a blog about Kilt and her kids plus Trouble our JRT mascot.

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Sequim, Washington, United States

Monday, February 27, 2012

My favorite thing to do...

....is to work with pups.  Champ knows what come, down, and sit mean.  He doesn't do them all of the time when asked, but he knows what I am asking.  I don't demand perfection at 10 weeks of age :0)  Right now I am teaching him to pick up and retrieve the dumbbell.  I used velveta cheese in teeny tiny pieces.  First I put a little smear of cheese on the dumbbell in the middle of it.  I clicked him for any interest shown in the middle of the dumbbell.  He doesn't get clicked for grabbing the ends or trying to chew on the ends.  I just take it away from him for a nano second.  Pretty soon he thought he was a very clever pup by picking it up and carrying it a ways.  Click/treat.  Then I put the dumbbell on my lap and/or on a chair and asked him to "take it."  He found this to be a fine game.  Click/treat.


Picking it up off the floor


Standing on hind legs to retrieve it off the chair

Got it!

Over the next few days when I am home we will work for about 5 minutes (max) on this exercise.  Champ is a thinker.  He doesn't offer behaviors with gusto and enthusiasm (yet).  He wags and slowly offers his new behaviors.  It's a bit different than I am used to, but that's okay.  They are all their own individuals.

He runs a tunnel with gusto and enthusiasm!  He once did the low dogwalk for treats, but after he saw what he had done that high in the air, he decided it looked a might too dangerous.  That's okay, too.  Pretty soon, he will be running the dogwalk (in his own time).  He enjoys watching the other dogs do the dogwalk.

This Saturday, he and his brother are going to a CERF clinic in Palmdale.  I just may have to take a few pictures.  His brother, Trip, is sooooo gorgeous.  He looks like he should be a Border Collie model for conformation.  Shhhh...did I just say that?  Champ is small and still very puppy loose in comparison to Trip.
Trip looks like a minature adult.  But, Champ will most likely fit on the floorboard of my truck as an adult. And, with as many dogs as we have, we need to use all available space. :0)

4 comments:

Karen said...

I'm going to find your training of Champ very interesting.
Luna sometimes has to fit on the floorboards of our little Ford Ranger, between my feet. Some days going to the farmers market there is no room left in the canopy, and when Calli is behind the seat, there is only room for one other dog back there, so Luna has to go in the front. It always amazes me what a small amount of space that she can fit herself into if she has to.

gvmama said...

Kilt is like Luna. She takes up less space than my JRT. She can curl up into the tightest little ball. I'm hoping Champ will be a small boy. :0)

Monique said...

Sounds a lot like Rye at that age. Very meticulous thinker, not super rapid to offer. Often he would offer a completed behavior rather than subjecting himself to shaping ;)

gvmama said...

Monique...I'm not even sure he gets the gist of the C/T yet. I have been clicking him since 5 weeks of age. I will continue to do so. Wayne says he thinks he is smarter than some adult dogs we have had. haha He just gives the "whole" behavior. Maybe 'shaping' is beneath him. :0)