We are all guilty of repeating commands to Fido when he doesn’t obey. But by so doing, what we are inadvertently doing is teaching Fido to ignore us! If we keep saying “Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!” until Fido sits and then we say “Good Boy!”, he has just learned that he doesn’t have to sit down the 1st time we tell him, but he can wait for the 4th or 5th time – and then he’ll receive praise!
Of course, we have to teach Fido what a word of command means before we correct him, but, if we are sure that Fido understands the command but has made the choice not to obey, we should immediately correct the dog for disobeying with a growl or some other noise of displeasure! As soon as Fido obeys, then we can reward. This way, Fido learns that commands are not negotiable and we are much more likely to get an immediate response.
Remember, enjoy your training and have fun with your dog!
