[nagdu] Dogs listening

[Julie J]

Lora,

I really think it depends on the dog and the situation.  I know Monty and I 
know the signs of when he is distracted, bored and goofing off, confused  or 
when he is really trying to communicate something to me.  From someone 
else's perspective these things might all look the same though.  How I 
handle him in each situation is different, even though it may look like the 
same behavior to someone else.
I guess the short answer is that you know your dog and know what he needs in 
terms of guidance and encouragement.  Some dogs need more of one and less of 
the other.  I think this is where that whole matching dog to handler thing 
comes in.  I know that I am not an emotional cheerleader.  I need a dog that 
is confident and won't crumble when one of us makes a mistake.

Example...when I started taking Monty to work with me he slipped and fell on 
the slick tile floor on the stairs.  Result, he didn't want to walk on the 
stairs.  He refused my forward command to the stairs.  Understanding that 
his refusal was from fear I worked on that with him.  Corrections would have 
made it worse.  Instead I heeled him on the stairs a couple of times so he 
could have better footing and gain confidence.  When he pulls into the 
harness it increases the likelihood of slipping.  but now he will guide on 
the stairs because he has gained confidence and learned to pull very lightly 
in that area.

JMHO
Julie