How do I get Apollo...

 Just wondering, will he come to you if you run with your back to him? Could you start with running, then slow down?

griffinej5

 Just wondering, will he come to you if you run with your back to him? Could you start with running, then slow down?

Yup. And if I put him in another room (like the kitchen) and call him from 2 rooms away where he can't see me (like the living room) he comes!

miranadobe

spiritdogs

I couldn't care less if I ask my dog to sit or lie down for a moment while we are doing barn chores and she chooses to get up to go get a drink, or chew on a blade of grass.  However, if I needed precision for obedience competition, I might elect to add sufficient duration and distraction to reinforce what she would need to do for that particular discipline. 

OK, that makes sense then.  I think it's because I expect a dog to hold the position for more than a moment, and not have the dog suggesting something else of its own initiative.  If I put him in a sit, I expect him to sit.  If I think it's ok for him to wander to get a drink or chew some grass, then I release him (or wouldn't put him in the sit in the first place). I think what I understand from your training is you enjoy the dog suggesting the next behavior, or finding the next "solution", etc, ie, "thinking for itself".  We just have a difference of perspective and objective in training.

Actually, I do want a dog that offers behavior easily.  It makes it soooo much easier when you want to train a complex behavior.  And, I do like dogs thinking for themselves, in the sense that they "learn how to learn" and begin to enjoy trying to figure out how to please me or get the reward or get the game to continue.   I also have times when I want my dog to remain in a position.  For example, I ask Sequoyah for down/stay sometimes when I think my barn chores will take a few minutes more than usual because I don't want her wandering up the drive, or getting in to the bramble patches, and so we are not that different - if I wanted her to remain in position, I'd tell her, and she would.  It's really just the cue that is different, not the behavior.