# what's been the most difficult basic command to instill with your V ?



## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Sit and Recall seem to have been a breeze with Ruby, however "Stay" has proven a bit more challenging. She just didn't seem to grasp the concept that I needed her to stay still whilst I walked away :-\ However we do seem to making good progress now, we had a good 2 hour training session in the back field this afternoon when I gradually increased the distance between us up to about 70yards before she started getting "twitchy" although raising a hand with palm facing her and saying "stay!" seemed to settle her a bit. I held her at this distance before giving her three peeps on my whistle and rewarding her with a treat as soon as she came to heel.
Just wondering what other owners have found the most challenging basic command?


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## Vida (Dec 26, 2011)

Hello,I'm new to the forum so I was wondering how old Ruby is?
I also find my v's wriggle when told to 'stay''. 
My trainer has shown me a few exercises to practice which help them to learn to stay still on the spot.
With my first vizsla ( who's really sharp) I never recalled her from stay,I returned to her and released her from stay by having her heel and walk on with me. She is nearly two now.
Getting a vizsla to keep still is the hardest thing,they were born to run!


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Vida said:


> Hello,I'm new to the forum _*so I was wondering how old Ruby is?*_
> I also find my v's wriggle when told to 'stay''.
> My trainer has shown me a few exercises to practice which help them to learn to stay still on the spot.
> With my first vizsla ( who's really sharp) I never recalled her from stay,I returned to her and released her from stay by having her heel and walk on with me. She is nearly two now.
> Getting a vizsla to keep still is the hardest thing,they were born to run!


Hi Vida and welcome to the forum, Ruby is 6 months old now.


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## Bernie (Jan 17, 2011)

Morgan does very well with stay, even when I go out of sight. Her biggest challenge is heeling.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Must agree with Bernie here! My Willie Boy doesn't even come close to a real "heel" -- and in fact, I still struggle with just getting a loose leash walk from him. He's a real puller when on-leash. Well, it is at least partly my fault, because I know I haven't really spent enough time on it with him. I'm not giving up, though!


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

"Go to the frig and get me a beer."

We're working on it.

The best we have done is 1/2 a bottle making it back to me. They are Hungarian dogs after all.

The heel command is a LONG process. Relax and don't give in or give up. The dog will get the idea you are the pack leader if you are persistant on the walking while on the dog is lead behind your left knee..

RBD


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## tracker (Jun 27, 2011)

Agreed, the heel has been the toughest for Lui.

I find changing directions really helps when Lui is really pulling. Especially when he is hungry and he knows we are close to home.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

I'm with RBD, getting a beer from the fridge is a big challenge. Not so much getting it, but, it making it back with something for me........ 

I found stay a challenge with Ozkar, he's a sook. He just wants to be touching you. He's been this way since he was a pup and unfortunately, hasn't grown out of it. But, that's OK, he does everything else really well and is a great bird dog on walks. He's my duck specialist 

Astro's biggest challenge has been table manners. He's learnt now, but it's taken two and a half months of work. I think he will be the best hunter. He follows me closely, watches my body language and listens to my voice. He and I are developing quite a strong bond. He heels brilliantly, walks on the lead like a champion and does everything else really well. But, he is slow. Slow to react to every command. Not refusing or thinking about if to obey or not, he's just slow! Even going for a walk, it's ten minutes to the first corner for old slow coach. He warms up after that and picks up the pace, but it takes a while. Same with getting in the car. He loves the car, loves the walks we go on when we go fro a drive but even so, still takes 5 minutes to get into the car. Funny boy. 

Zsa Zsa has two issues, one is entering a new place that has tiles, linoleum, or concrete floors. The other is she is frightened when I wave a stick over my head. I think she has been belted previously and may associate the concrete floors with the shelter. Apart from that, she does everything I ask when I ask her. She is soooooooo obedient


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## pippa31 (Aug 2, 2011)

The heel!!!!! We are still working on it  

Pippa JUST got the stay when I leave the room. Although, come to think of it, she breaks it after about 60 seconds if I don't come back in....then she goes out exploring to see where I am and what I might be doing without her!

We need to try the getting the beer from the fridge trick....LOL


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## Mischa (Feb 17, 2010)

Loose leash/walking at heel for us as well.
She's excellent on the way home from an off-leash run, but still a bit of a pain on the way there when she's full of beans.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

I've not tried Ruby to heel off lead/leash yet, although she's not pulling on it (leash/lead) I was wondering how and when to introduce this?, On her recall from "Stay" I've got her to come to my left hand purposely, (she knows that's where her treat will be) so that it should be her automatic recall point for future,,,,,I guess I'm maybe expecting too much for her to walk at heel free of her lead in an open field at 6 months old though..or do you think maybe she should be?


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## Mischa (Feb 17, 2010)

I wish I had some better advice for you, but all we can do after almost 2 years, is get Mischa to walk at heal off-leash, with a treat. There is suppose to be more to it than that.  Her recall is great, so there is no issue getting her in position. It's just that she never fully focuses on me while walking, because she is always following her nose outside. 

Heel is a tough one because you have to get them to travel while following you, instead of their nose. That being said, there is no reason not to work on it at 6 months. I always say the sooner the better for everything.

The way to teach it is without treats at all. You use a leash, and change directions often so the dog learns that it should focus on you. 
This is where I know that I'm doing something wrong. I've see a trainer do it successfully with our dog, but something about the way I change direction ends up startling her. She is a stubborn one so it takes a good pop to get her to change direction. The trouble is she begins walking with her tail between her legs for a while. It's become a cycle of frustration so I find it easier to correct while we walk instead of work on the problem directly with the training that I know should work. 
This is not a good way to do it! It's something I'm trying to fix, but have not perfected... not yet anyway.

As I said, once she's had her run, she's great. As she gets older it is getting better, and I hope to be one of those off lead city streets walkers someday.... I've got more to learn than my dog does before that though! ;D 

I wish you more success than I've had. With enough time spent training, they're capable of anything.


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## Suliko (Sep 17, 2011)

Aaah, the same old heel for us, too 

It's my fault though - I haven't been consisten with the training. Partly because we drive to our favorite off-leash spots, and, in my mind, there is no need for her to heel in the middle of the woods. I don't hunt with her, so I let her explore all around. Her recall is good, and she stops and stays when asked.


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## laurita (Jun 12, 2011)

"leave it" for tempting things like cat food and dog food at other peoples' houses has been really challenging... any suggestions? I think I just have to keep working on it with more and more high valued things; I just keeping looking for an easier way


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

laurita said:


> "leave it" for tempting things like cat food and dog food at other peoples' houses has been really challenging... any suggestions? I think I just have to keep working on it with more and more high valued things; I just keeping looking for an easier way


We found the key to "leave it" is to reward at first with a treats that are much tastier/smellier than the items the dog is "leaving". Once we had that established, Riley decided that whatever we had to give her was always better than what we were telling her to leave. Now, we don't have to give her something better because it's all in her mind.


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## laurita (Jun 12, 2011)

thank you threefsh! I suspected it just required working at it!

have you had success with rewarding with the same treat that you're asking the dog to leave? For instance, issuing a leave it command to leave cat food in a bowl and then treating with cat food that's in your pocket? I don't know if that's counterproductive or if it could teach the dog that good things come from you and are not to be taken from the floor...


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Laurita,

Somewhere I came across that liver was the ultimate dog treat. So I cooked some up (I HATE LIVER) and cut it into small squares. This is what I used when the dogs were young to treat for *high-value * lessions. They loved it and would do whatever I asked. Even if they didn't understand what I wanted they would do SOMETHING that might get one of these treats.

Liver squares trump cat food.

The squares can be 1/4 inch cubed. It is the flavor not the quantity. Normally give just one per command accomplished. But out of no where, when they do something well, blitz with five or six in a row. I always use "good boy or good girl" with every treat given. 

You will be the giver of "nectar of the gods." YUCK. Don't get it, but then again, I'm not a dog.

My .02

RBD


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## Coco (Jul 27, 2011)

Most difficult task .... recall while she is playing with other dogs, especially Vs or other high energy dogs. 

Must say that trainer her to get a beer from the fridge would be good, however I would love for her to learn how to vacuum or make dinner ;D


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

laurita said:


> have you had success with rewarding with the same treat that you're asking the dog to leave? For instance, issuing a leave it command to leave cat food in a bowl and then treating with cat food that's in your pocket? I don't know if that's counterproductive or if it could teach the dog that good things come from you and are not to be taken from the floor...


We've only ever rewarded with the same treat we are asking the dog to leave if they are both equally as tasty/smelly. You can't do this at first because the dog decides that they'd rather take what's right in front of them than wait for you to give it to them... haha. Believe me, we tried. (Vs are too smart...)  In the beginning, the thing you are telling them to "leave" has to be significantly less attractive than what you have as a treat. We started with some dog treats that Riley *kind of* liked. The way to start is by holding the "leave it" item in your hand so the dog can smell it but can't get it out. AS SOON as the dog backs off, turns away, stops trying for it... INSTANT reward from your other hand. You can then transition to setting the item on the floor. We are at the point where we can put an item on the floor, say "leave it", and push it toward Riley. She will back up a few steps every time we push it toward her. We can now feed the cats and say "leave it" and she will sit/stand patiently a few steps away while they eat. If you train slowly, you will be surprised at how well they listen! 

We haven't tried liver (great idea, RBD). Cooked bits of turkey and chicken are the current favorites. Riley will literally do anything for them. If she can't figure out what we want, she goes into crying hysterics and madly cycles through all of her tricks. It's pretty funny to watch. You'll know what treat motivates your V when you find one that has her begging for it when you take it out. ;D


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## laurita (Jun 12, 2011)

THANK YOU, RBD & threefsh! I really appreciate you both!


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