A few months back I posted on here about Zoe's first clicker training session. How my paranoid little girl learned to 1- accept the noise of the clicker, 2- what a clicker means, and 3- "shy"... all in one session. I was so seriously proud of her. Zoe has been the biggest challenge of my life. She was such a shut down case. she had to learn everything slowly over time, and she was soooo afraid! It took me 7 years before ever trying a clicker with her. Everything Zoe has learned has been YEARS, not days, not months but YEARS. it took 2 years before she learned to sit, it took one year for her to take a treat outta my hand, it took 3 years before learning to shake a paw, it took 4 years before she stopped having panic attacks over the slightest noise...
but in one 20 minute session, my 8 year old dog learned the clicker, and free shaping.
fast forward to yesterday. I haven't been doing alot of clicker training with Zoe, basically, all I've done is put her offered shy on cue. But yesterday I had the dogs at my Mom's and was showing her Mouse's ball trick (she puts her front paws up on a dodge ball sized ball then rolls it towards me... tooo cute!) I then decided to try Scout with the ball, Scout, the little over-acheiver, learned to put her paws up on the ball and balance there. Zoe was watching the whole time, she kept trying to push past me to get some treats too. So I thought, OK Zoe, lets see what you're made of!
I held the ball in place against one leg with my other foot, so it wont move, and started luring Zoe close to the ball. She, of course, was scared of it, but she wanted to try. I was just hoping to get her to touch the ball with her nose (a great first session with a paranoid dog right?) ummm, no. Zoe PUT HER PAW ON THE BALL!!!!
I darn near fell over... I was like "MOM LOOK!!!!" so then Zoe had an audience, which made her nervous, but SHE DID IT AGAIN!
THEN she put one leg on my leg, and the other on the ball!
K so now I'm nearly hyperventilating!
Then the terrified, scared, nervous wreck, who used to have a panic attack if she had to step over a CORD ON THE FLOOR...
PUT BOTH PAWS ON THE BALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had her do it over and over again... she kept at it.
My BRAVE little girl!
I was nearly in tears... I've had Zoe for 7.5 years, she's nearly 9 now, and she has finally been able to overcome fear enough to try new things, and to accept a new "scary" object.
I wonder what the next few years'll bring on her [LONG] road to recovery!
but in one 20 minute session, my 8 year old dog learned the clicker, and free shaping.
fast forward to yesterday. I haven't been doing alot of clicker training with Zoe, basically, all I've done is put her offered shy on cue. But yesterday I had the dogs at my Mom's and was showing her Mouse's ball trick (she puts her front paws up on a dodge ball sized ball then rolls it towards me... tooo cute!) I then decided to try Scout with the ball, Scout, the little over-acheiver, learned to put her paws up on the ball and balance there. Zoe was watching the whole time, she kept trying to push past me to get some treats too. So I thought, OK Zoe, lets see what you're made of!
I held the ball in place against one leg with my other foot, so it wont move, and started luring Zoe close to the ball. She, of course, was scared of it, but she wanted to try. I was just hoping to get her to touch the ball with her nose (a great first session with a paranoid dog right?) ummm, no. Zoe PUT HER PAW ON THE BALL!!!!
I darn near fell over... I was like "MOM LOOK!!!!" so then Zoe had an audience, which made her nervous, but SHE DID IT AGAIN!
THEN she put one leg on my leg, and the other on the ball!
K so now I'm nearly hyperventilating!
Then the terrified, scared, nervous wreck, who used to have a panic attack if she had to step over a CORD ON THE FLOOR...
PUT BOTH PAWS ON THE BALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had her do it over and over again... she kept at it.
My BRAVE little girl!
I was nearly in tears... I've had Zoe for 7.5 years, she's nearly 9 now, and she has finally been able to overcome fear enough to try new things, and to accept a new "scary" object.
I wonder what the next few years'll bring on her [LONG] road to recovery!