Should there be a consequence when a dog ignores a command?

Yeah...you make it easier for the dog to respond in that situation. 'Ignore' is one of those words in dog training that people attach many anthropomorphic attributes to. A dog does not listen to the command, think "Nah, I think I'll just walk over here instead" but perhaps hears the command and in a split second the dog's brain calculates the chance of reinforcement at that time. If there is a more reinforcing option available, I believe the dog will do that.

Proofing, proofing, proofing...

Yes the handler should consider what error (s)he has made!

If there is no obvious reason, Dunbar suggest "Rover, <CUE>" in a firmer voice, for attention and to insist. This repetition was queried in RF's thread on "weakening cues by repetition?" I think. I find following the advice seems to work fine for me but YMMV!

[ YMMV : Your Mileage May Vary ]

__________________
For eager & reliable recall, be fun for the dog to come back to! Then often send them off right away to do what they wanted!
DT&B - Glossary of acronyms & jargon terms.
Encouraging good behaviours, whilst consistently avoiding practise of bad alternatives leads to extinction of the bad. So if dog sits 6/10 times it doesn't sit 4/10 times, encouraging with the right rewards (positively-reinforcing) enough for 9/10 times means it now fails to sit only 1/10 times, sit 10/10 means...

Yes

EG/

Recall - Comes first whistle - Hotdog, happy greeting and fuss plus he gets to go play again
Comes after repeated whistle - Depending on response time no hotdog but a good lad and then maybe asked to walk "close", reward the "close" then allow him to go again
A BOG OFF session - Silence on return and placed on lead.

I don't see this as punishing the recall i see it as punishing the failed recall because recall to me is when he comes when he is asked, coming when he is good and ready is not a recall.

__________________


"I am not perfect and i don't have to be, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean" - Bob Marley

https://sites.google.com/site/blisschalet/

That's actually a good point, forgot about idea of "Differential rewarding" which is relevant to this, a lazy response below average goes unrewarded (but consider context it may have been good given distraction), average just getting normal routine praise as acknowledgement say, but the best responses getting super rewards; so the dog tries harder.

I think the 3 second rule applies though. If the dog starts behaving well, recognised it quickly and forget the past!

__________________
For eager & reliable recall, be fun for the dog to come back to! Then often send them off right away to do what they wanted!
DT&B - Glossary of acronyms & jargon terms.
Encouraging good behaviours, whilst consistently avoiding practise of bad alternatives leads to extinction of the bad. So if dog sits 6/10 times it doesn't sit 4/10 times, encouraging with the right rewards (positively-reinforcing) enough for 9/10 times means it now fails to sit only 1/10 times, sit 10/10 means...

I understand your point, but it could be a narrow line to not give ANY reinforcement for a 'bog off' session (). Despite all the 'bad' stuff that has gone on, he has come back at some point.

Believe me when i have stood an hour in the rain waiting for him to "finish" his job it takes every ounce of my patience to achieve a silent response when he finally comes Fortunately this is much improved now with just an occasional jaunt over to "the wild side"

__________________


"I am not perfect and i don't have to be, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean" - Bob Marley

https://sites.google.com/site/blisschalet/

Oooh I love Freddie but he knows I'd have bogged off long before then! A "Bye, bye!" farewell cue and noisy park gates helped the time he tried extending his extensive exercise!

__________________
For eager & reliable recall, be fun for the dog to come back to! Then often send them off right away to do what they wanted!
DT&B - Glossary of acronyms & jargon terms.
Encouraging good behaviours, whilst consistently avoiding practise of bad alternatives leads to extinction of the bad. So if dog sits 6/10 times it doesn't sit 4/10 times, encouraging with the right rewards (positively-reinforcing) enough for 9/10 times means it now fails to sit only 1/10 times, sit 10/10 means...

MMmmm i do see the point but to be honest he should just be grateful i dont march him straight down to the rescue centre ((joke))

For him to get absolutely no reward from me it would have to be one of his spectacular BOG OFFS (which are thankfully infrequent) and in these instances i will have long given up any sort of recalling as i cannot compete with the reward of what he is doing.

To be honest when he has been in "that zone" the best course is to put him back on because his adrenalin is such that i have lost him in terms of any focus and he is likely to do it again i allowed to simply continue the fun.

He is generally pretty exhausted too

His recall has steadily improved over time and part of me kind of accepts (rightly or wrongly) that he needs to exhibit this behaviour sometimes

__________________


"I am not perfect and i don't have to be, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean" - Bob Marley

https://sites.google.com/site/blisschalet/

My consequences:

If at the park/during off lead exercise I get ignored, we leave the park/proceed to on lead exercise instead.
If they pull in one direction, we walk the other way.
If I get no response to a first command, I reduce the praise they receive,and ask for more commands to be completed before praise (e.g. if I ask for sit and don't get it, I expect a sit and down before the praise).
And so on....

It seems to work for me, but I'm no expert. I am sure some people will tell me I am wrong!!

P.S. No idea if I have explained it well, it makes sense to me ....