# Just have to brag on our old man in training



## WonderPup (Mar 23, 2011)

Sometimes it's amazing what a clicker and some cheerios will do  

I've been working with my foster dog Owen for a week now. He's got some basic manners issues. He tries to push through door ways, pulls on his leash, doesn't know a recall, that kind of thing. Nothing bad, just basic manners. 

He's figured out the clicker and is getting pretty good at training me to give him treats or a toy. He's got some hip issues and I figured that sit and down might be difficult for him and thus might take longer to train. They are a little hard for him to get up from and sometimes he almost looses his balance but he is more than happy to offer those behaviors. We just started working on the leash pulling yesterday. It took maybe twice and then he realized that the clicker and the cheerios were coming with us and he wasn't going anywhere while pulling yay it was like the light bulb went off. He's not quite cured or anything but in just two lessons he's got some sort of grasp on the concept of what I want. He even corrected himself today before I could do it. He was moving to far forward and the leash was almost tight and I was just about to stop and he looked back and was like Oh, hang on I'm not where I should be and self corrected his position. 

Hahaha, I WISH I could the take credit for it.  I know better though. It's more him than it is me. 

I can't help it, I'm proud of him. He's 8 years old and can't see or hear 100% perfectly (he's not anywhere near blind or deaf but he's not 100%) and he's not in perfect health in other ways as well. He's had it a little rough but he's still happy to play the training game and he's doing it better than some of the younger dog's I've worked with  

Yay for Owen, good boy 

I think I am going to bring him to my next group class and say, "SEEEEEE this stuff does work, if Owen can do it....." 
I've already got a client in mind who wants to argue the effectiveness of certain training techniques. I bet she'd fall over to see Owen's quick progress over a weeks time with a clicker and some consistency.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Yay for Owen and double yay for you! :happy:


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

You deserve MUCH more credit than you are giving yourself. Good work! :smile:


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## WonderPup (Mar 23, 2011)

I think it's more the method. I was doing some testing and noticed some things that tell me he's had some previous jerk and pull type training. I guess it wasn't consistent b/c he's 8 and still doesn't have what I would consider basic manners. This weeks projects are leave it and wait. Will be nice to not have him try and shove you over trying to go out the door with you. 

I had the bright idea to replace have him replace my current work buddy Saleen at my next class. So Owen is going to be my "demo dog" to hopefully help motivate people to stick with the training. Sure he'll have a couple weeks head start on the rest of the students but he's taking things slower so they'll basically get to watch him progress right along with their dogs. I'm excited, though Saleen is going to be pretty peeved when she has to sit this session out


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Whatever works! And good for you, there is not much more unpleasant for both dog and human that having a pulling contest. Plus, walking nicely gives him such a better chance of getting adopted.

I have not had great success with clickers, nor am I a fan of pull and jerk (my current Dobie and I visited 5 trainers before we found one we liked); however, I would use a clicker in a heartbeat if it was successful, and I'm sure it is in many cases. One thing clickers and me have in common - praise, praise, praise. i have noticed when we are out in public around other dogs I am usually the only one saying in a high baby voice "GOOD BOY! GOOD BOY!" I used to feel silly, but not so much any more. 

He was an older dog, like yours, with no leash manners whatsoever when I got him. It was really awful, wallering around in the street with a 110 pound dog - not something i'd like to do again. What you are doing is a very, very good thing.


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## WonderPup (Mar 23, 2011)

LoL, To be honest I don't like clickers either, which is ironic considering. I prefer a spoken mark myself or a whistle that I use from time to time. I find students who can get the hang of handling the clicker, leash, treat/toys, and put it all together with good timing are exceptionally successful. Most people give up and revert to the spoken marker, they are successful too but it's slightly slower going sometimes for them. The only time this isn't true for me is in one of my classes that is specifically a clicker training class or my kids and dog's classes. Kids are really really good at clicker training  Actually kids are usually really good at dog training in general.


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