Clickin' the Pug, vol. 1

Hey, I've been consistent so far with this blog. But then again it's only my second day doing it. It must be those clicks and treats from Karen Pryor that are keeping me going!

Yesterday's training sessions went exeptionally well. Usually we do a session when I get home from work around 2pm, then again in the evening while we're watching tv. In the afternoon session we worked on go to bed, and gimme five. I think I gave the cue too early on go to bed, so when we do it this afternoon we'll start from the beginning. It's funny, once she knows that I want her to go to bed (which is going to her doggy mattress and laying down) she runs and pounces on the mattress and flops down. I need to start clicking her for faster behavior, though. She's taking her sweet time.

After that, we worked on gimme five. This was a hard one to teach her. For some reason she shies away from me when I'm sitting on the ground. I would cue her to sit, but once I reached to touch her paw she would jump up and run out of reach. I had given up ever teaching her this, but then I had the bright idea to put her on the couch between the arm and some stacked pillows so she couldn't go anywhere. After a few days of picking up her paw, C/T....repeat ad nauseum, she finally got the idea. A few days ago I moved her to the floor thinking she would catch on, but she ran out of reach again. Then...a miracle. I ignored her. Didn't look at her at all. Then, she came up to me and touched my hand with her paw!! C/TTTT!! I think it helped that I had her all time favorite yummy treat, canned chicken. After that, she couldn't hit my hand fast enough! So yesterday we're working on gimme five, and she is doing it without any cue, so I decide to shape that further into a wave. She does great!

In our evening session, we work more on gimme five and wave. All of a sudden she starts sitting up on her hind legs. Hey! New opportunity! We'll call this sit pretty when it's time to put a cue on it. She really picked this up quick. I think I have a dog that knows stuff! She's smart!

So...
Stuff Frankie knows: Sit, Down, Go to Bed, Gimme Five and Up High, Wave, Sit Pretty.

In other news, hubby called saying he slid down an embankment on the way home from work. The rainy season has officially started here in NW Oregon and boy did we get dumped on yesterday. Over an inch, I think. Usually there are lots of accidents during the first hard rain because the oil on the road gets slick and people, for some reason, even though they've lived here all their lives, forget that little detail. Hubby and the car are ok. He wasn't speeding...he's a very careful driver. But $80 and a tow truck later, all is well.

Until next time,

Ellen & Frankie