moppett
Well-Known Member
This is a totally self indulgent post but I had the best afternoon at dog training so I thought I'd share...
Over the past couple of weeks I have started clicker training with Smiley as she was totally lacking in confidence and found it hard to know what to do and what was right or wrong. Even training sit by lureing didn't work as she felt pressured and perhaps intimidated. But all has been going well, shes been visibly happy during training and around the house and its been great.
Last week I bought her a small cuddly toy polar bear with a squeak as an early Christmas present - it was a disaster. Before the bear had even so much as squeaked she wouldn't look at it and when it was put in her bed she went rigid and stared at the wall. If I called her to me and the polar bear was between us on the floor she wouldn't come to me, but would anxiously pace a safe distance from the polar bear.
At dog training today, the dog trainer found a equally scary toy, a green ball, which was placed on the floor. It started off the same with the polar bear, she wouldn't even look at it, but with lots of patience and liver cake and clicking to reward even a look - she ended up touching it and following me around it! We also did walking over a pole and other stuff - she was so brave and did so well! Homework is to work on the polar bear!
Over the past couple of weeks I have started clicker training with Smiley as she was totally lacking in confidence and found it hard to know what to do and what was right or wrong. Even training sit by lureing didn't work as she felt pressured and perhaps intimidated. But all has been going well, shes been visibly happy during training and around the house and its been great.
Last week I bought her a small cuddly toy polar bear with a squeak as an early Christmas present - it was a disaster. Before the bear had even so much as squeaked she wouldn't look at it and when it was put in her bed she went rigid and stared at the wall. If I called her to me and the polar bear was between us on the floor she wouldn't come to me, but would anxiously pace a safe distance from the polar bear.
At dog training today, the dog trainer found a equally scary toy, a green ball, which was placed on the floor. It started off the same with the polar bear, she wouldn't even look at it, but with lots of patience and liver cake and clicking to reward even a look - she ended up touching it and following me around it! We also did walking over a pole and other stuff - she was so brave and did so well! Homework is to work on the polar bear!
