Kim_MacMillan
Posted : 7/31/2010 7:07:33 AM
Yes, to be realistic, he may just be confused about what you are asking. Dogs who are walked in prongs/slips regularly and are *taught* LLW on them, are expecting the same situation to occur, and generally rely on you to give feedback about what is right, to avoid a possible punishment.
I would work on some easier exercises first, like some he knows, or teach a simple target, where he will touch his nose to your hand. Dogs love it, it seems to open them up, and it might actually make your LLW training easier.
How are you delivering treats? With a bigger dog, and I'm giving a lot of treats, I will give treats in an open palm and sort of just shove it into the mouth. It prevents nipping of small fingertips.
Although I would definitely do some work on teaching him to take treats nicely - often shark-mouth is a sign of arousal or anxiety, which may be true given your frustration and his confustion.