[neri]

I was teaching my dog to take contact by waving cheese snacks in my hands when ever she looked at me instead of the snacks, she got to eat them. Both if she did particularly well, and just the other one if she couldn't help glancing the snack from time to time. Then of course she got the one she didn't glance

This was such a marvellous piece of information that I just HAD to share

There's some kind of a point there though. Just something u can do for your dog even when u just lay on the couch, watching tv and pigging out ..if u feel guilty about ignoring your pet... Not too healthy, but Sega LOVES cheese snacks (as do I ). We of course very much need to improve her taking contact, but who doesn't? It is THE Cornerstone of dog training

OT if there was one, a while ago the site first worked extremely slowly, and then didn't work at all, so I wrote this post once already and then lost it in the cyberspace. The original one was better. Just wanted to point that out

neri, i really love to read your posts about your animals. i can tell you have a big and compassionate heart. you definitely have an understanding of animals that lots of people don't have....keep telling us about your training and such.....xoxoxopat

[(JD)]

Yes, neri, very kewl. I own a service dog... he loves popcorn and often confuses when I toss him one that he misses and when I point to one on the floor... and I have to stop him and give him the sign for "focus" on me... and then sign "show" so he knows to look! Dogs are wondering companions. (He gets so excited when I sign "popcorn!")

It's a good point for all of us... to watch what is important.

[eskielover]

Ah neri,

You are an animal lover. It is a very wonderful thing to train animals. It is amazing what they do, & how close it brings them to us.

I was training little animals like rats before 11 yrs ago when I got into owning & showing my new American Eskimo dogs. What an enlightening process. I spent so much time with my first one. We trained initially for showing conformation which in AKC would allow food to get attention, but UKC doesn't....kinda have to trick them. Then I trained him for obediance which doesn't allow food at all. All they can do is follow voice commands for both on & off leash. We titled champion in conformation & got the initial obediance title only because he hated to fetch the dumbbell. From that, we went into agility training which only allows hand signals.

My younger eskies I haven't trained much, but they really know the words "go ranch" & break into a barking spree wanting to get into the car...also the "go car" gets the same response. Another fun one is when my husband & I stand far appart & tell them to "go to mommy" & they take off in a run, almost knocking me over...then I tell them to "go to daddy" & they turn around & run back....we could continue that for hours before they get bored.

It sure is is such a wonderful experience that brings us closer to our doggy children isn't it?

During the past 11 years, I have also gotten into training horses.. again, food is not practical for that kind of training. It is all reining, body position, & leg aids that signal to the horse what he is to do. The transitions have to come rapidly while showing Dressage especially, so you basically need to be one with your horse.

I'm glad to have found someone that is into training animals. I will have to look up your posts.....I started a post last year under the pets, & misc information about funny stories about pets. You might want to see some others cute stories too.

Thank you for sharing....keep it up...of course, my favorite subject,
Debbie

[neri]

Heh.. horses are fun to train i've trained my own horse, cuz he knew nothing about riding when i bought him. Food does work with some stuff Windy doesn't like jumping fences, so i tried to make it more fun to him, by first jumping myself with a huge bread, and then if he jumped too he got to have a bite from the bread

...i haven't done that anymore though... He loves jumping over obstacles in the woods, he's basically just a trail horse now. I have no vocabulary on this subject so i can't really explain what i've trained him to do. He knows all the basics, everything I know. I couldn't train him to like passage cuz i can't do it either and also he's a standardbred and i higly doubt they could do it anyways ..i'm more in to western riding anyway, though it would be nice to own like a great, well trained holsteiner too.

And about dog training... I can train Sega pretty far with only verbal compliments easier to work with her greed though My old dog loved applause ...in tests of course u can't reward the dog in the middle of the performance, but she's supposed to know all the stuff well enough to do them without a seperate reward from every single move. Sega is so not there yet, but she's still just a baby

We've just started training tracking and she loves it ...goes totally crazy when she realizes what we're gonna do... I'm not sure if we will compete in anything, i don't like the atmosphere in any dog related contests ..some people take it WAY too seriously. They say that if u don't take it seriously, don't put your blood and sweat and tears in to training your dog, then u should get a different hobby.

[eskielover]

Neri,

Like you, I found the dog showing environment to be way to serious, competative, & yes, expensive. I actually like to train for the fun of it like you. It is cute also at the ranch because one girl just got a new horse & she is training it to bow by using food to make him go down on his knee...It is so cute to watch. I also enjoy the training that just comes naturally with the imprinting I did with my 7 month old filly....she followes me like a puppy, nuzzles me for hugs, & just naturally cute things. I do have to train her better for the halter because she is out in the field with 3 year olds that are teaching her bad habbits. I think it is good to find out what works with each animal & use that to reinforce their actions.

It is sooooo much fun working with animals...love every minute I'm with them...glad to know others enjoy it so much too.

Debbie

[Mahali]

We have dogs we train and show in non professional shows. It is fun because most are not pure breds and there is no money involved.

As for blood sweat and tears. uhmmm...we do love laughs and treats.

Take care.

place

[SeaTuon]

I have two Jack Russells and my younger Jack Russell I'm training right now, he will be a year old on May 22nd. But he I'm doing extra training in order to get his CGC in the next month, and than I will be working on getting involved in Pet Assisted Therapy! I'm very excited about it. Ever need any training help/tips let me know!

[(JD)]

Now THERE'S a breed I didn't think you could train! LOL wow seatuon... you must have patience.