Premier MannersMinder Instruction Manual page 41

Chapter 9: Rewarding Calm Behavior
Troubleshooting
If after a day or two, you still don't see a dramatic change in behavior in your dog who
enjoys praise or petting, here's what you could be doing wrong:
• You don't remove your attention quickly enough or don't remain stationary when Fido
starts to get up. Stand up straight immediately when Fido even starts to get up. Then
hold completely still. Also, make sure you're silent. You have to make your signal black
and white so your dog knows exactly what he has to do to earn your attention.
• Some family members or friends are petting Fido for free. Or they are inconsistent
about rewarding the appropriate behavior.
• You correctly ignore Fido when he tries to get your attention for free, but you don't
reward him enough for sitting or lying down. If you only withhold attention for bad
behavior but fail to reward him frequently by giving attention when he's performing
the appropriate behavior, it will take him a long time to learn to sit or lie down calmly
when he's excited and wants attention from you or from guests.
TIP: The next exercise, Come When Called in the House, is useful for when you want to
call Fido away from a distraction such as people he wants to jump on or bark at, rather
than sending him away from you to go lie on a rug. For instance, if you want to skip
Chapter 11, you can instead stand near Fido's rug and call him over when guests come
to the door. Once he comes, you can tell him to lie down on his rug.
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