Answers to Angel from Roxanne...hold on Sit/Stay at nose-to-knees....

Angel,

Thanks for the detailed questions.  I prefer a student who ask questions than one who does not and simply fades away.  A student that asks questions, detailed questions, is a good student.

Answers to your Sunday morning questions

1. Your homework is to do Sit/Stays at nose-to-knees, beginning from 10 seconds and building up, by tomorrow evening, to Gir holding for 2 minutes. DO NOT ADVANCE FORWARD UNTIL HE HOLDS FOR THE 2 minutes.
2. Check the ground temperature as in this heat, and with the heat index, what may not feel warm to you, can be warm to a dog.  Work him on the grass or shaded areas.
3. Remain CCC (Calm, Cool & Collected) as your attitude towards the training directly transfers through the leash to Gir. If/when you are frustrated, he knows it.
4. When coming home from a training session and in close proximity towards home (and he knows it) you will work harder to help him learn emotional and physical self-control includes coming home.  Do whatever turns you need to do to heel him to home in a mannerly way.  (This will take a great deal of work so be prepared for the work to help him succeed).

Here is my take on what is happening with Gir.  His former life is GONE and he is really NOT HAPPY about it. That showed up in spades Saturday morning during the Stand.  Ok, we got it.  Now, back to work. It may take longer to work him through his attitude right now.  Fine.  Let's work to help Gir succeed.  You are not in a race to complete the MSC, but you are in a battle to help Gir understand the new rules/training are here to stay.  

He can choose to do this the easy way or the hard way, and either way, he will learn.  For now, I want you to find ways to help him succeed, gain confidence that he is doing the right thing, understand you and Cayla are his leaders (he will learn), and help him trust you.  

Patience, firmness, fairness and consistency right now will go a very long way to helping Gir change.  For example, perhaps you had planned on doing heeling after a LL workout (always start your workouts with LL), and some # of Sit/Stays, say 25.  After his initial LL workout, you switched to the leash, did heeling and the Sit/Stays as described above (Days 1 & 2) and on the 18 Sit/Stay, he held his Sit/Stay despite whatever distraction was happening.  Praise him quietly with a long, slow stroke down his back, say "Good boy" and QUIT on that high note.  Then heel him home and if he's being a pill as you head home, switch to the LL and do LL workouts with him until home, switch to the leash, and heel him to the door.  Do Sit/Stays as you come to the door.  Once inside, either kennel him for 30 minutes or do an immediate Long Down.  He MUST have quiet time to process the learning after every workout. Even if his quiet time is short, it is critical for his understanding.

It is better to do less very well, than to do more and have Gir fail.  It is critical you find a way to help him succeed, however small, and use that as your ending point for each session.

FYI....every dog has a sticking point in this training, either the Sit, the Stand or the Down.  Gir doesn't have the Sit/Stay solid yet.   In order for him to succeed and progress forward, the training right now is to backwash to the Sit/Stay and teach it again until he is solid at nose-to-knees, at 3' and at 6'.  Stick with the nose-to-knees until you can get him to hold a Sit/Stay for 2 minutes.  

If you get stuck or overwhelmed, post a video or questions.  I will respond to help you.  If need be, we can schedule a Tutor Session to specifically work on the Sit/Stay.  Keep me posted.

Hope that helps,

Roxanne