More Dog Training
Feb. 24th, 2009 10:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
summer_jackelI already knew this about Coba, but training him is making me understand it in a fresh way: the dog is a smart little thing, and also quirky.
Week 4, puppy class. The 'tight heel' command is now officially, "Coba! Velcro!" I'm giving it after a "focus", i.e looking at me excitedly from heel position, for now. So far, he is extremely good at this. Coba's best thing is a long, solemn, focused sit followed by a really happy, motivated Velcro heel. It's cute as heck. He's getting really good at "come", too.
Coba is not so great at "down" and "stand." Even when I'm praising him bouncily and giving him jerky treats, he gets really dismal and concerned when given these commands. Those fuzzy ears which he still hasn't managed to grow into literally droop. It sure looks like he actually dislikes the act of lying down or coming to a stand, but I'm pretty sure it's just because he doesn't yet quite understand what I want. He's trying really hard and then freezing. I think that not understanding something I want scares him, no matter how nice I am about asking for it; he is a very small and subordinate pack animal, after all, faced with the dominant creature in his world.
If I am ever tempted to become frustrated with Coba, I recall that nasty helpless feeling that I got in my worst math classes and try to empathize.
And he's not actually that slow. It just seems weird, given how lightning-fast he got sit, heel, focus, come and velcro, until I remind myself that Coba remains a 7-month old puppy. He's the youngest dog in his basic obedience class by almost 2 months. He's also, and let me brag just a little bit here, the most uniformly behaved dog in the class. So I try to make this all as fun for him as I possibly can. I am learning a lot from this dog.
So, my request, nay, my _pleading_ here, is for a clever, sly and witty (or just interesting) command for "finish." This, you will recall, is the command where dog, who is doing something in front of you, moves back to velcro position at your left heel. I'm teaching it now because it is one of the commands that Coba has decided he really really loves, all of a sudden. Got to encourage the little guy. I'm just using the hand signal now, but I need me a fun word.
woof!
Week 4, puppy class. The 'tight heel' command is now officially, "Coba! Velcro!" I'm giving it after a "focus", i.e looking at me excitedly from heel position, for now. So far, he is extremely good at this. Coba's best thing is a long, solemn, focused sit followed by a really happy, motivated Velcro heel. It's cute as heck. He's getting really good at "come", too.
Coba is not so great at "down" and "stand." Even when I'm praising him bouncily and giving him jerky treats, he gets really dismal and concerned when given these commands. Those fuzzy ears which he still hasn't managed to grow into literally droop. It sure looks like he actually dislikes the act of lying down or coming to a stand, but I'm pretty sure it's just because he doesn't yet quite understand what I want. He's trying really hard and then freezing. I think that not understanding something I want scares him, no matter how nice I am about asking for it; he is a very small and subordinate pack animal, after all, faced with the dominant creature in his world.
If I am ever tempted to become frustrated with Coba, I recall that nasty helpless feeling that I got in my worst math classes and try to empathize.
And he's not actually that slow. It just seems weird, given how lightning-fast he got sit, heel, focus, come and velcro, until I remind myself that Coba remains a 7-month old puppy. He's the youngest dog in his basic obedience class by almost 2 months. He's also, and let me brag just a little bit here, the most uniformly behaved dog in the class. So I try to make this all as fun for him as I possibly can. I am learning a lot from this dog.
So, my request, nay, my _pleading_ here, is for a clever, sly and witty (or just interesting) command for "finish." This, you will recall, is the command where dog, who is doing something in front of you, moves back to velcro position at your left heel. I'm teaching it now because it is one of the commands that Coba has decided he really really loves, all of a sudden. Got to encourage the little guy. I'm just using the hand signal now, but I need me a fun word.
woof!
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Date: 2009-02-25 11:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-25 03:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-25 08:27 pm (UTC)Ta-dah!! :D
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Date: 2009-02-25 10:04 pm (UTC)Soppy to say it, but it pleases me that you're using the same cue for the puppy parfait that I had with my feathered toast rack. :> It feels like a circle; one that doesn't contain me any more, but which still goes on without end.