@jamato said in Scout:
I also removed her toys from her so that when she does get it, she sees it as a reward, do you think that is a good idea?
Yes. It's generally a good idea to ration access to toys rather than leaving them lying around, and using them as rewards is a great idea. It shows her you have control of the "good things" and that she can earn them by pleasing you. Toys are an alternative to food rewards and can work very well depending on the dog. If she is particularly possessive of a favourite toy you might want to avoid confrontation regarding its removal and use distraction instead, so you can put it away when she isn't looking.
Toys are also a great way to teach her useful things, such as understanding the names of items. I like to teach "pick it up" as a non specific action, so I can ask the dog to pick things up by name or just by pointing to the object. This is something that works very well with clicker training. Start with a favourite toy, and once she reliably picks that up when you request it, name the item. Then replace it with another item and go through the same procedure with the different name. Then the two items together, with a reward only when she chooses correctly. You can gradually add items to the mix. Makes a good party trick and also a more useful dog!
Have fun, and most important, make sure she is having fun too! Quit before she gets bored, but always quit on a good note with something she understands and that you can reward her for. Some dogs really enjoy puzzling out what you want them to do, others not so much, but puppies are generally very eager to learn.
"In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"
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