tigerlily46514
Honored Member
Ha, my Buddy likes ICE way way more than he likes water. :laughsnow: We have an icemaker in the fridge door, but this trick could work for those who use icetrays in the freezer, or, for those who keep a bag of ice in the freezer, also.
I have always just had to GUESS when Buddy wanted/needed a piece of ice. NOW, Buddy can tell me when he wants a piece of ice on these hot days of summer.
I took a magnetic picture frame, and made little sign: " BUDDY WANTS ICE " and stuck that into the magnetic picture frame, and it now hangs low on the fridge door.
If Buddy touches his nose to that sign, he gets a piece of ice!!:dogbiggrin:
Plus, it is cute to our friends when he does it spontaneously, as if he can read or something.
I thought about having him use the icemaker directly, would not have been too hard to show him, but then i thought, nah, i could foresee problems there:dognowink:...I thought about having him paw/point to the sign, but i imagined scratches all over the fridge. so i settled on having him 'nose' the sign.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
For any beginner trainers (ha, i say that like i am not,:msngiggle: bah ha ha!) I took the picture, rubbed a piece of ham over it so it'd smell interesting, held it in my hand, and clicked and treated if buddy nosed it. I moved to the fridge, and continued this. I put it ON the fridge, and continued to click and treat if Buddy nosed it.
Then i switched over to the pieces of ice, several times a day i would encourage Buddy to touch the picture, and i said "ICE?" as my cue, and soon enuff, Buddy came to understand, whenever he noses that picture, he gets a piece of ICE!!!
I have always just had to GUESS when Buddy wanted/needed a piece of ice. NOW, Buddy can tell me when he wants a piece of ice on these hot days of summer.
I took a magnetic picture frame, and made little sign: " BUDDY WANTS ICE " and stuck that into the magnetic picture frame, and it now hangs low on the fridge door.
If Buddy touches his nose to that sign, he gets a piece of ice!!:dogbiggrin:
Plus, it is cute to our friends when he does it spontaneously, as if he can read or something.
I thought about having him use the icemaker directly, would not have been too hard to show him, but then i thought, nah, i could foresee problems there:dognowink:...I thought about having him paw/point to the sign, but i imagined scratches all over the fridge. so i settled on having him 'nose' the sign.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
For any beginner trainers (ha, i say that like i am not,:msngiggle: bah ha ha!) I took the picture, rubbed a piece of ham over it so it'd smell interesting, held it in my hand, and clicked and treated if buddy nosed it. I moved to the fridge, and continued this. I put it ON the fridge, and continued to click and treat if Buddy nosed it.
Then i switched over to the pieces of ice, several times a day i would encourage Buddy to touch the picture, and i said "ICE?" as my cue, and soon enuff, Buddy came to understand, whenever he noses that picture, he gets a piece of ICE!!!