Hardest Thing EVER

[Linds]

Teaching a 12 week old puppy that they do in fact have back legs. Because believe me, they really really don't think so.

I've been working on back feet targeting for a few days and finally had the breakthrough today. It was not easy. I can not count the number of times her back feet landed on the object and she was none the wiser and had no clue why I was shoving food at her.

Back Feet Targeting

[Cali Mae]

I was (still am sort of) having a similar issue with Cali.. she's a 15 month old with the attention span of a 12 week old, it seems. I've been working on spin with her and she has yet to associate the word with the action, even though she's picked up on the last two tricks in one session.

Good job on having a breakthrough though! I have to admit that I'm really excited to hear about all your progress as I know what a great job you've done with Traveler.

[JessLough]

Does the person videotaping actually say "do you remember when she was little?" lol

She's so cute! At least we still get video!

[BostonBanker]

Use caution My agility trainer actually said "Can we make him less aware of his hind feet?". When Gusto was cartwheeling around the room because he was certain "lie on the mat" meant "get your hind feet on the mat".

I'm going to start a new training method called "Hind Feet Oblivion". DVD to follow.

[houlahoops]

Heehee she is so cute! Congratulations on the break through...I love the lightbulb moment!

But I definitely feel your pain: Bailey (and a handful of the 'houlas I've hunted with, come to think of it) doesn't seem to know that he has legs at all. I'll have to get a video of him running up the stairs. He just sort of aims his chest at the top steps and flails wildly around until he flops over the edge of the last step.

[Shai]

Originally Posted by BostonBanker

Use caution My agility trainer actually said "Can we make him less aware of his hind feet?". When Gusto was cartwheeling around the room because he was certain "lie on the mat" meant "get your hind feet on the mat".

I'm going to start a new training method called "Hind Feet Oblivion". DVD to follow.

lol nice I can relate to that...I did the same thing with Mira and now any time she is presented with a new situation her default is to put her back feet on it. Which was really insane the first time I tried to shape her to use a "Treibball" ball and she promptly 2o2o's it...as it slides/rolls away...she finally slammed it into a corner and 2o2o'd it there where it couldn't roll away. I was laughing too hard to help.

[Linds]

Originally Posted by houlahoops

Heehee she is so cute! Congratulations on the break through...I love the lightbulb moment!

But I definitely feel your pain: Bailey (and a handful of the 'houlas I've hunted with, come to think of it) doesn't seem to know that he has legs at all. I'll have to get a video of him running up the stairs. He just sort of aims his chest at the top steps and flails wildly around until he flops over the edge of the last step.

I can picture that perfectly! So funny!

Originally Posted by Shai

lol nice I can relate to that...I did the same thing with Mira and now any time she is presented with a new situation her default is to put her back feet on it. Which was really insane the first time I tried to shape her to use a "Treibball" ball and she promptly 2o2o's it...as it slides/rolls away...she finally slammed it into a corner and 2o2o'd it there where it couldn't roll away. I was laughing too hard to help.

That right there is because Mira is the most awesome of the awesome. I so wish there was a video of that

Originally Posted by BostonBanker

Use caution My agility trainer actually said "Can we make him less aware of his hind feet?". When Gusto was cartwheeling around the room because he was certain "lie on the mat" meant "get your hind feet on the mat".

I'm going to start a new training method called "Hind Feet Oblivion". DVD to follow.

Oooh believe me, I know! Not to that extent but Traveler's default has because back leg lifts and back feet targeting. In agility I have to stand no where near equipment or he starts trying ot back up it.

I'm mainly just doing this to get the idea and then moving on. I'll probably polish it later but I had such a hard time with Traveler teaching him to use his back feet I wanted her to know that that's one of the options to offer when shaping. But not the ONLY option. Next up is pivoting I think, I just really wanted to do back feet targeting before pivoting because Traveler at least got stuck on that and was like "I can spin this way and this way and that way and really I can keep doing it forever and ever and ever" which was another reason he was so hard to shape to target with his back feet

Originally Posted by JessLough

Does the person videotaping actually say "do you remember when she was little?" lol

She's so cute! At least we still get video!

My dad was sitting in the area looking at something online and was asking me if looked like my sister when she was little. Not Didgie

Originally Posted by Cali Mae

I was (still am sort of) having a similar issue with Cali.. she's a 15 month old with the attention span of a 12 week old, it seems. I've been working on spin with her and she has yet to associate the word with the action, even though she's picked up on the last two tricks in one session.

Good job on having a breakthrough though! I have to admit that I'm really excited to hear about all your progress as I know what a great job you've done with Traveler.

I'm TERRIBLE at linking cues to behaviors. Like, I seem incapable of it. I'm lucky Traveler knows what sit, stand and down mean.

[SarahHound]

She is so adorable. I love the clumsy puppy feet stage.

[FG167]

Too cute!

We start ours on stairs, move to the perch and then onto flat objects. My GSD refused to learn where to put his back feet until I gave up and went to the stairs instead of the perch. Silly pups!

[NicoleLJ]

Daya just turned 12 weeks. After her long trip we are not working on anything hard for a few days. Potty Pen training, hands are not chew toys, what she can and can't chew. Those are our goals. I can't wait to get to start with the hard stuff. I know what you mean though about them just not getting it. But the fun part is when you see the light bulb come on and click they get it. It is so exciting. lol. Any chance on more pictures?