suki came to stay two weeks ago. She is a leggy terrier roughtly about a year old. I already have a 4 year old collie x called Tia. Tia makes dog training look easy! She has amazing ability and is currently hoping to qualify for crufts next year in agility!
Now back to Suki... she has had literally no training - but is house trained so at least thats a start! To top it all off Suki literaly came into heat on arrival to Cork! Shes has a lot of upheavel in the past 3 weeks - the introduction of new rules and training will be slow.
So where to start.....
Lost for words
So essentially i should have had the training plan before i got the dog... but then i saw the dog... got the dog.. and am now trying to put together the training plan... like i said.. i should have known better!
So Ms. Suki came home and then straight into heat! She was very timid.. so instead of embarking on a formalised training program i justified to myself that she was in heat, very timid and needed to grow in confidence.. so there was no point in putting together a formal training plan.. excuses excuses......
So i'm now armed with my books.. i'm determined to do this right! i'm determined to learn from my previous mistakes ... and also my other dog is a collie x - she made training look easy! Suki is a terrier, a little over one year with little or no training!
So where do you start?? God only knows!
So i've really done very little with her on the formalised training.... in saying that - ive done some training just not planned training.. so hence the blog and the forturne i've spent on books, videos and training aids... just want to make sure i'm on the right path!
So what have we really done so far?
Suki got introduced to the clicker... click treat, click treat,
Initially, like with everything she comes in contact with for the first time.. she was a little unsure of this noise till she figured out.. ahhhhhh this means food!
next step... click when i sit..... I now understand sit and that i have to sit before any door is open....
Release word.. well i use OK when i release Tia - no point in doing something different for Suki - so OK it is!
But the piste de resistance (sp?)
Last night.. i had pizza for dinner, well i ate the topping and left the base... i watched herself mooching in and out of her bed (I like to be able to send all my dogs to bed when i've company) sooo......
off i went.. got my clicker.... broke the base into little pieces and continued to watch the tv...
everytime she went in to her bed I "clicked" and fired a piece of the base into the bed.... she thought this was a great game - every time i hop into my bed i hear a click and I get a treat for this - so in out, in out for about five mins... and then ahhhhhh I get this when i go into bed......
i was amazed for a dog who was found dodging traffic in Galway, spent a week at a foster home in Dublin and came into heat when she moved to Kinsale still very quickly caught onto what was going on!
Today.... i did a home visit for the same rescue center I got Suki - I was asked.. can you really teach an old dog new tricks.... and my answer...... YES!
I left their home hoping they got their chosen dog and a copy of Clicker Training for Dogs! No doubt if they dont get this dog.. they'll get the next....
Happy Training!