A dilemma, and a few tips please you lovely people! Questions

My policy also

In my training class (I still go with my year old dog to practise and because we enjoy iy) we click and treat when lying down and relaxed. If the dogs really wont relax we are told to bring a kong and some filling for the boring talking parts (for the dog in between training not saying my trainers are boring ) and then we can stand on the kong and viola the dog is distracted and not disrupting the class.

Why. Didnt. I. Think. Of. That.

Standing on the kong is a great idea

That'll bloody show em...!

Its an interesting point about the whining to communicate.

I did loads with Etta and I respected her attempts to communicate with me---I still do. IMO the clicker can be a two way tool, she learns that I am open to responding to her actions and then she generalises it by using vocal 'cues' for me or sometimes body language cues.

I haven't experienced that kind of real two way traffic to the same extent with any other dog except one and with Etta it is more pronounced because it has been from when she was a pup and she wasn't a proper 'rescue' so not as much to undo and she trusted me.

Like with all things there has to come a time where you have to try and explain that what is wanted can't be had, thats difficult but I think as long as the yes's well outweigh the no's the communication stays strong.

Does that make sense? Should it be another thread?

rune

Update: http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=174708