Fall Trick Training Progress

With winter close on the heels of this beautiful fall weather, I'm breaking out the props and the clicker in preparation for trick training to keep The Ginger Sisters occupied when the nights get cold and dark. Ruby has been working hard on several new tricks and Boca will try anything if it means she gets more food! I'm so proud of how far Ruby's 'hold' trick has come. The last time we shared our progress, she was ever-so-patiently persevering through my klutziness and through trial and error I found the toys that are easiest for her to hold. The fact that one of them happens to be a bouquet of flowers is just too adorable for words.

We are in the very early stages of a new trick, which I'll call "toro" but isn't quite ready for a cue yet. The idea is for Ruby to run through the towel like a bull would (for the record, mock bull fighting is the only type I condone). You can see a short session in the video below - I love how Ruby is always adding her own flourish, such as the spin.



The next video is a fairly long session working on "hold," and it was our second session this evening as my phone ran out of memory and stopped recording the first time. I know this trick takes a tremendous amount of balance and core strength and am so delighted by Ruby's obvious enthusiasm. I use luring more than I usually do with her to help her find her balance.



Boca impressed me tonight with the most coherent version of "roll over" that we've ever had. Up until this point (probably our fifth serious session) there has been a lot of random thrashing around, pawing my hands and general shenanigans. The less luring I can do, the better with her, because she is entirely too food motivated. I was questioning whether or not Boca really understands clicker training but I think tonight's session shows that it finally did "click!"

Watching the videos after the fact I can see how much fun both girls have with trick training - it really is a wonderful way to bond with and increase my communication skills with my girls. We will have to see what other amusing things we can come up with this winter! 

This post is part of the Positive Pet Training Blog Hop, hosted by Tenacious Little Terrier and Rubicon Days. The hop happens on the first Monday of every month, and is open for a full week - please join us in spreading the word about the rewards of positive training! The next hop will begin on November 7th and the theme is Indoor Activities and Games.