How do I teach a rapid response to commands?

[jellybean]

My Chihuahua is quite an obedient girl; but she often takes her sweet time to respond to a command. I have seen dogs sit and lie down in a flash, almost before the handler finishes the command. How do you teach that?

[Nettle]

By getting a border collie. No, seriously - different breeds have different attitudes to doing pointless things. Some breeds so love the interaction of obeying a command that they will do it until they faint. Other breeds need to know why, and will blank you if you ask them to do something they know is pointless or has no reward in it.

Chis are such smart dogs - why not read through our Exercise the Mind thread for things you can do together rather than you telling her something and her doing it? She'll love that.

[jellybean]

Thanks for referring me to that thread. It gave me a few more ideas of what games to play with my dog,, though I am hard pressed to understand why you assume that I don't exercise her mind, and quite non-plussed by your referring to commands as "pointless". Really?

[JudyN]

though I am hard pressed to understand why you assume that I don't exercise her mind, and quite non-plussed by your referring to commands as "pointless". Really?

It's the 'sit-down-stand-down-sit-down' type training that a dog can (rightly) regard as pointless - she knows what you want to do, but is smart enough to wonder why and will soon get bored and lose interest. A border collie (while indisputably smart) often loves this sort of obedience and will really want to do it just because... It's the difference between asking a mathematically minded child to do page after page of simple additions when really, you want to be getting them excited with algebra. The Exercise your Mind thread contains some ideas that will really get your dog thinking. This isn't to say that you don't already do this sort of thing of course, but it's easier to point you to the thread than find out everything you do do

My boy also isn't impressed by repetitive commands, and only does them because he'd do anything for the tiniest piece of kibble. I love his 'spin', which is a slow meander round in a circle with a 6-foot diameter

You may be able to speed up your chi's reactions by only rewarding the quicker ones, or rewarding them more lavishly. But I think it's important to bear in mind what the training is for - ultimately we just want well behaved dogs that we can control when we need to.

[minkee]

Yep - the 'pointless' is an 'in the eye of the beholder' sort of thing... My terrier LOVES training for its own sake. She'll leap to do any command and improvise if she's not sure what you mean. My hound, on the other hand - you can quite clearly see his cogs turning as he works out what's in it for him. If he thinks it's pointless then he'll just wander off.

[jellybean]

I am disappointed with the responses above. Of course some breeds and some individuals are predisposed to respond to training better than some others. Did you think I don't know that? I don't expect my Chihuahua to herd sheep or to compete with a bloodhound in following a scent trail. However, all breeds can be trained to respond to basic commands and to do so smartly, assuming the trainer has the necessary skill and patience. If you don't believe that, what are you doing on this forum? The intent of my post was to get advice to improve my training skills, not to get dismissive opinions about the feasibility of my objective or the aptitude of my dog. With such attitudes, how do you expect to control your dog when she gets it into her head to jump on your guests, dart out of the house, attack the postman's legs, chase the cat, drink from a mud puddle on an off leash trail, pick up a chicken bone some thoughtless picnickers left behind, or beg while you are eating dinner? It's not up to her to decide what is pointless. My Chihuahua is no spoiled lapdog. We have a great relationship and she knows her best interest lies in obeying me. She obeys me when she understands what I want. I am trying to learn how to make her understand that I want it to happen faster. I'll take my question elsewhere.

[Suzette]

Wow. Get up on the wrong side of the bed today Jellybean? That was a pretty strong reaction to folks that were trying to offer up some advice, even if it wasn't exactly what you were seeking.

[Ari_RR]

By getting a border collie.

Hmmm... This got me thinking...

Ari is one of those who will think twice before doing anything... Known to just walk away in the middle of a training session after deciding that doing all these silly things just isn't worthwhile.

But - hypothetically speaking - what if an instruction-hungry border collie joined the family? What are the chances of BC's willingness to do things rubbing off Bubble Boy, and turning him around a little?

(didn't mean to hijack the thread... But since OP was going to take the question elsewhere anyway...)

[Nettle]

Good question, Ari.

From observation, the other dogs watch the border collie in astonishment (why is he doing that? Why is he doing that again?) and then let handler and collie get on with it. I never yet saw a results-oriented dog get excited or motivated by watching a task-oriented dog perform tasks. Sometimes they'll give the handler that world-weary 'when are we going to do something useful?' look. I'm sure as the owner of a hunting dog, you know that look well!

[JudyN]

how do you expect to control your dog when she gets it into her head to jump on your guests, dart out of the house, attack the postman's legs, chase the cat, drink from a mud puddle on an off leash trail, pick up a chicken bone some thoughtless picnickers left behind, or beg while you are eating dinner?

There is a world of difference between preventing this happening and expecting your dog's bum to hit the floor before you've got to the 't' in 'sit'. Do you really imagine that all the positive trainers here have dogs who are that out of control just because they understand what makes their dog tick?

[Nettle]

I'll match my dogs with anyone's, in any life situation But they don't get asked to do anything pointless, which is why I get slick obedience when I need it.

[ClareMarsh]

I think that your own behaviour can also influence speed of execution when doing straight "obedience" work. If I am exciting and it's more of a game I get much more focus and quick response than just asking for "sit" etc

By getting a border collie.

But - hypothetically speaking - what if an instruction-hungry border collie joined the family? What are the chances of BC's willingness to do things rubbing off Bubble Boy, and turning him around a little?

I now have a vision of you doing obedience work with a border collie whilst Ari watches with a look of amusement on his face

[minkee]

Ari's Dad: "Sit, Ari!"
Lord Ari of the Keep: "Have the collie do it for me, thank you"

[minkee]

If I am exciting and it's more of a game I get much more focus and quick response than just asking for "sit" etc

The lady at my training class taught us "Push ups" the other week, which is "Sit!" "Down!" "Sit!" "Down!" in quick succession, but you have to make it exciting and fun otherwise it really would seem pointless and boring. Scout's great at it until about the 4th or 5th repetition where, every time, she'll lie down on her side in a 'play dead (with wagging tail)' for no apparent reason

Jellybean - the answer is simple, and really encompasses everything everyone has said - if you want your dog to do something, then the solution is to have them REALLY want to do it! You will know the best way to accomplish that for your dog, just as everyone else here knows the best way to accomplish it for their dogs too.

[Ari_RR]

I need to borrow someone's collie for a day, just for the experience.