"off" days?

 Exercise her someway. Play with her or take her for walk. Then resume training lessons. My Vizsla is a blast to teach stuff but sometimes he has a little too much energy to focus. So I let him burn it off and then he's good to go.

mileysfurlessmom

For example: I ask Miley to sit when I put on or take off her leash and when we're going in or out of the house. Do I continue to make her wait until she does what I command?

Yes that is what I did with my Vizsla. I have him "sit" and "wait" before I let him go out the door. I open the door and he has to wait till I say "ok" before he can go out the door. I have a 4 year daughter that kept getting knocked down with him bolting for the door so he needed to learn door manners.

Just one thing. Dont stand there and say "sit, sit, sit, sit......." until she does it. Because then she'll learn she doesnt have to do it the first time you say.

Labs are smart! I have a Dalmation/Lab mix so I know how smart and stubborn they can be!

Sounds like your on the right path though!

Young dogs often get bored when training or the excitement of a walk overcomes their "sit" training.  I'll put a link to some clicker training info, if you aren't familiar with it.   I don't have time to type much more right now.  I'll check back later and if you haven't gotten some more ideas, I'll throw some more suggestions at you. I agree that repeating commands is counterproductive.  Many people "think" a dog knows sit but if they aren't sitting every time, with the three "d's", distance, duration and distraction (in this case excitement about the walk), they really haven't been thorougly trained to understand "sit".   Do you have any training books?

http://www.clickertraining.com/

I often just walk off from my dog if he doesn't listen. I might try saying it one more time, but after that, I walk off. The opportunity for reinforcement is lost. However, I don't allow him to go get his own reinforcement. If we're waiting to go out the door, I will usually still hold his leash, just turn my back and step away. I come back a few seconds later, and then he'll usually do what I ask of him. Sometimes, another thing that can help is to ask for something that has a high probability of being correct first, just to get them started. Dogs I have had, once we have a high 5, that usually will get them started. The last thing, If things break down, I go to something I have a good chance of getting a correct response, then stop. But really, try to stop before you get to them deciding to be finished on their own, and always finish with something correct.

 Thanks so much for the replies! Yesterday and today have been going wonderfully! I don't work with Miley until after I've taken her for her walk and burnt off some of her energy. Also, I\ stopped with the "sit. sit. sit." and took your advice, griffinej5. I now say "sit" and if she doesn't listen, I turn away from her. I only had to do that a couple of times, and she sits beautifully for me now (on the first command)!

Thank you all, again, for the replies. I have so much to learn. I told my fiance that for christmas I wanted obedience training classes for MIley! He told me "but that's more for Miley, not you" and I told him "wanna bet! It'll save my sanity!" lol.

Tell your fiance you want your Christmas present early.  lol  The sooner you get a good solid foundation for training the better.  Check out dogwise.com for training books.  Look for Patricia McConnell and Jean Donaldson.  There are some very inexpensive little training books that are a gold mine of info using positive methods.  Try clicker training too, it's so much fun for you and the dog.  Good luck and I love your siggy.  I didn't coin the phrase "pocket rocket".  We used it all the time to describe small Labs that were fast as lightning. lol

You'll have "off" days; and the dog will have their own "off" days.  Stuff happens.  For those off days, do try to get some OB training in even if it is just 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there.  If your pocket rocket is not wanting to listen or whatever, change the command to something that you KNOW she will do.  No frustruation, no negative energy, do something really simple so that the lessen ends in success.  Walk backwards holding out a treat and have her come to you.  Treat and praise, the end...walk away happy.

Completely agree that you and pup needs an OB class.  And, remember the class IS just as much for you as it is for the dog.....if not a bit more.  The trainer is training you so that you can train your dog.

Also, a lot of times we think the dog knows the simple command "sit", but unless they have proven to stay in a sit while you can walk around and away, likely she doesn't quite "get it" yet.  But, you keep working on it, and she will.....best of luck!

 Sometimes, with a young dog, it isn't that they are having an "off" day by being rebellious, it's that they seem to just have a developmental brain fart period;-)  Seemingly, they knew the command before, but suddenly don't remember squat.  Usually, it passes with just a bit more maturity:-))  The solution is to continue training, don't take it as stubbornness, but do set her up for success by backtracking a bit.  If you have progressed beyond using treats every repetition or every five repetitions, go back to your previous training step for a few reps to remind her.  Also, with young, adolescent or hyper dogs, I suggest training *after* you exercise them a bit with a fetch game or something, just to take the edge off and make them a bit more receptive.

 Tootsie, is 5 and has "off" days. Last week, she didn't listen to anything I asked. She was off in her own world I guess.