Going back to basics

Tracia and I decided to go back to some of the basics in order to improve the response we are getting from Rico & Pebbles.

We are doing more of the food training and having them look at us prior to giving them the reward and saying Good. This should improve their response when working with toys.

To simulate the movements we are making with a toy, we are moving our hand with the food in it and not letting them have the reward until they look at us and then we say good. They picked this up very quickly.

We have been just playing with them and not training when we play. Due to last Sunday's class, we are now training when we play. I found that Rico & Pebbles are not really interested in waiting for us to toss the toy, they just find another toy. We are now holding on to all of their toys and using one at a time unless we need to get a new toy because they do not bring the old toy to us.

Since we have started doing the basic food training again, they are catching on very quickly when we are using a toy instead of food.

Tracia really wants them to drop the toy in her hand and we are going to be working on that as well.

Tracia tells me that their leash training is going very well and I am noticing a difference as well. We went on a 2 mile walk today and they never pulled unless they needed to relieve themselves.

Training is working but we still have a long way to go.

Rico and Pebbles Playing Fighting

Rico and Pebbles Playing in the Basement

This is how Rico and Pebbles play fight. Tracia thinks it is too rough. It looks to me like they are just having fun. What are your thoughts?

Training progress

Rico & Pebbles had a great time last weekend on their first camping trip. Everyone loved them. They spent a lot of time outside and they seem to like the lake. Our family was pretty good about waiting from them to calm down before petting them but they still got away with a lot. We did not do much training this past weekend while camping but they are getting better at walking on the leash.

Tracia has been doing most of the training these days because I have been pretty busy. She is working on getting them to follow her willingly every morning. She tried to go on a walk with them this morning thinking they were ready but they ended up just fighting so she stopped the walk.

I have taken them for walks today and yesterday. They pull on the leash for a few blocks and then stop and seem to follow willingly. I stop at every corner and wait for them to sit. When they sit I say "sit." They get better as the walk continues. We walk between 1.5 to 2 miles. I try to do this everyday I can during lunch.

We look forward to getting back to class this week because we missed last weeks class. Rico & Pebbles will be spending the weekend with Peggy because we have a wedding to go to.

Day one food training

I did the food training thing today which went OK. What Idid was the following:

Put ¼ cup of food in the bowl.

Let Rico finish and then pulled the bowls away from both ofthem.

Grabbed a hand full of food in my right hand and sat on theground with my right hand to my chest near my face.

Gave each of them one piece of food one at a time and said“Good” every time they took and ate the food. I did this about three or fourtimes.

I then put the food in the palm of my hand and waited forone of them to reach for it and then I closed my hand.

I did not give them the food until someone made eye contactwith me.

Once someone made eye contact with me I gave them the foodand said “Good”

I repeated this process a few times.

I also put the food on the floor one piece at a time forthem to eat and said “Good” when they ate it. I did this about three or fourtimes.

I then put the food on the ground and waited for one of themto go for it and then I covered it up.
I waited for one of them to make eye contact with me and then I gave them thefood and said “Good”

I repeated this process a few times.

I then put two more scoops in their bowls and let themfinish eating.

When my wife gest home we are going to do the following:

I will have them on their leashes waiting for you to comehome.

As per training, you will great me first and then the dogsbut you will not great the dogs until they calm down.

We will each take one of the dogs and do the food trainingin separate rooms.

Wewill do this every day that we can and each time we will take a different dog.