Trick of the Week: Cross your paws!

Crossbone is getting it way better than I envisioned! I am recording snippets and will compile it at the end of the week.

I started with shaping, but he kept running to his crate (to wait for the 'okay'!--a sure way to get treats) so I started having him put his paw in my hand but that led to pouncing on me & scratching me up and thinkin that he always has to be touching me. Started using a small piece of cardboard as a target & we're making progress!!!!

This doesn't really do it justice, from the front it's a million times cuter, but here is the best I could capture Maisy's little front foot tippy-taps. Now that she sort of has the idea, I just have to refine what I'm rewarding.

I have to say, out of all of them she seems to be the best at figuring out exactly what you are rewarding, although she offers the fewest behaviors once you click something she just zeroes in on it like a rocket. I'm imagining her thinking "You mean... this? Really? Move my front feet? Okaaaaay."

And if you notice her body swaying a bit... it's because she wags her tail the whole time, LOL.

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And here is Squash.... flopping. I have no idea what I was marking and treating there at the end. I think his paws touched and I was desperately trying to reward ANY paw movement. So I probably just encouraged his flopping. *shakes fist*

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Oh come on, now! Fleetwood is a show off!! Nah, just kidding - that's amazing. He's so adorable <3

Juno is looking great!!! She's so cute.

OMG Maisy. I love her foot taps. And Squash is just hilarious. At all times.

Since we got all the snows today, we've been working on this off and on throughout the day. The boys are improving! They seem to be getting that I want the paws moving towards each other.

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OMG Squash and Pip are so good!! They are really getting it

So far I've gotten Kimma targeting the object I'm using in a down with only her one paw. Tomorrow I will start moving the target over towards her other paw. We shall see how it goes.

Pit is a hopeless spazzoid when it comes to training something that requires finesse or control. So far we're at the point where he will cross his left paw over his right paw and touch a target, but will simultaneously throw his right arm out from underneath and reach farther to the right coupled with a sideways body shimmy. As a result of this super-arm-body-flail, I've got a dog that paw crosses his way around in a circle and never really accomplishes an actual paw cross

Methinks we won't get this one for a while!

I decided to switch to using my hand as a target and putting Pit on a bed to help keep him somewhat stationary. He still has a hard time keeping his right arm still. True to his style, he loses his brain when I don't click when he moves the arm I don't want him to move. CALM DOWN, DOG.

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Pip & Squash are looking good!

And I laughed so hard at Pit's video!

from a while ago:

Learning:

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After she had it down a little better:

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Squash today: "I have... FRONT paws? And I can... MOVE them?" *boggle*



sigh

Everyone's doing really good! I'll try to comment on specific videos later.

Boone got neutered today, so I don't think we'll be doing this one. If I have time when I'm not catering to his every need and letting him milk this for all it's worth, I'll try to start one of the girls on Cross Your Paws.

Lola and I can't get beyond flopping and lifting one paw off the floor and banging it down.

Here's the semi-final product -- I am in the process of compiling a couple of training videos.

I'm using the cue "skull" because his name is crossbone. I guess the idea is I can eventually say, fill in the blank, skull &......crossbone!!!

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Crossbone is perfect - just saying. So cute, and he understands the behaviour so well.

I'm very surprised how quickly he goes from scatterbrained to getting it!

Obligatory "training of" video.
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Jackie Loo & Crossbone: synchronized leg crossing

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Oh, Kimma.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmYyl4ns9DY

OK, after many failed attempts at embedding, I shall remain the forum idiot and just post a link. We were having some trouble when I was trying to shape this, but she seemed to be getting the hang of it once I introduced a target.

http://youtu.be/zAzmtWt4oeI

So there's a reason I haven't posted about this at all. I hate this trick. With all of my heart. I tried teaching it to Zinga a while ago for Trkman's puppy class and when I posted a video of Zinga throwing herself at me and the target and her crazed tapping from shaping it, all Trkman had to say was something along the lines of good luck with that, she's a bit crazy.

I've had a few sessions with her lately and it's just not going well. I'll video what we have tonight. I'm afraid this trick has me beat. Anyone want to trade dogs and give me a less flaily one??

I have not tried it with Zuma yet though, so maybe she'll be my saving grace.

Yeaahhhhhh sounds a bit like Kimma LOL. Though we didn't totally shape it, so she's probably not as spastic as you are making Zinga out to be. I'm pretty sure this will be one trick we just aren't going to master