luckylego
Experienced Member
Alright so this may not seem like much, but I'm so proud of Lego right now..
The last little while I've been working with Lego on her "look" command above all else. We've still been working on other things, but I've really been centering it all around focusing and paying attention to ME when I'm talking or giving commands. Lego is a great dog, and she's smart as hell.. But she's very stubborn and very independent when it comes to training. She doesn't like to wait and listen for the command, she'd rather try and figure it out herself. She's also incredibly easily distracted, and so I've been trying to find a way to keep her focus on me so that I have a way of getting her attention when I REALLY need it.
So.. I started with the clicker, clicking and treating whenever she looked me in the eye, and slowly holding it longer and longer. If she wants her dinner, a treat, to go outside, etc.. She has to sit and look me square in the eye until I say "OK". Since I started, I've noticed some small - but pretty cool, changes in how she listens and approaches things..
The first one I've mentioned on here before.. She's actually started watching my eyes and the slightest head motions for cues and commands. For example, looking down = down.. A quick nod upwards = sit, etc. Its still a bit shakey, and I have taken others advice and still use the verbal command every so often so that she doesn't forget..but the fact that she's started to pick that up seems pretty cool to me. I'd love to try and expand on that a little later.. Like a quick nod to the side could mean Roll over, etc.. But I'm not that creative so if anyone has any suggestions as to how to expand that trick a bit into something really cool, I'm all ears
The second occured a few weeks ago.. I was snacking away while watching TV when Lego came over to beg (Yes.. I'm admittedly one of those horrible people who occasionally gives her a bite and so I've taught her to beg
). I decided to test out her self control, and so I held a small piece of the pretzel right up to her nose and told her to leave it. She left it alone - albeit very unhappy and not afraid to show it, so I put it on my knee, which was still just in front of her face, and grabbed a second piece of pretzel to do the same. After I had about three or four pieces on my lap, I stopped, just to see what she would do.. To be honest I expected her to make a grab at them soon enough.. Instead, after about 30 seconds of fidgeting around and trying every trick in the book, she surprised me.. It was like a light bulb went off in her head and she suddenly looked up at me, sat down very quietly, and looked into my eyes so inquisitively, as if she were asking and waiting for my OK. It may not sound like much, but for Lego that's a pretty decent victory there. Normally she would focus totally on the treats, only half listening to me, and get herself so worked up and frustrated until she ends up just trying to take them or loses interest.. So for her to actually realize whats she needs to do, and then stop and ask for it, that's an amazingly big step!
Third just happened before I sat down to write this post. We were outside behind the house just a moment ago playing in the back yard, when Lego heard the mail man come in the gate in the front. Now, Lego is totally people friendly, but she's also obnoxious when it comes to meeting new people, and has a tendency to run towards people while barking her face off when they come through the gate, only to stop in a fit of bum wiggles and endless kisses once she gets to them - but visitors dont know that. Whereas Lego is just excited (admittedly being RUDE, but excited), all they see is a dog with a big bark running towards them. She's done this to the mail man once before and scared him off pretty good (I did explain to him the next day and he actually asked to meet her so all was well
) So when I hear someone coming through the front gate, and I saw her start to sprint and bark.. The first thing that came to mind was to firmly call out "LOOK!" Well.. To my disbelief, Lego stopped dead in her tracks, turned, sat, and looked right at me. I mean, she glanced back towards the sound once or twice, but the fact that she stopped mid run was just amazing progress!! I'm so proud of my bratty little dog!
Anyways, like I said, it may not be much.. But in my books, even the small victories are worth sharing and celebrating
The last little while I've been working with Lego on her "look" command above all else. We've still been working on other things, but I've really been centering it all around focusing and paying attention to ME when I'm talking or giving commands. Lego is a great dog, and she's smart as hell.. But she's very stubborn and very independent when it comes to training. She doesn't like to wait and listen for the command, she'd rather try and figure it out herself. She's also incredibly easily distracted, and so I've been trying to find a way to keep her focus on me so that I have a way of getting her attention when I REALLY need it.
So.. I started with the clicker, clicking and treating whenever she looked me in the eye, and slowly holding it longer and longer. If she wants her dinner, a treat, to go outside, etc.. She has to sit and look me square in the eye until I say "OK". Since I started, I've noticed some small - but pretty cool, changes in how she listens and approaches things..
The first one I've mentioned on here before.. She's actually started watching my eyes and the slightest head motions for cues and commands. For example, looking down = down.. A quick nod upwards = sit, etc. Its still a bit shakey, and I have taken others advice and still use the verbal command every so often so that she doesn't forget..but the fact that she's started to pick that up seems pretty cool to me. I'd love to try and expand on that a little later.. Like a quick nod to the side could mean Roll over, etc.. But I'm not that creative so if anyone has any suggestions as to how to expand that trick a bit into something really cool, I'm all ears
The second occured a few weeks ago.. I was snacking away while watching TV when Lego came over to beg (Yes.. I'm admittedly one of those horrible people who occasionally gives her a bite and so I've taught her to beg
). I decided to test out her self control, and so I held a small piece of the pretzel right up to her nose and told her to leave it. She left it alone - albeit very unhappy and not afraid to show it, so I put it on my knee, which was still just in front of her face, and grabbed a second piece of pretzel to do the same. After I had about three or four pieces on my lap, I stopped, just to see what she would do.. To be honest I expected her to make a grab at them soon enough.. Instead, after about 30 seconds of fidgeting around and trying every trick in the book, she surprised me.. It was like a light bulb went off in her head and she suddenly looked up at me, sat down very quietly, and looked into my eyes so inquisitively, as if she were asking and waiting for my OK. It may not sound like much, but for Lego that's a pretty decent victory there. Normally she would focus totally on the treats, only half listening to me, and get herself so worked up and frustrated until she ends up just trying to take them or loses interest.. So for her to actually realize whats she needs to do, and then stop and ask for it, that's an amazingly big step!Third just happened before I sat down to write this post. We were outside behind the house just a moment ago playing in the back yard, when Lego heard the mail man come in the gate in the front. Now, Lego is totally people friendly, but she's also obnoxious when it comes to meeting new people, and has a tendency to run towards people while barking her face off when they come through the gate, only to stop in a fit of bum wiggles and endless kisses once she gets to them - but visitors dont know that. Whereas Lego is just excited (admittedly being RUDE, but excited), all they see is a dog with a big bark running towards them. She's done this to the mail man once before and scared him off pretty good (I did explain to him the next day and he actually asked to meet her so all was well
) So when I hear someone coming through the front gate, and I saw her start to sprint and bark.. The first thing that came to mind was to firmly call out "LOOK!" Well.. To my disbelief, Lego stopped dead in her tracks, turned, sat, and looked right at me. I mean, she glanced back towards the sound once or twice, but the fact that she stopped mid run was just amazing progress!! I'm so proud of my bratty little dog!Anyways, like I said, it may not be much.. But in my books, even the small victories are worth sharing and celebrating
