The first week he was with me we didn't focus on learning too many new things but with some boundaries and manners comes safety so we are raising the expectations. Things like 'wait' at a door teaches them to not dart out into possibly dangerous situations. 'Wait' has many uses - at the door, at the gate, at the curb when waiting to cross the street. We are also using a sit and wait (without command) at meal time and an 'okay' as a release word. With food being his number one favorite thing this has been a good exercise for him in some self-control.
This may or may not seem like a very big thing but any accomplishment by a foster makes me extremely proud, no matter how big or small. Every bit of learning is a stepping stone to something that may improve their life.
We are also working on having him not rush in to grab food as he is the fastest thing on four legs when something drops to the floor. So, starting tonight after he'd had his own dinner I had him stay at the kitchen doorway by putting a dog bed down for him and herding him out of the kitchen while I made a pot of food to pack for lunches. While chopping I would pretend to drop a carrot down and just before he made a move for it I'd tell him to 'leave it'. His reward for leaving it was a piece of sweet potato from a different source and fed by hand. After a few tries Theeyo had it all worked out and even when the carrot rolled right up to his bed he avoided. I will continue to reinforce this and teach him that treats only come from me. I'm hoping this will help when we're on our walks and he darts to pick things up as he thinks so many things might be worth tasting. A good 'leave it' or 'drop it' command is great to have for a dog that will pick up different things, but its even better to teach them to make the good choice in the first place.
Theeyo's personality is starting to shine through and I find myself smiling at him more and more. For example, in the morning he's ready for breakfast around 7:00 and he starts by staring at me and willing me to wake up. I pretend to be asleep to see how many things he will try. He bats you in the face with a paw, then moves into the big stretch with front paws pushing into me, then comes the face lick and the hand lick and then he climbs up to stand on me and then lays down on top of me with his paws under my chin and continues the staring contest. Once I sit up in bed he gets playful and then jumps down to head for the door and breakfast. After this routine and a trip outside he's actually quite happy to go back to bed for a bit so I haven't had to give up on that extra bit of weekend sleep in.
Theeyo has been alert barking at the comings and goings around home and around the vehicle but he's starting to feel more secure with me and is learning that other people move about their business and aren't worrying about him either. It's a work in progress but he's figuring out his city life quite well. The next picture shows both Theeyo and his friend Bella watching something out in the parking lot. Bella is a TG dog who was adopted by my neighbour and she is usually the first dog friend my fosters have when they arrive.
A final comment: In case anyone wonders why his food looks all white in the video....he was getting some chicken and rice for a few days to help bring him back into balance with his diet and has since been moved to raw food to help him feel more satisfied with his portions and to help with losing his weight. He really loves it! So a BIG THANK YOU to Jake & Daisy's for making such great food and to Linda D. for picking it up for me. You guys rock and Theeyo agrees!
CLICK HERE to read about Jake & Daisy's ....there's a retail store close to just about everyone, that carries their food.
1 comment:
He looks so much better Lisa, and Happy.. & good progress with training.
Another "leave it" exercise some trainers use is to hold the food in your hand right up to them and say leave it until you say take it.
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