Renewed contact

J

jasperaliceuk

Experienced Member
Hi all

Haven't posted in a while but am still training a few tricks - the latest being 'Sneeze'

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG3IJS90h4Y[/media]

Am having a bit of a worry with Milo as he has had an intermittent limp for the past two months which has been semi-diagnosed as being a sore elbow. We now have a referral on New Year's Eve to see an orthopaedic specialist to find out exactly what it wrong.

I have had to cancel his agility classes, restrict the sort of trick training I do, walk him on lead only - a couple of short walks a day, not allow him to play or chase with dogs or balls - so it is a bit of a depressing time for the both of us.

I am trying to find plenty of things to occupy him and seeking out appropriate tricks for him to learn. Our current challenge is putting pennies in a piggy bank - doable but a bit hit and miss as it needs a lot of specific placement accuracy.

I'd like to wish everyone here a Happy Christmas and New Year from the UK.

Sue
 
J

jasperaliceuk

Experienced Member
It was a case of capturing the moment he did a sneeze. I use clicker training and I noticed he would often sneeze in the morning when he got up so it was a case of being there at the right time, click and treating and waiting to see if he did it again. The clicker certainly speeds up him 'getting the message' so it wasn't long before he repeated it. It probably took him a couple of sessions to get it.

In the past I have also taught him to be 'fierce' - so he would do a little growly bark at me - when he did that a few times it somehow made him sneeze so it was another opportunity to capture it.

He still gets a bit confused, throwing his 'fierce', nodding his head, or sneezing tricks all in one go. I just have to ignore and click the right behaviour to reinforce it. And the intensity of his sneeze varies to - from a little puff to a full blown sneeze!

Originally once he caught on to the sneezing I added a cue - had to do this fairly early on as I couldn't entice him to sneeze as you can do with other behaviours.

Its his trick of the moment - it seems once you teach them something it sticks around for a while and he is often offering it in the hope of a treat!

Sue
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top