Post by sugar on Sept 17, 2010 9:08:27 GMT -5
So I was walking Chubs this morning (while trying to avoid torn and hanging branches and fallen ones all over the plae here in Queens, NYC) and then he saw it. His Holy Grail of objects: a ball. It was about 6 feet away from us and about half the size of a soccer ball. He stopped dead and looked. I tightened my grip on my leash waiting for hell to break loose and him to chase it like it was the last steak on earth. I tired to gently pull him away, no dice. I pulled out my clicker and said "Watch Me". Nothing.
Then I remembered what I had read in "Control Unleashed" (thanks ME!). I pointed to the ball and said "See Ball?", clicked and gave him a treat (he didn't look at me, but he took the treat nicely, normally when I tried to distract him from a ball with food he would snap the treat from my fingers in his frenzy). He still didn't want to move. I repeted, "See Ball?", click and treat. This time he turned his head slightly in my direction to take the treat, but still had his eyes on the ball. Then I tried again, "Chubby, watch me" and lo and behold he turned around looked me in the face and sat down!!!!!!! (there really aren't enough exclamation points to describe this).
I clicked and gave him a bigger treat (I tend to carry a mix of good and better treats). The better treat is a crunchy cheese-garlic square for hip and joints so while he was busy crunching I slowly lead him away from the ball. He tried to look at it again and I just repeated, "Watch me" and he did! He stared at me for a good 10 feet walking and then I clicked and treated and he didn't look behind him after that.
For those that don't know, my dog has a ball obsession like a drug addiction, where everything in the world stops and the only target is getting that ball, so this was a huge step for my boy (at least I think so).
So further down the walk we come across a tennis ball (storm left debris everywhere). He immediately starts pulling me towards it and I tell him "Chubby, watch me!" and he stops, faces me and looks me my eyes. Click and treat! We walked right by it, he staring at my face waiting for the next 'watch me' treat.
Then I remembered what I had read in "Control Unleashed" (thanks ME!). I pointed to the ball and said "See Ball?", clicked and gave him a treat (he didn't look at me, but he took the treat nicely, normally when I tried to distract him from a ball with food he would snap the treat from my fingers in his frenzy). He still didn't want to move. I repeted, "See Ball?", click and treat. This time he turned his head slightly in my direction to take the treat, but still had his eyes on the ball. Then I tried again, "Chubby, watch me" and lo and behold he turned around looked me in the face and sat down!!!!!!! (there really aren't enough exclamation points to describe this).
I clicked and gave him a bigger treat (I tend to carry a mix of good and better treats). The better treat is a crunchy cheese-garlic square for hip and joints so while he was busy crunching I slowly lead him away from the ball. He tried to look at it again and I just repeated, "Watch me" and he did! He stared at me for a good 10 feet walking and then I clicked and treated and he didn't look behind him after that.
For those that don't know, my dog has a ball obsession like a drug addiction, where everything in the world stops and the only target is getting that ball, so this was a huge step for my boy (at least I think so).
So further down the walk we come across a tennis ball (storm left debris everywhere). He immediately starts pulling me towards it and I tell him "Chubby, watch me!" and he stops, faces me and looks me my eyes. Click and treat! We walked right by it, he staring at my face waiting for the next 'watch me' treat.
Way to go Chubs and Sugar!!!
I look forward to learning much here