Maxx and his new training tricks

All the training fun stuff helped our relationship, which in turn helped with training the “important” stuff.
Yes, I absolutely agree with this @MF, it has been my experience with Cassie too.

I've never done a class for those things, but I've trained hand touch which she loves and also middle. A/B is another thing we have turned into a game, and all sorts of things which help her stay close to me which have just made the difference as she grows up.
 

Lab_adore

Moderator
Staff member
Thanks everyone

Here's a bit of a dilemma. We have trained 'put it in my hand' so whatever toy he has he brings and gently places it in your open hand. It started with his Kong bone when it was time for a dentastick we say 'where is your bone?' and he runs around, finds it and brings it to the hand.

So now if he nicks a tea towel or shoe etc, he will bring it into the room, do a bit of a dance waiting to be chased, but we can say 'put it in my hand' and he does! So we praise him....but isn't that praise encouraging him to nick stuff too? Please help!
 
When Squidge does this, I thank her for giving it to me ( :wasntme: ) but then I ask her to pass me something else. She gets paid for that one. So if she gives me one of her toys, she immediately gets a treat, but if she gives me something else, I ask her to fetch one of her toys and then she gets a treat.

She still does nick stuff on occasion (once every couple of weeks), but it's greatly reduced, and I take it as information that she needs some interaction, since she's not nicking stuff to destroy it. It sounds like Maxx could be saying the same thing. Maybe just pay more into him retrieving things he's allowed - whether he does this on cue or of his own volition :)
 

HAH

Moderator
Location
Devon, UK
Really helpful for me too @snowbunny , thanks for asking the question @Lab_adore :highfive:
Our issue is that Kipper nicks things from the kitchen table and then wants a game to return it. I’ve got into the bad habit of doing a straight swap for a biscuit, which reinforces the behaviour (my mum pointed this out the other day :facepalm:).
But it is always when he wants interaction, and is classically when we’re in the middle of something else like cooking so I need to work on settling. Stuck in a ‘short term management, long term training needs’ loop at the moment - probably need the blimmin’ Relaxation Protocol again...
 
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