yay winnie

Winnie finally is making progress with the stay command it has been a frustrating few months, especially with puppy class as all the other pups were more that happy to stay. They only thing is that because I can't treat during the stay (she breaks either at the break command or at the offering of food) i worry that i am treating and praising the break not the stay. We will continue to work on this nightly and maybe i can start treating the stay as she gets better.

Other than that the past week was ups and downs with Winnie. She had an accident in the house (first in almost 3 months) she threw up twice one night last week and we nicked the quick while trimming her nails. However, she is loving her toothbrush, and is calming down a lot. She is giving kisses on command and has really developed her own personality.

One question for those who are reading this, when your dog goes down the stairs does (s)he walk or hop? Winnie bunny hops all the way down. It is how she taught herself and I worry one day she might slip up.

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Comment by winnie_the_dog on April 15, 2008 at 8:10pm: thanks for the dinner idea. i know to do training before a meal, but i hadn't thought of using the meal for stay. The way our instructor taught us was to give the command and hand signal and then give treats while holding them in the stay as to not treat the release but the stay. Winnie takes a treat as the end to training so this didn't work well. she also saw the hand signal as a reason to jump around. this has taken a lot of work and i think timing to get it. i think she just wasn't "ready" before.

Comment by Sam on April 15, 2008 at 5:59pm: The very best stays I have taught are at meal times. You have the "mother lode" of treats. I do a sit or down and put the bowl down. They are not to move until they receive their release word. This gives you a much more controlled environment to practice. I would never offer a treat for stays in class. Much too distracting for a young dog. I would work at my distance on lead. Practice reinforcing he command and start adding movement to your body. Take a step left, a step right. As she becomes more solid I would walk around her.....all on lead for easy correction. Make sure your verbal cue and hand signal are the same each time. Also make sure you are using a release word, the same each and every time. Usually doesnt take our little pals long.

Comment by winnie_the_dog on April 15, 2008 at 4:46pm: ah... see winnie won't ever jump or skip any steps.... she has fallen off things before and is very wary of gravity. but she looks like peppy la pew going down the stairs.

Comment by Suresh on April 15, 2008 at 4:40pm: Roscoe does both ... it depends on how much of a hurry he is. He likes to herd me down the stairs, growling the whole way, and he won't go unless I go with him at the same time. He's "hopped" down a few at a time to the bottom, he worries me that he's going to go flying down an entire flight in a little furry ball.