Unresponsive to commands

[FELICITY STUART]

Hi I was really hoping for an answer to my post on Feb 3rd which was the whole point of me buying your training program. My lagotto Pip is 3. She has become very very slow to respond to here and bed, slinking at glacial pace when asked to her bed, usually because she is lurking in the kitchen . 
this produces increasingly assertive commands for bed which she begrudgingly finally does . It’s not a good dynamic, how best to address this please 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi Felicity,

I sincerely apologize for not responding sooner. I do my best to reply to everyone, but there are times when my schedule, between travel, courses, and other commitments, makes it difficult to respond as quickly as I’d like. Sometimes, I’m in remote areas with limited or unreliable internet access, which can also delay my replies.

While I do mention on the member page that I may not always be available, I completely understand how frustrating the wait must have been for you, and I truly appreciate your patience.

Now, let’s focus on Pip! From what you’ve described, it sounds like she may be feeling some conflict or uncertainty about going to her bed. As mentioned in the other reply, I feel that it's always important ruling medical problems first. If she is struggling particularly with the bed cue, that makes me wonder whether she may be having some type of joint pain or other physical issue. These dogs tend to have a low pain tolerance. 

So I think a very thorough medical exam is a must.  Once the vet gives her a clean bill of health, then we must consider the possibility that she may have "sensitized" to the request to go to bed. This dog breed is particularly "soft" and they are sensitive to our moods. It may be that she's sensing some mild frustration and your increasingly assertive commands may be pushing her to the edge of "learned helplessness."

So let's change the mindset here. Let's think beyond "commands" and more about "cues." In a nutshell, let's reframe this and make the going to bed cue like a fun game. As  a matter of fact, we should even rename it, so that she has a fresh start. So if you have used the cue 'bed" let's say "go to your mat" said in a happy tone. Let's go back to basics and make it a fun shaping game. 

Here is a guide on shaping a "go to mat" cue:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/

Pair going to the mat with a high-value reward, and never use the cue for punishment or in an angry or frustrated tone. Also, you can reinforce for voluntarily going to the met at random times, rather than only when it’s necessary. This prevents negative anticipation (e.g., "bed" always means the fun is over)

If you are using "here" as a recall, the same would apply. Reframe it as fun, so as to create a happy association. If Pip responds slowly, avoid repeating the cue multiple times. This just teaches them to ignore our initial requests. If she doesn't respond for example to your "go to the mat cue,", find another way to get her there, like try walking toward the bed with her and tapping it and then praise reward her for going there.

When Pip responds immediately, make sure to take notice and make sure she gets an extra-special reward. Rewarding speed selectively will encourage faster compliance over time. 

Let me know if this makes sense or if you’d like to go deeper into any specific aspect. I’d be happy to help refine the approach based on how Pip responds!

Best,

Adrienne