Since we brought Willow home the weekend after Christmas, she has been making wonderful progress. We've been working on making the SIT/STAY command response more consistent, and I have been using treats to do this. Because she started to get stubborn and to be honest I WAS using pretty mundate treats (those little poker-chip-sized dried chicken snaps), I got some higher-end dog treats, broke them in small pieces and stuffed them in my pocket before we left on our walk.
After a couple of rewards for sitting and peeing outside, Willow started to get the idea that the stuff in my pocket was better than before. About 500 yards into our walk, she turns into dead weight on me.
SHE HAD PROACTIVELY SAT DOWN IN ORDER -- OSTENSIBLY -- TO GET A TREAT. SHE WAS SITTING THERE ALL HAPPY, SNIFFING IN THE DIRECTION OF MY POCKET.
That didn't fly. I got her going again and then in another 50 yards got her to sit down again.
But man -- I never had to contend with stuff like this with my border collie.
