Emily Marston
Well-Known Member
Mylo is beautiful!! Better put sunscreen on that pink nose before he gets burnt 
Meet Mylo
- Thread starter hannahb_patch_faith
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mRae
Well-Known Member
So, the o so manageable Lucca, has become a 'teenager'. I am working on teaching her to be still for grooming-'still ' is a mode she has left behind with her infancy! I am placing her in the postures I need to groom her and waiting for a still moment -click, then treat. Suggestions for improving on this? I also click for her sniffing, touching the nail clippers, allowing them to touch her especially her paws. Meanwhile, I am also trying to teach her to scratch on a sandpaper board as her front nails are quite sharp. We have gotten to where she will touch the board with her front paws and has let me 'scratch' her nails a couple times. She also has started to play rough (nipping with those needle sharp puppy teeth when playing) so I am trying to teach her fetch (bring it) to wear off some of her energy. it is raining cats and dogs here, so outdoors is not very inviting. These are the new 'games' we are working on and I would love some input with more experienced clicker trainers out there. Thanks!
MaryK
Honored Member
yes the 'teens', when they totally forget all they've learned and become the most lovable little monsters on this planet. Don't worry, it DOES pass, eventually!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What you're doing is absolutely right. Patience is the key and persistence!!!!!!! Keep waiting for her to be 'still' then click/treat. There's not a lot else you can do, except maybe offer her a toy, something she can 'chew' on, which is what I also did with Ra Kismet when he went through the 'I've forgotten how to be still teenager phase'. I ended up at times grooming him with him laying down chewing a toy, it was quicker and easier (except on my back
) and it didn't really take long before he decided to stand, though he'd still wriggled a bit and we then went into click/treat mode when he was still. At this point I wouldn't worry too much about 'correct' positioning, so long as she's still or reasonably so, that's what I'd be looking for during this stage. Then one day you'll find she's suddenly 'remembered' all she learned as a puppy!!!!!!!Great, keeping doing that with the clippers, that's the best way to get a dog to actually 'like' having their nails clipped.
You're doing well, I am assuming you also click/treat when getting her to scratch the board? She'll get that, maybe use to target stick to get her to touch and then whilst touching the board move the stick up and down. I've not tried this myself, so it's just a thought.
Another game you can play inside which really does use a mass of energy is 'hide and go seek'. A bit like nosework but not so 'formal'. Start hiding something she loves in easy to find places and ask her to 'seek'. Of course, needless to say, praise click/treat like crazy when she finds it but do try to not get too excited, as this does tend with a lot of youngsters to engender more nipping
So praise lavishly but quietly!!!!!!!!!! As she gets more proficient at finding the 'hides', make them harder. This games requires mental and physical energy, and as we all know using mental energy is very tiring.Anyway you can set up a 'mini' agility course inside? Using say a chair and broom or something like that. That too will use up that teenager energy and stop a lot of the nipping, which is darned painful!
Or get a hoop, my boy loves jumping through the hoop and will do that forever, uses a lot of energy and not too much space. I'm at present in a very small house, so space is premium, he's learned to jump without a big 'run up' and I just increase the height as his muscle memory increases. Start low, work higher, and of course with the hoop hold it lightly so you can quickly release if back legs are 'forgotten' about. It's also good, I've found, for working on rear end awemess.You could also do the 'elephant' trick, again doesn't need a lot of space and helps with rear end awareness. Anything which will hold Lucca's weight will do, books (old ones) are good. Get her to put her two front paws on the object and then work at getting her to walk a around (pivot) using her back legs and keeping her front ones on the object. I think Kikkopup has a good video for this.
Hang in there, it's a time for keeping your cool, loads of patience and above all a sense of humor
mRae
Well-Known Member
Mary, can you tell me more about how to train these 'agility' things-chair/broom, hoop jump? She is improving on the sand paper board-has offered scratching behavior on it spontaneously (I think she is 'digging for treats') which I praise if I don't have my clicker in hand. --Though I often wear it around my neck--does anyone else feel like a coach????--She still has a ton of energy and loves to bite - hope this phase passes soon. She does not enjoy 'fetch'. brings it about 3-4 times then she is done. chases it but doesn't even pick it up. Just runs back to me. (gnaw, gnaw)--She is now an official kitchen resident and only spends nights in her crate/pen. she is reliable to wee on her little pad in the corner when I go to work for 4 hours at a whack. That is something anyway. She has a little quilt she likes to sleep on.
MaryK
Honored Member
Sure With the hoop start very low, barely off the ground, and lure her through with a treat, the click/treat/praise. As she gains more confidence and also her muscle memory builds, you can raise the height of the hoop. I always hold the hoop VERY lightly, so if Ra Kismet doesn't quite make the jump, the hoop quickly falls and doesn't cause any 'tangles' with hind legs. Don't be surprised if at first she tries to run around, or under (though if you hold it lower enough she won't be able to run under it). I hold the hoop to my side too, and hold the treat the other side of the hoop from where Ra Kismet is standing, sorry should have put that at the beginning. You will be able to phase at the lure as she learns to jump with just a word/hand cue.
At first she'll just be basically walking through the hoop, not jumping, once she's done that a few times, then raise the height so she has to actually jump, but keep it very low at first.
You can also teach her to jump through the hoop onto a chair, or something low at first, after she's 'got' jumping through the hoop and is well confident about her own abilities.
With the chair/broom. Again start with something very low, maybe just a book or on a low rung of a chair (kitchen or wooden dining chairs are good for this) with a broom, or anything else which is fairly light and stand the other side or next to the book/chair and again lure her over. It's the same method as the hoop, raise the height level as she gains confidence and muscle memory. And once she's jumping over the broom/stick again, you can phase out the lure and just use hand/verbal cues.
Make sure when you lay the broom/stick between the chairs you leave enough room + some more for her to jump through without touching the 'sides' i.e. chairs/books.
Make sure whatever you use for the jump easily falls off if hit. You may prefer to buy a length of dowl, it's really cheap and will roll off easily if hit.
With both, don't rush her with the height level, take it slowly, as she's very young and you don't won't to put too much strain on her legs. She will need time to build up muscle memory. Ra Kismet is now up to quite a good height but he's being doing it for quite while.
And don't praise/click/treat for anything other than an actual jump.
You can buy hula hoops very cheaply from the children's toy area in most department stores or toy shops.
LOL yes all the time, feel I need a loud whistle too at times, my clicker is never far away!!!!!!!!!!
When she bites, just ignore her, I know it's hard when those little teeth dig into you, but ignoring her is one way to get her to realize you're not a toy!!!!!!!!! The other way is to offer a toy when she starts biting you. Like the clicker, it pays to always have a toy on hand, so that when she bites you can offer that and encourage her to play with that and not you!
Some dogs don't enjoy fetch, my older dog Zeus doesn't, LOL he kinda looks at me as if to say 'hey you threw it you go fetch". But it's worth spending a little bit of time on it, even if she only does it once or twice, it all helps burn up the energy and she's still very young.
Great that she's graduated to the kitchen now and only in her crate at night. Plus using her pee pad. You're both doing really well. And she's doing really well with the scratch pad, she'll have very well manicured nails at that rate!!!
With the hoop start very low, barely off the ground, and lure her through with a treat, the click/treat/praise. As she gains more confidence and also her muscle memory builds, you can raise the height of the hoop. I always hold the hoop VERY lightly, so if Ra Kismet doesn't quite make the jump, the hoop quickly falls and doesn't cause any 'tangles' with hind legs. Don't be surprised if at first she tries to run around, or under (though if you hold it lower enough she won't be able to run under it). I hold the hoop to my side too, and hold the treat the other side of the hoop from where Ra Kismet is standing, sorry should have put that at the beginning. You will be able to phase at the lure as she learns to jump with just a word/hand cue.At first she'll just be basically walking through the hoop, not jumping, once she's done that a few times, then raise the height so she has to actually jump, but keep it very low at first.
You can also teach her to jump through the hoop onto a chair, or something low at first, after she's 'got' jumping through the hoop and is well confident about her own abilities.
With the chair/broom. Again start with something very low, maybe just a book or on a low rung of a chair (kitchen or wooden dining chairs are good for this) with a broom, or anything else which is fairly light and stand the other side or next to the book/chair and again lure her over. It's the same method as the hoop, raise the height level as she gains confidence and muscle memory. And once she's jumping over the broom/stick again, you can phase out the lure and just use hand/verbal cues.
Make sure when you lay the broom/stick between the chairs you leave enough room + some more for her to jump through without touching the 'sides' i.e. chairs/books.
Make sure whatever you use for the jump easily falls off if hit. You may prefer to buy a length of dowl, it's really cheap and will roll off easily if hit.
With both, don't rush her with the height level, take it slowly, as she's very young and you don't won't to put too much strain on her legs. She will need time to build up muscle memory. Ra Kismet is now up to quite a good height but he's being doing it for quite while.
And don't praise/click/treat for anything other than an actual jump.
You can buy hula hoops very cheaply from the children's toy area in most department stores or toy shops.
LOL yes all the time, feel I need a loud whistle too at times, my clicker is never far away!!!!!!!!!!
When she bites, just ignore her, I know it's hard when those little teeth dig into you, but ignoring her is one way to get her to realize you're not a toy!!!!!!!!! The other way is to offer a toy when she starts biting you. Like the clicker, it pays to always have a toy on hand, so that when she bites you can offer that and encourage her to play with that and not you!
Some dogs don't enjoy fetch, my older dog Zeus doesn't, LOL he kinda looks at me as if to say 'hey you threw it you go fetch". But it's worth spending a little bit of time on it, even if she only does it once or twice, it all helps burn up the energy and she's still very young.
Great that she's graduated to the kitchen now and only in her crate at night. Plus using her pee pad. You're both doing really well. And she's doing really well with the scratch pad, she'll have very well manicured nails at that rate!!!
MaryK
Honored Member
If Lucca has decided scratching her board is the best thing ever, so long as it's not harming her, I wouldn't be hiding it. It will help use up some of that energy and keep her occupied until it's time for games. Then, LOL, you may need to hide it to get her focus on tricks and games.
Keep me posted on how she goes with her new games.
mRae
Well-Known Member
Well, this is because she gets clicks/treats for scratching. She scratches and then looks for reward. I don't know if her behavior will extinguish if I don't reward for at least the 'best' scratches. will have to experiment. meanwhile, I put it up till I can listen from the same room and reward the really good ones.If Lucca has decided scratching her board is the best thing ever, so long as it's not harming her, I wouldn't be hiding it. It will help use up some of that energy and keep her occupied until it's time for games. Then, LOL, you may need to hide it to get her focus on tricks and games.
Keep me posted on how she goes with her new games.
Will see if that works. the goal is to get her to do it on cue, which she still does not get. She is a bit resistant to cues in general. rather self directed this little one. who knew she would be a challenge? My poodles just looked at me and said: Tell what to do, we are at your beck and call. This one.....gots a mind of her own.
mRae
Well-Known Member
She did do some fetching this morning though, prior to the scratching, andn seems to be getting a bit more into 'bring it'. As opposed to just chasing it and then running back to me.Well, this is because she gets clicks/treats for scratching. She scratches and then looks for reward. I don't know if her behavior will extinguish if I don't reward for at least the 'best' scratches. will have to experiment. meanwhile, I put it up till I can listen from the same room and reward the really good ones.
MaryK
Honored Member
I know exactly what you mean, Ra Kismet has a mind of his own!!!!Well, this is because she gets clicks/treats for scratching. She scratches and then looks for reward. I don't know if her behavior will extinguish if I don't reward for at least the 'best' scratches. will have to experiment. meanwhile, I put it up till I can listen from the same room and reward the really good ones.
She's very young yet to respond to cues, just keep on click/treating/cues she'll 'get it' eventually, though no guarantee she'll be at your 'beck and call'. Gotta love independent dogs, they're just so smart! When she's a little older she'll be even faster at learning new tricks, that's what I've found with my boy, and very good at shaping because she'll think through and offer up a trick or two herself.
MaryK
Honored Member
Once it's firmly in her mind that there's a really special treat hanging on the end of 'fetch' she'll do it with ease. Great start, keep it up and I would also use a higher than normal treat for a good 'fetch', just to encourage her that little bit more.