In class this week, we started learning the finish to the right. The teachers pointed out two ways to do this. First, with the dog sitting in front of us, step back on the right foot, luring the dog with a treat to move around behind, passing the treat from right hand to left. The difficulty with this method, she said, was that it required some coordination and that neither hand would be free to hold the leash. The other way was to use the leash to pull the dog around. The latter was the favored method for just about everyone.
Parker did it spot on perfect the first time without a treat lure or pulling on the leash. The teacher who was watching from several feet away was very impressed and said so. I accepted her praise without pointing out that the only reason Parker was so willing to perform was that, by doing so, he put me between him and the scary lady who was watching so closely. Once she moved on, he was no longer interested in moving. "You asked me to sit, I'm sitting -- if you choose to move, that's your business."
Having discovered that Parker works better for cuddles than kibble, I'm trying to figure out how to lure him into a finish without trying to use treats. The advantage to a dog who is more of a love bug than a chow hound is that there is never a situation where you don’t have a reward readily at hand to reinforce a behavior. The disadvantage is that there’s a real problem with luring.
Anyone with a hint, feel free to let me know.
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