Training "Stop"

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Teaching the boys the "stop" command is something that is important to me now that they're off leash so much.  I really want to know that if they decide to chase something I can count on them "stopping in their tracks" when I give them this command.  So today we started work on it.  In the first video you'll see us right at the beginning of the exercise.  We had them in a down/stay....Murph got a little bored, and broke it.  Of course Guinness was the good boy.  You'll see a towel on the grass.  We put them on leash and heeled them to the towel.....when we got there we give a "stop" command and hand signal.  The towel just serves as a marker for them.  We did this several times over about 15 minutes.  Guinness got it right away, and he would respond to "stop" at the towel even off leash.  It took Murph a little longer.  Then we picked up the towel and he had to just respond to the command itself.  By the end of the 45 minute session he was doing pretty well, and I think he really now understands what I want.  We'll need a couple more practice sessions, but we made good progress today.  You'll notice Murph's backpack.  We've learned that he works much better with this on....not exactly sure why, but he always wears it for training.

So here's the first video right at the beginning....

Here he's making a little progress..

And at the end...

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

We have ever since last fall.  We still use both on and off.  In the yard it is always off leash.  In an open  field, she can't be trusted not to bolt.and think it is a game..  Off leash is not our goal with her since she will NEVER be off a leash in public.

I just think it is a really good command. not only for off leash but for many situations.

I just found it ironic we were working n this at the same time.   GMTA   She seems to LIKE the command.

She is a strange one.  She kind of has commands she likes working with and some she is really stubborn with.

 

[F, Calla & Luca]

This reminded me of when Luca went for training. You have so much patience Jane, it's amazing.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Thank you, F.  I'm not sure I'm really that patient...it's just that I love training.

[F, Calla & Luca]

When your two are done I have training replacements waiting not too far away :)

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Quick question.

I can't see your hand signal you are using.  Are you using on?.  Is it the same hand signal as you use for the command "stay"?

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

opps.  That made no sense.  Looking for my glasses now.  I should know better not to type without them.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

It is basically the same (right hand up), but there is motion to it.  I put my hand up and then more it out toward the dog.  When I do stay, there is no movement.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

The stay hand signal here too. 

We started this command by accident.  When she was learning heal, she would stop, but not sit.  She would just stand there.   When she did do it, she would do it really slow.  Actually, she is always, really SLOW.

So when I stopped during a walk/ heal/stop,  I would take a step back and say 'stop'.  She instantly sat down.  It just evolved from this.  Everyone else with a dog in class, the dog sits automatically, but Starlit waits for you to say stop. But I don't use a hand signal in the heal stop. Just in the Come/Stop.  Okay, this makes no sense but Starlit is unique so we have our own little extras and ways to do things. 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

We should start a discussion--What command does your dog really hate to do, no matter how many times you practice it.  Maybe it's been discussed.  Clearly, Starlit has her ways, choices, and shows a stubborn streak against the ones she just thinks are plain DUMB

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ned likes to decide whether he thinks the command is dumb.  After he thinks about it he usually complies with my request but by then it has become his decision.  LOL

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

amazing, awesome, incredible - even before you consider what a pain in the t**** Murphy used to be.  Bravo to you and the boys.