SouthWestWhippet
Well-Known Member
My whippet naturally has a very extravagent walk when she is excited. She throws her front legs out and does what looks like extended trot.
I want to teach her to do it on command as it is adorable. I've started by teaching her to place her front paws alternatively on my hands depending on which had I hold out. We've sort of kinda mastered this and I'm hoping to move on to persuading her to 'follow' me, reaching for my hands with her front paws.
However, she is very difficult to train as she doesn't really seem to be able to concentrate. She can just about keep focussed long enough to do two or three 'hand touches' then she will either leap on my lap, lie down, walk off... it isn't naughtiness, just that she becomes unfocussed very quickly.
I tried motivating her with food but she became so obsessed with the food that she couldn't learn anything. All she would do was focus on the food...
She has always been a bit of an ADHD dog with poor concentration. My other whippet seems to understand the principles of 'learning a trick' - although she isn't particularly brilliant at it. If I have food, she will focus on ME and what I want in order to get it. The younger dog just focuses on the food!!!
I know hounds aren't really the greatest dogs for training, especially sight hounds but does anyone have any advice for helping to keep her attention long enough to learn something new.
At the moment I am going down the route of asking her to do the simple 'touch hands' trick once every hour then patting her and walking away - but the next part is going to be a bit more compliated so I would really appreciate some advice!
By the way I want this to be fun for BOTH OF US
If she ultimately never figures it out, it isn't the end of the world but I do think it would be very cool if she could as it is just an exstension of her natural behaviour anyway.
I want to teach her to do it on command as it is adorable. I've started by teaching her to place her front paws alternatively on my hands depending on which had I hold out. We've sort of kinda mastered this and I'm hoping to move on to persuading her to 'follow' me, reaching for my hands with her front paws.
However, she is very difficult to train as she doesn't really seem to be able to concentrate. She can just about keep focussed long enough to do two or three 'hand touches' then she will either leap on my lap, lie down, walk off... it isn't naughtiness, just that she becomes unfocussed very quickly.
I tried motivating her with food but she became so obsessed with the food that she couldn't learn anything. All she would do was focus on the food...
She has always been a bit of an ADHD dog with poor concentration. My other whippet seems to understand the principles of 'learning a trick' - although she isn't particularly brilliant at it. If I have food, she will focus on ME and what I want in order to get it. The younger dog just focuses on the food!!!
I know hounds aren't really the greatest dogs for training, especially sight hounds but does anyone have any advice for helping to keep her attention long enough to learn something new.
At the moment I am going down the route of asking her to do the simple 'touch hands' trick once every hour then patting her and walking away - but the next part is going to be a bit more compliated so I would really appreciate some advice!
By the way I want this to be fun for BOTH OF US
