I'm going to try to repost what I said earlier which got erased when the moderators were doing routine maintenance. Plus I have to add some new questions too as things came up yesterday when at the park and I was trying to work.
As for Sam's health, we were at the Vet just recently and he was fine. Everytime Mr. Boats goes back to work Sam goes into this serious funk. It begins as DH is getting ready for work and Sam usually snaps out of it by early evening. It's a funk since it only lasts for the first day of DH's duty period. Sam has always been like that ever since we rescued him. The first couple of times, I did think he was sick. Then I started to see the pattern. The day I had originally posted this was the first day of Mr. Boats going back to work. I had tried some obedience later in the day and Sam was more receptive to working.
I had run into my former trainer at PetsMart that day as well and she said I should stick with the Gentle Leader if at all possible. She said I could switch to a prong collar if I absolutely had to. She said she might take her dog to the walk in classes I had been to and see what this trainer is all about. Which would be kind of cool.
I didn't make it to another class this week as I have the head cold from hell. Over this week and thinking about what most of you wrote. PetsMart was seriously all over positive reinforcement for training. Treats and play breaks constitued a lot of the classes. Sam did really well and learned very fast with positive reinforcement. With this new class I went to, it was very different from PetsMart. I think I was the only person in the class with treats and there were no play breaks what so ever. We did obedience for an hour straight. The instructor didn't make it fun for the dogs and she's very business like. How should I motivate Sam in that kind of environment? No one else looks like they are trying to make class fun for their dogs. He did well during the class and did get tired towards the end since we've never done obedience like that for so long.
I'm sorry I'm so full of questions but I've got more. I about died when I saw the boards were still down last night. Yesterday Sam and I were at the park walking and I figured I would do obedience up there since Mr. Boats has been gone three days and I'm safely out of the funk zone. I brought Sam's high motivating treats too. We walked for about a mile and a half to get away from the hub-bub of partying people. We were wearing the Gentle Leader this time. Sam was plodding along again and really slow. Granted it humid and sticky out Sam got God...do something! Now Sam knows how to do a Stand/Stay. Yesterday he would not do it. He would stand and then sit right down. I would say "No". Try to get him to do it again...same thing. I corrected with a "No" again. Try to get him to do it again. He wouldn't budge. Tried to lure him in to position with a treat...no go. Tried pulling him into position. Nope. Now I'm starting to get a little miffed (which I know I shouldn't do). With each correction Sam shuts down a little bit more and won't do anything but sit.
I finally stood him up but physically placing him into a stand stay. Tried it a couple of more times and each time had to place him in position. Later last night in the house....he does a stand stay and off lead too. **banging my head against the wall**
I don't know what do to in these kind of situations because I've never had them before. How do you get a rottie to do obedience when he clearly doesn't want to? Sam has never not wanted to do it before. What I do to make him want to do it? When I tell him to do a command and he doesn't do it...did I do right yesterday by placing him into the stand stay? How do you give a correction for that....we never did "Corrections" in PetsMart...just lure the dog until they get it right. When it's warm and humid outside, do you all still train? Would that cause it?
I'm not trying make excuses for Sam or me....I just don't know how to motivate him other than treats. I don't think I can treat him for everything he does especially if I want to take him further in obedience. I'm probably a newbie to real obedience since all I have done is the the Joe-shmoe homeowners courses.
Thanks everyone