Two Questions On Suitcase And Paw Cross

[madeleine]

I'm working in the suitcase and the paw cross with Dazzle.
With the suitcase we didn't get to the naming the command part yet, but that's because she holds her complete head out of the suitcase. I would like it better when that's only the tip off the nose. When I trough the treats in de suitcase she pops inside to get them but then pops out again. Any ideas how to improve this part?

And with the paw cross part we recently started. She gets it to the point of placing her right paw on the box and leaving it there.
However when I move the box the to 'out' side of her other paw she will also lift up that one so the box comes to stand between her two frontpaws again and then place her right paw onto it. I tried to brake the moving box part in small steps and slowly place the box more to the left paw part. This goes well. Even when the box comes in front off the left paw she still does it good. When the box passes her third tow then she does it.
Has someone got a idea to make it easier for her, she gets a bit frustrated at thay point.

 

[fly30]

For the suitcase, teach her a new cue : "hide your nose" or whatever you want. Give this cue when you put the treat into the suitcase. When she hides to get the treat, ask her "stay", wait one or two seconds then release.

 

[Evie]

Evie knows the suitcase trick. To begin with, I didn't think she'd be able to do it because she was terrified of the suitcase top closing on her, but with practise, that got better. I taught it by asking Evie to lay down in the suitcase with the lid open, then heavily rewarded that. I'd also keep on feeding her treats for the entire time that she managed to be laying down in the suitcase. Then I'd call her out of the suitcase, and also reward that. So I guess I was really teaching two different things. 1) go into the suitcase and lay down and 2) come out of the suitcase, but only when I ask.

Then, after she was ok with that I work on holding the suitcase lid slightly more towards the 'closed' position and once again asked her to go into the suitcase (and lay down). By this stage she knew she'd only get rewards if she layed down in the suitcase and that for the entire time that she was laying down she would also get fed treat after treat making 'laying down in suitcase' the easiest way in the world to get treat

It is still one of her favourite tricks....... I think this is because she just see's this trick as a treat dispenser lol

Let me know how you go

 

[Evie]

Oooooo, sorry, I think I see your real problem now, my mistake.

Not really sure how this worked, but once Evie got the hang of going in the suitcase when asked, if I then repeated that command, while she was in the suitcase (but with her head out of the suitcase) she'd put her head back in the suitcase in hope of gaining treats. I used to hide treats all around different corners of the suitcase too so that she had something fun to do while the lid was closed but that was just in the beginning

 

[Mutt]

I think it would help if you taught her to target the rim of the suitcase with her chin (the tip of her chin) so she knows how to positoin her nose.
For the crossing paws problem I would first lift the box above her paws and let her touch with the paw you are working with and also do this while the box is in front of her and than slowly making half a circle around her from the side were the touching paw is till the other side (god is this making sense to you, it is hard to explain )

 

[madeleine]

Thank you all for your imput!

I tried both tricks today again. The suitcase trick went well. I tried to target her chin on the edge with a post it, however it got destroyed. She found it and went playing with that inside the suitcase. She was completly inside so I clicked for that. Only giving the treats inside the corner. Result was that she popped only her nose outside for three times!
Ok, this isn't the niciest way to teach this concidering she desided herself to have a post it play time, but I'm just glad the made that progress now...

 

[madeleine]

And I used your tips for the crossing paw part Mutt, and now she can hold her right paw on the target above her left paw. I'm gooing to keep trying this and I'll believe she will get that part sooner or later. Thanks again!

 

[Mutt]

And I used your tips for the crossing paw part Mutt, and now she can hold her right paw on the target above her left paw. I'm gooing to keep trying this and I'll believe she will get that part sooner or later. Thanks again!

Glad it worked for you and Dazzle (and glad you understood what I meant ). Crossing paws was something Boef and I struggled with (I had the same problem as you did) and this turned out to be the solution for us and at one moment she just got it (the lightbulb switched on )

 

[madeleine]

Mutt, your idea is really working!!!
She managed to it wright a couple times today!
I places the target next to her left front paw and she put her right on the target. Thank you for your help!!

With the suitcase we make progress aswell. She now lies down in the suitcase woth her head out. Then she looks at me, I do nothing and then finally she places her head inside the trunk aswell. Then there is a small nose popping out off the corner, and somethimes even a ear comes out.. Standing ears he..

 

[Mutt]

Nice to hear that Dazzle and you pulled it off!
and of course this asks for a video as proof

 

[madeleine]

Hehe Nooo we're not there yet!
I have to build off the target with the paw cross and add the commant still.
Even before that i want to see more correct paw crosses direct. On that part, we will be working on tomorrow.

But I'm thinking off tricks to put in a video. Then offcourse a lot more tricks then this! ;-)
And a few off these I still have to teach Dazzle..

 

[Linda A]

I love reading all the different ideas and training tips on this forum! I love the suitcase trick and my dogs also had a fear of the lid coming down on them. What I did was place some pieces of kibble in the suitcase and held the lid up a couple of inches. They wanted the treats and so would push their heads under the lid. Once they figured out it wasn't going to eat them they started lifting the lid themselves and just diving in. It was really funny to watch them in the beginning!

Can hardly wait to see your video once you it trained.

 

[madeleine]

The lid posses not a problem coming down to her, she actually sees that as a way off entertainment and how harder it comes down how funnier she believes it is. :-)

 

[madeleine]

Who has an idea to build off the target off the paw cross?

Dazzle does is well with a small target and now we're on the point to build that off.
But then she seems to 'forget' what is was....

Any suggestions?

 

[Dogster]

Maybe you could move to a smaller target. You're using a lid now, right? Maybe try a small sticky note, or a piece of paper. You can use something clear and less visible to the dog, for an easier fade-out.

 

[madeleine]

A post it wont work, she will graphs the paper off the ground when doing the trick.
I could try with paper and tape it to the ground... then lay here down next to it..

 

[Mutt]

Mmm I just started tapping on the ground were the post it was (starting this before I faded it) and due to muscle memory Boef quickly got the idea.