Training Brags

[Duke]

Musical Settle - What a great way to motivate at home training too. No one wants to look bad in front of all the other owners, eh?? I'll try that with D&D. I'll mention that one to the instructor.

Next Sunday is Daisy's Puppy Class graduation. Owner's are supposed to show off the tricks our puppies have learned. We have to hit the home training hard this week. I've been doing the training routine with Duke and Daisy at the same time - well I try to anyway. They take turns with SHAKE and SIT PRETTY. Together they SIT - DOWN - LEAVE IT - TAKE IT - STAY. I'm working on CRAWL, but she will not ROLL OVER. I love watching the dogs that do those tricks. I'm curious if anyone has been successful with training your B's to Roll Over?? Both D&D make me feel I'm torturing them, so I give up on it.:o But they LOVE working with me. Every night - sometimes twice a night (depends how tired I am). I hope Daisy does me proud with her solo act on Sunday!:)

[lvoss]

Ringo knows roll over but I am not sure how his owners taught him.

[Duke]

@lvoss:

Usually the basenjis are the first ones out. They just don't like to lay down when they can stand around and watch everyone. Today Nicky was the Musical Settle winner! He promptly downed every time I sat in a chair. He also did very good walking on a loose leash during while the music was on. Yeah Nicky!

Congrats! You should be very proud of yourselves. You must have practiced a lot! He is a very obedient basenji to lay down every time! And loose leash walking - I'm so envious! WOO-HOO Nicky and Lisa!

[lvoss]

I have been trying to work pretty consistently with my dogs for the last two years. In that time I have found that making that committment to a little training every week really pays off in the long run. I am very proud of how far all of mine have come. They do occassionally "forget" how to do things but for the most part they really enjoy working.

For those of you just starting to work with your dogs hang in there they really do learn! For those of you who keep working with your dogs Congratulations! I am really lucky to have instructors that allow students to pay as you go instead of making a commitment to a block of classes. This flexibility has really helped me stick with it because I don't feel bad if I miss a week. Next week starts Dog Days of Summer camp for kids and I am volunteering to help out. Should be fun.

[Duke]

@lvoss:

I am really lucky to have instructors that allow students to pay as you go instead of making a commitment to a block of classes. This flexibility has really helped me stick with it because I don't feel bad if I miss a week. Next week starts Dog Days of Summer camp for kids and I am volunteering to help out. Should be fun.

Yeah - Paying by the class is a benefit if you can find a good instructor that does that. Myself, I am not disciplined enough to not make a commitment for a block of classes. I've missed one class, yesterday because we were out of town. It was just going to be a review so . . . OK.

So what is this Dog Days of Summer camp about? Dogs and kids? Being with kids having fun is fun. Do you have a child enrolled? I've helped out at my son's Cub Scout day camp 2 years ago. It was soooo hot that week! The Fire Station brought out thier hoses and cooled everyone down every afternoon. I had fun with the kids too.

[lvoss]

I do not have a child enrolled. Dogs Days of Summer is a week long camp where child and dog go for 3 hours a day and do a variety of training. There are 6 sessions during the summer and they fill quickly. My obedience instructor has been doing this camp for several years and it is very popular. Since I am a school teacher and out for the summer, I volunteered to help out with the camp. I am looking forward to it. Though I don't actually start until the week after next since I am doing a professional development seminar for myself next week.

[Duke]

That is fantastic! Keeps the kids busy and involved with their pooches! Good idea!

[Mantis]

wow that sounds great! training the kids to train the basenji…..ah, if only I had a child....

I love that Caesar is smart enough to remember the commands and if I say it once and stand and wait....I can see his wheels turning in his head until he does the thing I am asking.

occasionally he wants the treat so bad that he will lie down, chill on his side and run into his kennel doing a sit....LOL, too cute....and all I wanted was a sit....:D

[lvoss]

Mine all remember the commands that they learn when I say they "forget" it is really more that we are dealing with one of the 3 Ds (Distance, Duration, or Distraction) that they are still having trouble with. As sighthounds I find Distraction to be a hurdle since they find so many things interesting to watch, as a primitive dog they are also fascinated by scents so there are days when if I can just get their attention it is a good day. I should also add that our obedience class moves every week so the dogs learn to train anywhere which is great because really they are less distracted by different locations but it is challenging when we first arrive and they really want to investigate. Distance and Duration both offer their own challenges but we are getting there.

[Mantis]

wow, that sounds great. how much are you paying for that class?

i checked out petsmart's basic training for cairo and it isnt like it used to be. I am not thrilled with the amount of things they learn in basic.

do you take all of your basenjis to training, or just the youngest?

cairo is ready to begin….

[lvoss]

I pay $15 a session or if my husband and I both attend it is $22 for two dogs. It is also $15 a session for the agility classes I attend with a different instructor. Each of my dogs attends at least one class a week, either obedience or agility.

[Mantis]

do they love the agility? or is it difficult to get 2 to pay attention?

caesar has such a natural spaztic excitement about lure coursing….

[lvoss]

They love agility but I have a great teacher who really understands sighthounds. She owns some of the top whippets and foxhounds in agility. They really do love the obstacles and doing them and mine cry for their turn at the course.

[cleopatra]

@Duke:

I'm curious if anyone has been successful with training your B's to Roll Over?? Both D&D make me feel I'm torturing them, so I give up on it.:o QUOTE]

Our puppy graduation is on Thursday, I have been working with Zuri on roll over. She isn't too bad at it. I just get her in a down, hold a treat by her nose and bring it around the side of her body which will make her roll over most of the time. Sometimes she turns her head to meet the treat on the other side instead of rolling…but I think she will get it eventually. She has the sit, down, stay, take it and leave it pretty good....but the loose leash walking....that's my struggle.

Love my B
Brenda

[Mantis]

brenda, caesar has been loose leash walking for 5 years! he still pulls unless he knows I have treats. there is so much to look at!

[cleopatra]

We never go walking without treats at this point. But she wants to see everything and everyone! It is so hard to get her attention back when she has 'locked' onto something.

[dash]

Our puppy graduation is on Thursday, I have been working with Zuri on roll over. She isn't too bad at it. I just get her in a down, hold a treat by her nose and bring it around the side of her body which will make her roll over most of the time. Sometimes she turns her head to meet the treat on the other side instead of rolling…but I think she will get it eventually. She has the sit, down, stay, take it and leave it pretty good....but the loose leash walking....that's my struggle.

Love my B
Brenda

Wow!! Dash sits and that's it. He has to be the first dog I have had that I did not pursue training. He's to cute. Great job on your training.

[Duke]

Our puppy graduation is on Thursday, I have been working with Zuri on roll over. She isn't too bad at it. I just get her in a down, hold a treat by her nose and bring it around the side of her body which will make her roll over most of the time. Sometimes she turns her head to meet the treat on the other side instead of rolling…but I think she will get it eventually. She has the sit, down, stay, take it and leave it pretty good....but the loose leash walking....that's my struggle.

Love my B
Brenda

Gee, someone should open a Graduation thread to show off all the graduates! Be sure to take a few pictures. Pet Smart puts a Grad Cap on the pups for pics. They look so cute.

Zuri must be real smart to roll over. I've done what you're talking about to kind of force them over - both won't take their eyes off the treat so rolling over is out.

Loose leash with Duke is impossible - we walk with a head collar. There is promise with Daisy. We're still working on it - she's being so good about it.

[cleopatra]

I am downloading pictures off my camera right now and charging the battery…She is graduating from Petsmart so the caps are ready. I have yet to figure out how the heck she will sit still for us to put it on her...gonna have to break out the really good treats!!!! I promise I will post some pics. Her 'trick' to graduate will be howling to Nelly Furtado....she does it all the time and I have the cd ready for tomorrow. If that fails (it won't) i have the high 5 or crawl that she can do for them. Who knew?? Such a smart critter!

Brenda
(aka proud mama)

[jys1011]

As a proud mama of TWO crazy feisty tempermental loveable AND intelligent pooches…I just have to brag

TOPAZ & C3PO graduated from Training Level 1 for Feisty Dogs..Feisty is defined by leash lunging, growling, not friendly (dogs or people) dogs. They got their graduation diplomas & as proud parents it was very emotional for us! Well me :o more then DH

We've come a very long way with these loveable nutty dogs when I was literally TERRIFIED to walk them alone to the point where I now have confidence & control. Both my furbies can sit, down, stay, come here, & leave it (sometimes LOL ).

Our instructors recommended us for Level 2 for Feisty Dogs where we'll be working outside with 10/12 dogs. We had our first Level 2 class & once again our B's impressed the instructors with their calmness & attention!! :eek: not MY DOGS :eek: are you for real??

Pics of the big day to come