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Cane Corso IPO beginner

Steven C

Well-Known Member
Have done extensive indoor training since 4 months so about 3 1/2 months daily total. Doing excellent arcing, rear end control, placing, focus heeling, sits, stays and trying to transition that outside. She learns great indoors but she is super distracted, even with turkey dogs she would rather focus on the people around outside. She won't even pee outside if there are any distractions. She is a smaller high drive Corso, will max out around 90 pounds.

I use a Sprenger prong collar and also positive reinforcements with turkey dog pieces. Never pulls, but I can't seem to get the focus outside.

Would like to hear from anyone that has broken the distraction issue and what direction worked best.
 

BlackShadowCaneCorso

Super Moderator
Staff member
Okay, so how old is your pup as it could just be a maturity thing in that she isn't mentally mature enough to not pay attention to the distractions and it will be something you have to work up to.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I'd start with increasing the amount of distractions and the distance from those distractions. Work at a distance where she is able to focus on you. I would also find a better treat than turkey dogs. Find what she really loves and use that. Turkey dogs may be great for in the house, but you need to find something better for outside distractions. Make sure you work heavily on focus, starting in a non-distracting environment if you haven't already. You want YOU to be the best thing around. I'm not sure if you're using the prong for focus training, but I don't think it's the best tool for this particular problem. You want her to make good choices and that means choosing to focus on you rather than the distractions around you - and you want her to do that because she *wants* to. Not because she *has* to. I find positive reinforcement works much better than more punitive methods for things like this.
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
Can you find some locations outside that are relatively quiet?
Work up to the busy distraction places?

Also... being a high drive puppy - would she maintain focus better if the reward is a game of tug with her human, versus "just" food?

Have you tried clicker training? Not sure if that might help improve focus or not... but it's a different method to try if what you're doing now isn't getting the results you want.