Lazy whippet!

[stashers]

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I love that our whippet is so chilled out. We knew this about the breed before buying one, and having a cat, it played a key part in our final decision. Bailey the whippet and Moby the cat are now very good together - couldn't be happier regarding this.

However, Bailey's laziness is making training him difficult!

I trained my mum's dog years ago when i lived at home and it was so easy to train because it was always active and willing to learn. Willing to do ANYTHING for a treat, whenever it suited you.

With Bailey, at best we get 10 minutes of training time before he eventually becomes lazy and just wants to chill in his bed. His toilet training etc is coming along just fine, but teaching him to come on command etc is proving very difficult.

Sometimes you can throw his toys around and he just looks at you as if to say "Sod off, you threw it, you can fetch it!"

I can imagine others have had similar barriers to try and beat, any tips?

Stashers!

 

[Biker John]

My first tip with Whippets is only short sessions, don't keep repeating things. they tend to get bored easily, so have a few different things you are training him on and do one, then another etc. That way they keep being interested. Compared to say collies or gundogs that will happily repeat an exercise over and over again.

 

[stashers]

My first tip with Whippets is only short sessions, don't keep repeating things. they tend to get bored easily, so have a few different things you are training him on and do one, then another etc. That way they keep being interested. Compared to say collies or gundogs that will happily repeat an exercise over and over again.

Thanks for the reply. We try to keep things short and sweet with him, often it's actually getting him in the mood to want to learn that proves the most difficult.

Will keep trying though, he is making progress... just very... very... slowly...

Any other advice is also welcomed

 

[Seelsy]

My son has a whippet cross (Lurcher) that I'm dog sitting currently and they do tend to be calm and quite happy to laze around. Like yours he is quite strong willed and isn't treat motivated. Patience and love seem to be the key. They have bursts of energy but then appear to just be fine chilling. In my limited experience it seems to help to praise the good stuff and encourage independence or they can become quite clingy. He looks gorgeous in the pic.

 

[gypsysmum2]

As with all training it is all about motivation. Each dog has a different key that unlocks their motivation. With terriers it can often be a game of tug. With Labradors it is almost always food, other dogs will work for a game of ball. You just have to find your dog's motivation.

You could try throwing treats to see if that turns him on. Chasing a treat is much more fun if you are a Whippet.

Take a look at Kiko Pup on you tube for tips on how to clicker train. Best of all have a one to one session from a trainer registered with the APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers). As part of their registration process they have to constantly update their skills which means they are sharing ideas with each other all the time.

 

[stashers]

Thanks all he's getting better and more lively with age. I have looked at clicker training previously and use several of the techniques already just by snapping my fingers. He's making great progress. Just need to find out what excited him the most I think!

 

[gypsysmum2]

Finger snapping is fine, as is any marker, as long as no one does it at other times around him It could confuse him to hear a finger snapping when he is chewing up your best shoes