Being stroppy?

[Chinchi]

I took Darla to her hydrotherapy session yesterday (she broke her femur in July and has been gently exercising with swimming to rebuild the muscle, all going very well!). We were a little early so I thought I would run through some tricks with her. She was excited to be outside on the lead, sniffing the plants etc and the was only one man in sight right at the end of the driveway, not close at all, so I though minimal distractions. She is normally fantastic with her tricks, at home, at obedience class and even in a busy park, but yesterday she wasn't.

I'm not sure whether it was because she doesn't get to go out much now since she broke her leg. We are very strict with her movement and only take her for 10 minute walks as she gets tired quickly and starts to hop a little on the leg. Little and often is what we are doing. But yesterday she answered me back when I asked her for her paw. She usually loves doing paw, slamming her paw into your hand, but not this time. She whined at me and looked at me and refused to do it. I tried several times, but all she would do is sit and down, again with a lot of lip. Then she would not look at me She never does that at home. As soon as we got home I tried paw again, she did it enthusiastically first time.

She enjoys hydrotherapy and does really well at it so I don't think she was apprehensive of swimming.

An off day perhaps?

 

[mellie]

Well, she was at the place where she does therapy not tricks !!! She was having fun sniffing and doing fun stuff and not on a leash. And there was a strange man there watching. And, she did tell you this and then you insisted she do it and she could not eye ball you because that would be disrespectful so she had to look away...then she he had no other choice but to shut down.Tricks at home are the way we always do it and that is ok with me !! Sheltie minds are so smart and quircky at the same time.

 

[Chinchi]

Well, she was at the place where she does therapy not tricks !!! She was having fun sniffing and doing fun stuff and not on a leash

I'm sorry, I don't think I explained the situation very well. She was on her leash and waiting to enter the hydrotherapy room as there was already another dog inside. I thought I would practice a few tricks to keep her occupied whilst we waited. Surely a dog needs to be trained to obey commands wherever they are in case they are required to perform one in order to stop them from getting into harms way eg running into a road, after a child etc.

She hasn't had too much training recently due to her injured leg, so what I was getting at, very inarticulately, was perhaps a regression of her obedience is due to not performing commands outside with a few distractions as she hasn't been going outside much. In the house she is very good, but has started to slip a little there too and will ignore commands and grumble. We always try and make it fun and never raise our voice.

Maybe it's time to start over with the basics?

 

[mellie]

I am sorry that MY post was confusing- I was looking at the situation from your dog's perspective not mine...they have to get used to doing tricks outside or at different places and in front of other people. Sally really likes routine but I try to mix things up to help her be more flexible. Sally won't look me in the face if she doesn't want to do what I am asking her to do-she'll do the whole advoidence thing.