My dog collapses when I try to. . . . My dog collapses when I try to. . . . My Toy Poodle nips at my hands and collapses when I try to practice our obedience lessons. I really want her to like training . I could tell you to be firmer and quicker at correcting her, but the behaviors she is exhibiting go much deeper.
Dogs are pack animals.
They learn pack positions and responsibilities from the time they are whelped and live with their litter. Size does not matter, all dogs live by this code. Correcting this problem may carry over to changing various ways of dealing with everyday life with your dog, and may call for some changes that may seem totally unrelated to the problem. Such routines as when the dog is fed, where she sleeps, and how you play with her are effecting your obedience lessons. A dog who feels she ranks above her trainer in the pack, will not take directions from a pack member who she sees as inferior.