[Gracie's_Mom]

Gracie didn't want to listen when I called her today. So I figured okay back to basics. I got out the clicker and started calling her over to me. She would come when she felt like it but there was no rush on her part I guess. So I brought her inside to really get back to basics. I would put her through all her commands that she knows. Sit, come, lay, stay, shake, beg, hi five, off, up, spin, and so on. You get the picture. So I went into the bathroom and called her to me. She was very hesitant to come. So I kept would do her correction sound which is a deep BAHH. So then she would start to come then I would correct her again. After 2 or 3 times she came in and sat down like she is suppose to. I clicked of course and told her she was a good girl. So then I figured since she is afraid of the bath tub we could work on that. So I made her stay in the bathroom while I went and got her some string cheese to work with her. The first 2 times I lifted her into the tub and gave her some cheese. Then I would throw the cheese in and she would follow. I would get in the tub and call her over to me. Which she did well at. I turned on the water a little bit and gave her more cheese. I am going to do this again tomorrow. But tomorrow I am going to introduce the command word as "tub".

I hope to be able to get her to sit and stay in the tub while I bathe here. Which I know this might take a week or so. And yes my girl does get a bath at the beauty shop (aka the groomer)

Now my question is this. Do I just add a little water at a time, or do I get her wet just a little and lots of praise of course while letting the water run? This is the part that I get confused which might be why she doesn't listen to me well. I can get to the first few steps but when I want to improve on them I get confused. Any help would be greatly appreciated. *I must have an overly large dummy bump today!*

 

[TracyJo]

Alrighty, I would treat this same as the 101 things to do with the box. Take Grace into the bathroom (no water running or standing in the tub) shut the door so she can't make a retreat and make sure you have plenty of really yummy treats. At first you're going to c/t when she even looks at the tub (remember timing is everything, you've got to make sure to click while she is looking at it). Then start upping the demand. Wait til she noses the side, c/t. Once she knows the tub is the key to her getting reward, she'll start throwing new behaviors. If after she's gotten treats for nosing the side several times she stops getting them for that, chances are she's going to try something else, like pawing at the side... I would stick with this until you have her jumping in on her own. Then when she's gotten than down, add the word "tub". (will admit this part is fuzzy with me to but this is how I add the command to the behavior) As soon as you see her start to hop in the tub, very calmly as to not distract her say "tub". I'm sure this lesson will take a bit of time to master but will be fun. I've got Chi hopping in and out of a box now on command. I did exactly what I suggest you do for the tub thing. In fact, if you don't want to sit in the bathroom, get a box, you can teach her to jump in and out of it and that command could work with the tub too.
Remember to vary your treats. If she does something pretty good and treat worthy, give her a little treat. If you walk in and she looks a the tub once, give her 1 little treat, if her next behavior is to put a paw on the tub, give her a jackpot amount of treats.
Let us know how it's going!!!

 

[Lexus]

Sounds great Trac!!! BTW - I started the 101 things to do with a box last night.... I may need you guys to vouch for my sanity, I think my kids and husband are going to send me to a padded cell.....

 

[Dobe_Paws]

Sounds great Trac!!! BTW - I started the 101 things to do with a box last night.... I may need you guys to vouch for my sanity, I think my kids and husband are going to send me to a padded cell.....

What exactly is 101 things to do w/a box?:confused2

 

[Lexus]

What exactly is 101 things to do w/a box?:confused2

Okay.... you get a box. So far so simple! I start by just placing the box on the floor and I sit on the couch. As soon as Lex looks in the direction of the box, she get a C/T. (click/treat) After she's eventually learned that by looking at the box she gets rewarded, we up the anti! I then require her to TOUCH the box to get a C/T. They learn to use their OWN brains to come up with different ways to get a treat! Great foundation to advanced exercises! Right now, we're moving kinda slowly as she is new to the whole clicker thing. But so far, I am the happiest with her progress as I have EVER been!!

Next, as Tracy has accomplished already, you get them to get in the box, or pick it up, or push it. The point isn't really that (wow) you have a dog that can play with a box. It is that your dog has learned to use it's own brain to come up with new exercises constantly to be rewarded. As they get more and more consistant you add commands into their actions. and so on! It really is a lot of fun, and as Trac said, You do it all sitting on your couch!

 

[Dobe_Paws]

Sounds like it might be fun! I just got a package in the mail the other day and the cats have been using the box as a playhouse... I think I'm going to have to steal it from them to use. lol

 

[Lexus]

Sounds like it might be fun! I just got a package in the mail the other day and the cats have been using the box as a playhouse... I think I'm going to have to steal it from them to use. lol

It's funny you say that! When I put the box on the floor yesterday, the first thing Keli did was jump in it! Well, hubby picked her up (as she was guarding it, goofy cat) and the entire time he held her she just b*tched and moaned. You know how ornry cats gets, with that patented cat yowl. Finally he let her down, just as Lex was about to touch the box, and Keli launched at her from the couch, smacking the heck out of poor Lex, while jumping in "her" box! It really a wild to see! Thank goodness Lexy has a good sense of humor!:help_up_2

 

[Dobe_Paws]

Finally he let her down, just as Lex was about to touch the box, and Keli launched at her from the couch, smacking the heck out of poor Lex, while jumping in "her" box! It really a wild to see! Thank goodness Lexy has a good sense of humor!

:lol2:

I'll probably have to close Xavier in another room while we try this because otherwise Ava might get face hugged.:eek11:

 

[Jedski]

:largegr: I love that, face hugged!

I like the sound of the box game too, Jeddah is getting pretty bored with our hide and seek the favourite toy game, wrestling with older son game, sneaking up on the lounge when Mum goes to sleep in front of tele game! She needs some new fresh fun time. Thanks TracyJo.

 

[TracyJo]

Here is a link

http://clickertraining.com/training/clicker_basics/?loaditem=101_w_a_box&itemnumber=8

I really rely on this excersize pretty much everyday. Chi is approaching 6 months old and I would say the "terrible-twos". She can be such an incredible pain sometimes. I think Kim hit the nail on the head in a different post when she described the dogs she has now. They are at the point in their life where they can simply relax. I live for the day that Chi will be able to simply relax LOL. Until that day comes though, I have to keep her stimulated and right now this is working wonders. The neat thing about it is that the possibilities are endless, it's fun for her, fun for me and absolutely no pressure on either of us.
I think we need to start a thread and share the different behaviors we're seeing with this game. You guys will see that within just a few days the dogs will go crazy when they see "the box" and will literally throw all kinds of behaviors at you trying to earn that coveted c/t.

 

[TracyJo]

DobePaws,
I do have to put YoYo in another room when we play this game. He is so very into it and will throw all kinds of behaviors at me to get the c/t. But he's too fast and there is no way either of the dogs can get anything in LOL. He gets his own special time when I have the dogs in their kennels though

 

[Hero's Mom]

That is one of the exserises that my trainer shared with me and it is alot of fun.

 

[Carrie]

You guys are great! What patience! I think that's a wonderful way to teach them to get in on their own. I have never taken the time to do that and I should. Lyric is about 95 LBS and I have to lift his front half into the tub, then he jumps in the rest of the way. He is not very happy about taking a bath and leans into me which make the water which I pour over him run out onto the floor. He doesn't fight it, but he's definitely not thrilled about having a bath. After the first few minutes he relaxes a little more.

My boy Chi doesn't mind and my girl Chi really loves a bath...likes the warm water. Funny dogs.