Trouble with training

[Jessyka3]

I have a great dog. She is almost 2 year old and a black german sheperd. I have had behavior problems with her in the past and she seems to finally be over them but know we are really working on training. The problem is that she gets so excited when we are doing it I don't really know if it is working out that well. Does anyone have any ideas for me to get her to calm down so that we can do our work without getting so excited? I use hot dogs and garlic powder for her training and she now knows what the bag is like and what they are for. Immediately she will sit, then lie down and I don't have to say anything.
Please any suggestions.

[ginagt]

Try exercising her before your training sessions. That will take care of some of her energy and excitement therefore giving you a better training session. Good luck.

[lizbud]

Originally posted by ginagt
Try exercising her before your training sessions. That will take care of some of her energy and excitement therefore giving you a better training session. Good luck.

Good idea. This would drain off a little excess energy. It's
great that she's a willing dog to train.Sounds like she listens
well.

[Flatcoatluver]

its really good that she is excited to work with you one thing you could maybe do is take agility class and she get energy out doing stuff dogs love and you have time to spare when your waiting your turn

[Dixieland Dancer]

If I am understanding this correctly, your dog is getting overly excited about the food reward she knows will be coming from a training session. My response is too that premise.

This is a common problem a lot of beginner trainers have when training. It comes from not appropriately shaping a behavior with a food lure and then fading the lure at an appropriate time in the training. Food is a very strong incentive to get positive responses from your dog. However, you do not want the dog anticipating the behavior just to get the food. Once the behavior is known and is consistent with the dog, the food reward is too be gradually faded so that the behavior is still performed with or without food.

In your case you have two things working against you. First, the reward is very appealing. Hot dogs are used for a lot of dogs to learn scent discrimination since they are very potent in smell and appeal to the taste buds. Some people prefer chicken because of the fat content in hot dogs. Second, it doesn't sound like you ever faded the food reward.

Fading a food reward (or any incentive reward) is simple. Once the behavior is known and consistent (performed 10 to 15 times in a row for food) then begin to only give the treat every other second time the behavior is done when asked. When the behavior is consistent with the reward every other time for 10 to 15 times then you want to move it to every third time the food reward is given. Of course the verbal reward is given everytime!