Clicker Training Chinchillas

WOW! What a great night for training!

Mr. Bingley is doing so well on the touch cue. A few times I asked him to touch my hand when his back was turned and he hopped right around, came to me, found my hand, and touched it. This means that he knows what the word means and isn't relying on the hand signal alone. Also, because he was doing so well, i decided to try and see how much further I could take this. He was occupying himself with chewing cardboard and I asked him to touch my hand. He stoped, hopped to me from all the way acrossed the bathroom to touch my hand. I gave him a big reward for that. SO COOL!

Going into the kennel isn't going as well. I am wondering if I am confusing him. I have noticed that when I say 'kennel' he jumps onto it. I don't know if this is coicidence or not. But before I would ask that, and if he jumped onto the kennel I would then ask him to touch my hand. From now on I am not going to do that, and just continue saying kennel as he goes in there and rewarding. Then, if he jumps onto the kennel just ignore him. Hopefully this will help if I have managed to confuse him.

I am now working with Mr. Darcy on clicker training going into the kennel. It looks like he is picking this up even faster then Mr. Bingley. Today he kept going in and out of his kennel, seemingly knowing he was going to get a 'treat' every single time he went in.

Twards the end of the training session he started pop-corning into the kennel. So CUTE! I stoped it there, because you always want to end on a positive note... and what is happier then a pop corning chin?

I am so glad he is taking so well to this, as he was my main reason for wanting to train him to go into the kennel in the first place.