luckylego
Experienced Member
Hey guys..
So I've been hard at work expanding the girl's trick list, and lately we've been working on the hand stand trick, but I'm having some troubles..
I've been using an old camping cooler to start, and both girls know to jump up onto it once I pull it out, but they just can't seem to grasp the backing up onto it part - which is partly because they don't know how to back up in the first place! I've lookied through old threads and can't seem to find a way that will work for them.. If I step towards them, they'll sit.. If I try to lure them back with a treat they will sit pretty, or lie down, or bow, depending on where my hand is.. If I try Evie's method against the wall, I do get some minor results, but typically they are SO focused on the food that they just try to turn around (no matter how tight to the wall they are) or climb the wall to get at the treat. Any tips to get them started with that? Maybe I need a smaller first step to back onto?
Also.. I'm just wondering, is it cheating that I use hand cues to get them up onto the box? Streets learned how to get up by free shaping, but occasionally she blanks out and I point to the box to remind her, and then once she is up there I point back at the floor and she puts her two front paws down. No verbal cue is used, and maybe I'm just being overly picky, but does that defeat the purpose if it's broken up into hand cues like that?
So I've been hard at work expanding the girl's trick list, and lately we've been working on the hand stand trick, but I'm having some troubles..
I've been using an old camping cooler to start, and both girls know to jump up onto it once I pull it out, but they just can't seem to grasp the backing up onto it part - which is partly because they don't know how to back up in the first place! I've lookied through old threads and can't seem to find a way that will work for them.. If I step towards them, they'll sit.. If I try to lure them back with a treat they will sit pretty, or lie down, or bow, depending on where my hand is.. If I try Evie's method against the wall, I do get some minor results, but typically they are SO focused on the food that they just try to turn around (no matter how tight to the wall they are) or climb the wall to get at the treat. Any tips to get them started with that? Maybe I need a smaller first step to back onto?
Also.. I'm just wondering, is it cheating that I use hand cues to get them up onto the box? Streets learned how to get up by free shaping, but occasionally she blanks out and I point to the box to remind her, and then once she is up there I point back at the floor and she puts her two front paws down. No verbal cue is used, and maybe I'm just being overly picky, but does that defeat the purpose if it's broken up into hand cues like that?