Another Voodoo question. Surprise, surprise. And doberluv, I guess you can call this an "exhubrance-related" issue.
I taught Voodoo how to "high five" awhile back. Very cute. Here's the problem: he puts WAY too much energy into it. "High five" is now more like "right hook". He rears up and throws his entire weight into it now. It's painful. I have a scratch down my arm from the last time I asked him to do it.
I decided to go back to the clicker, and only mark him for doing it gently. The problem is that Voodoo gets frustrated and stressed easily, and just keeps offering the behavior more and more frantically. Poor thing.
Thoughts on how to gentle it down a bit?
I taught Voodoo how to "high five" awhile back. Very cute. Here's the problem: he puts WAY too much energy into it. "High five" is now more like "right hook". He rears up and throws his entire weight into it now. It's painful. I have a scratch down my arm from the last time I asked him to do it.
I decided to go back to the clicker, and only mark him for doing it gently. The problem is that Voodoo gets frustrated and stressed easily, and just keeps offering the behavior more and more frantically. Poor thing.
Thoughts on how to gentle it down a bit?