Training

[Guest Samantha]

So, Ive had Maddison a whole month of Friday.

 

We've been tryin for the past 2 weeks after she settled down, to train her alittle. She's got the 'NO', and if you tell her to lie down she goes and lies on her bed. So today just for fun while my son was at school i thought i would try a 'KISS' command (she's always licking!). So i started saying 'KISS' and getting her to touch my nose with hers, she caught on sooo fast!. Its hilarious she's been walking round all afternoon stopping and trying to touch everyones nose with hers to get a treat!!. I feel like Ive acheived something with her. She's so gentle and my son was practically in tears when she did it for him, he's as soft as her

 

Ive tried the 'SIT' command but she just doesn't like to sit.

 

Any ideas of anything else we could teach?

 

Im such a proud Mom

Edited May 12, 2010 by Samantha

[Guest BooBooMama]

My girls HATED sit so instead I taught them Stay- a command that could come in handy some day.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

I have had my hound just over two months and she's a joy to train with.

 

So far we have:

 

Back up (useful for when answering the door, or leaving without her)

Stay

Sit

Lay Down

Go to your room (crate)

Targeting - she'll target my hand on command of "tap", and her toy sheep when I say "sheep".

Leave it

Watch me (although per DH's request we use "hey" as a command word)

Come

Jump for a treat

Out - (leave this room)

 

I began by using dinner time as training time. Now I still do that on occasion but I have worked on training her to wait for her dinner. I put her into a sit and tell her to stay on her pillow while I fill the bowl and take it to her crate. She waits until I say "ok" before going into the crate before I'll put the food down. This has helped to strengthen her stay. I vary the time I make her wait, from a few seconds to a minute or so, before releasing her. She also waits for OK before going through doors or gates. Often when we go for walks, I'll just hang out with the front door open (dog leashed and ready to go of course) and make her wait until I say she can cross the threshold.

 

I have had so much fun working with her! She's even begun to respond to a few commands using hand signals alone.

 

I'm going to steal your idea and get her to kiss! She's not a licker, nor do I want her to be, but an Eskimo kiss would be fantastic! I actually had a duck when I was younger that would kiss on command, he would touch the side of his bill to my lips when I asked. I can't believe I didn't think to do the same with my dog.

 

So, on the docket for the future training, roll over, target other toys, kiss and shake.

Edited May 12, 2010 by Jayne

[Guest Samantha]

I have had my hound just over two months and she's a joy to train with.

 

So far we have:

 

Back up

Stay

Sit

Lay Down

Go to your room (crate)

Targeting - she'll target my hand on command of "tap", and her toy sheep when I say "sheep".

Leave it

Watch me (although per DH's request we use "hey" as a command word)

Come

Jump for a treat

Out - (leave this room)

 

I began by using dinner time as training time. Now I still do that on occasion but I have worked on training her to wait for her dinner. I put her into a sit and tell her to stay on her pillow while I fill the bowl and take it to her crate. She waits until I say "ok" before going into the crate before I'll put the food down. This has helped to strengthen her stay. I vary the time I make her wait, from a few seconds to a minute or so, before releasing her.

 

I have had so much fun working with her! She's even begun to respond to a few commands using hand signals alone.

 

I'm going to steal your idea and get her to kiss! She's not a licker, nor do I want her to be, but an Eskimo kiss would be fantastic! I actually had a duck when I was younger that would kiss on command, he would touch the side of his bill to my lips when I asked. I can't believe I didn't think to do the same with my dog.

 

So, on the docket for the future training, roll over, target other toys, kiss and shake.

 

 

OOooo! theres some great ideas there, although i havent taugh the stay command she wont go outside until i say so, or eat until i say so .

 

So how did you teach targeting? i would be very interested in this it sounds fun!

[Guest ShanYu]

Nike is totally food motivated and very quickly learned; stay, sit, down, go to bed, bow, shake paw and shake other paw. Our favourite is "bang" ( play dead) and now he is learning "spin". We are working on "fetch" but no interest there at all. He is fun to train - and if we break things down into small chunks he learns very quickly. Have fun with it!

[Guest Sunset123]

Here's what we do so far:

 

come

stay

sit

down

bow

shake

kiss

drop it

go get it / this (I pick up something and say "this!", which means watch this. Then I toss it and say, "go get it!" and she is supposed to touch it with her nose.)

look at me (I put a treat on the floor and she doesn't get to touch it until she makes eye-contact with me, then I hand it to her. I need her to know that food on the ground isn't fair game, especially since she has food allergies.)

go to your bed (VERY handy for mornings when she wakes up too early)

Edited May 12, 2010 by Sunset123

[jetcitywoman]

It's an absolute joy when you adopt a retired racer and watch them blossom when they learn to communicate with you. I also think it really builds a bond between you and the dog. I'm totally cheering for you, Samantha!

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

Targeting was the easiest. I followed the tips in Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies. Simply hold a treat in your hand and let the dog try and figure out how to get it. Once they touch your hand with their nose, click if you use a clicker, or say good to let them know they did right and give them the treat. Once they understand that, you can ad a word. Touch or whatever, I used tap. After the houndie is able to follow your hand and target wherever you put it, start over again with other objects. At first Jayne wanted to bypass the sheep to touch my hand, but she got it after a few repetitions.

 

Above all have a good time!

[arandomchic]

The most useful thing Molly knows is "wait" (stay) --- it's helpful in all sorts of situations: at doors, for food, at curbs during a stop light, keeping her calm when people approach. It's very versatile.

[Guest pennmorgan]

Our favorite is "show me your belly" whereupon Olivia (who is lying on her bed) rolls over on her side and flashes us her hoo-ha. She also knows:

 

Wait (don't move)

Leave it (don't eat that yummy treat that's two inches from you)

Go lie down

Go to your room

Up

Off

Shake

[sobesmom]

How awesome! Isn't it just SOOOOO exciting when you feel like this "dog" actually gets who you are and what the heck you're taking about! Making that connection is SO cool.

 

Sit is kinda hard for some greys. So, maybe that's a bit much for now. You've just made your first connection (that's the IMPORTANT part, not the trick). But - if she enjoys learning, start with something easier. Do you do "look at me"? Sometimes eye contact is hard for new dogs. Don't ask for a stare, just a quick look to your face, with a treat held there. "Down" is much easier than "sit". All the way to the floor, take the treat down to the floor. Down is very useful. "Go lie down" is also one we do.

 

I'm a big fan of "come to me". I can't whistle, so I use "come to me" and when they come - get a treat. Then - I throw in the hand signal. I clap once, to get the dog's attention, if they look up, they get a treat. Then I expand it. I clap, say "come to me" then motion toward myself. Eventually I can just clap once, the dog looks at me, I motion, and they come. Work on it in the house, then move it outside. I don't like bellowing across my yard. My neighbors thinks it's just cool when I walk outside, clap once, wave my hand and my dogs come running. It's not total recall, and I'd never dare it in an unfenced area, but it IT a kind of recall training.