my puppy sits with his butt towards me....?

Question

I'm trying to teach my 6month old min pin the "dogwhisper" methods, walking next to me, I always walk out the door first etc.
Before crossing the street he sits down next to me but he always sits with his back towards the street like he is looking at what is going on behind me. I want a dog knows that I am the leader and that I am in charge. Im wondering what this behavior means and if that is something that i should try and correct. Thanks for your help! :)

Answer 1

Go to an empty parking lot, and work him out..Walk him in circles, and pre-guess him constantly.. If he assumes you are going to walk one way, then walk the other direction. Use your right hand as a turn signal, and give a small gesture each time you make a turn or a turn-around..He will soon catch your hand signal in the corner of his eye, and begin to watch you for the clue, as to which way you are going to turn next. Keep the attitude very up-beat, and when you see that he is watching you, give gentle praise..just a word of encouragement..
Soon, he will begin to turn towards you, and watch to see your intentions..When you approach a street, surprise him, by reversing your direction, , so he doesn't make the assumption you are going forward, but will look to you for guidance..
Watch the video at the bottom of this page> http://www.gottadance.landofpuregold.com/
Notice how she uses her hand as a signal, and how well the dog watches for it..You can learn a lot of communication techniques from this video..

Answer 2

He is looking to you for the next command.

Practice having him heel, then when you get to the street corner, tell him to Heel. If you have trained him to the command he should do it.
If not, more practice.

He's still very young and sounds like he is doing amazingly well already. He's just trying to observe you at this point. Street corners can be a nervous time, so he wants to make sure he is doing what you want.
Keep practicing, and good job so far!

Answer 3

Just be very careful. While Cesar's *ideas* are sometimes ok, his methods and applications are archane and denounced by several animal welfare groups. Be careful what you take away from his show.

If you want the dog to face the street, then start correcting him gently for that. And consider taking a positive reinforcement traning class. It may help solve some issues you may be having.

Good luck to you.

Answer 4

the first hting your need to consider in your training is that the "Dog Whisper" method as Cesar Millan uses it is forcused on dog aggression. if you use this method on a non agressive dog and without proper instruction you can create aggression in a none aggressive dog. you should consult with a trainer who knows the method and not try it without proper instruction.

with that said I would suggest that you start to shape the behavior you want. add other training methods to your "tool box"
read Don't Shoot The Dog by Karen Pryor for a variety of methods to use in your training. the dog whisper method uses a focus on ethology of dogs and the leadership theory but there are also the conditioning theories, or reinforcment training techniques which can be very usefull in your endevour to have a well trained dog.