapy Dog visits, and he/she has to know to not touch things that are dropped on the floor (like gloves, meds, and so on). It's just an all-around great command to teach for many situations.

 

I use it when my one dog gets a certain look on his face when the grandchildren are very active and/or noisy. And when he finds something he wants to roll in. And when I drop something I don't want him to pick up. I attempt to use it for my youngster and it works most of the time and for many things, but he's a dog of a vastly different personality and we are still working on this.

 

Best wishes!

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I had a friend who trained her Malemute to ignore toothsome morsels on the ground with the command "treif." (the opposite of kosher) :rolleyes:

 

Does anybody else here train "never mind" to abort a command that you realize was a bad idea or just not needed? For instance, it's useful at the dog park if I can't see my dog because she's behind a bigger dog or something, and I give her a recall - when I see where she is (because she is coming toward me) I can tell her "never mind" and she can go back to whatever fun thing she was doing. I've always taught my dogs this one - it comes in handy!

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"Leave it", in my opinion, is one of those really vital commands - right up there with a solid recall (but easier, I think, to master). It's made walks in the presence of distractions much easier, and has undoubtedly saved my pup's life (or at least saved him from getting dosed yet once more with hydrogen peroxide as he was zooming toward a wild mushroom that he wanted to gobble).

 

I started maybe half a step earlier than Sue's approach. Offer a treat in a clenched fist. The dog (or pup) will sniff at it and will eventually retreat when he or she realizes they aren't going to get it. At that point you mark the action with an enthusiastic "yes!" (or click, if you're into clicker training) and then offer a *different* treat (of equivalent or better value). What I've been told is that you should never allow them to take the treat they've just "left"; "leave it" means, leave it alone, now and forever. Until they have the command down solid, always offer a good treat that isn't the one that they were told to leave. (They can be identical in nature, just don't let them eat the one you told them to "leave", because it's encouraging them to think "oh, they don't mean THIS time"). Of course in practice you can sneak the "leave it" treat off the floor and reintroduce it to the treat bag. I don't think dogs can count THAT well.

 

Quite soon most Border collies will sniff at a treat (you can always make it irresistable by allowing just a bit to show) and then move their heads away. As soon as you see them doing this, you can add the command and then treat with the other hand.

 

I worked from there to putting the treat under a foot (as Sue described, but I stood up instead of sitting down), rewarding the pup when he responded to "leave it" with a really tasty treat kept hidden in my hand. In no time I was able to put it by his foot (or nose, if he was lying down) and he'd still leave it.

 

Another thing: you can couple the teaching of "leave it" to that of "take it": when you offer the treat they're allowed, offer it with a "take it" suggestion. Eventually the idea is that you can train a dog to *only* take a treat if you've said "take it". This is useful if your dog finds itself in situations where people may want to offer it things you'd rather not have it eat (like the kid not paying attention to their ice cream cone or sandwich at the park when they pat your dog). It only took a day or two before I could drop treats on the ground and either say "take it" or "leave it" and the "take it" ones got vacuumed up while the "leave it" ones were eyed soulfully but ignored.

 

As Jedismom and Sue both indicated, this command is useful for so many alluring things - squirrels, kids bouncing balls, wild mushrooms, deer poop...

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Does anybody else here train "never mind" to abort a command that you realize was a bad idea or just not needed? For instance, it's useful at the dog park if I can't see my dog because she's behind a bigger dog or something, and I give her a recall - when I see where she is (because she is coming toward me) I can tell her "never mind" and she can go back to whatever fun thing she was doing. I've always taught my dogs this one - it comes in handy!

 

If I taught this to Jedi, it would mean to him that there were times when I asked him to come, that I really didn't mean it. Then what would happen is that regardless if I said "never mind", when I call him he would probably only come half way. This is because he would remember that the last time I called him at the dog park, I didn't want him to come all the way back to me. Yes, he really thinks this way... :rolleyes: So for us, it would be better if he followed through on the command and then I would send him out again to play. For example, I'm having a heck of a time with him right now when I call him in from our play sessions outside. He won't come until he's sure that's what I really mean. Why? Because a couple of times I called the dogs in, and told him to stay out so that he and I can have a one on one session. :D What I should have done was let him come inside with everyone, then taken him out for the private session a few minutes later. Live and learn!

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Never thought of it that way. You may be on to something.

--

Talk to me about a "leave it". What do you mean?

 

The others have covered leave it fairly well. Once it's well taught you can leave a steak dinner with all the trimmings and they won't touch it. Even better if they pick up a dead whatever off the ground you can get them to leave it as well. Basically leave it means I don't want you messing with that at all. That includes other dogs.

 

 

 

I had a friend who trained her Malemute to ignore toothsome morsels on the ground with the command "treif." (the opposite of kosher) :rolleyes:

 

Does anybody else here train "never mind" to abort a command that you realize was a bad idea or just not needed? For instance, it's useful at the dog park if I can't see my dog because she's behind a bigger dog or something, and I give her a recall - when I see where she is (because she is coming toward me) I can tell her "never mind" and she can go back to whatever fun thing she was doing. I've always taught my dogs this one - it comes in handy!

 

 

Treif? Why didn 't I think of that? How clever and DW's kosher.

 

I use that'll do or lie down to break a command in the middle of it.

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Dan was another issue as he very quickly lost interest in the dropped treat (and left the room) because he realized he wouldn't get it.

 

 

Border Collies are so smart :rolleyes:. He sounds like Robin -- something doesn't work out, head for the next opportunity :D.

 

Liz

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Can someone talk about the transition from "leave it" referring to a piece of the food on the floor where I dropped it to "leave it" referring to a person, food held by a person, a smelly object in the grass, etc? We have a solid "leave it" if I drop a treat at her feet, but it's like she's not generalizing the command when it applies to non-food, particularly when we're out in public.

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Can someone talk about the transition from "leave it" referring to a piece of the food on the floor where I dropped it to "leave it" referring to a person, food held by a person, a smelly object in the grass, etc? We have a solid "leave it" if I drop a treat at her feet, but it's like she's not generalizing the command when it applies to non-food, particularly when we're out in public.

 

If she's not generalizing, then I'd reteach it in a couple of different situations and then she should get that "leave it" means whatever I choose. For example body blocking and then when they give it up, click and treat or however you reward.

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