365 Days of Dog Training Day 3
Lulu shortly after she came to live with us! I believe she was about 7 months old - so gangly!
Yesterday life was hectic as it is for most pet owners at times. We didn't have a chance to shoot a video but we continued to work on hush this time with more excitement and distraction.
Lulu loves to play fetch in the front yard. Her ball and a game of fetch is about the biggest reward she could ever have. Which brings up a good point - when training your dog it is important to know what truly motivates them and then use that to teach, shape, perfect or proof the behaviors they have learned.
As I said before when Lulu is excited she barks and when we play fetch she is VERY excited. So today we changed up the game. It went a little something like this.
Lulu sit. Lulu shush (wait for her to shush). Lulu good dog. Throw the ball. Release her by saying Lulu go get it. Lulu brings the ball back but I won't throw it until she drops it at my feet then sits quietly waiting for another chance.
This game went GREAT today! She even had a few visitors watching her - she was totally focused and only barked a few times. I will try to get the sequence on video in the next few days so you can all see it!
It is amazing to me what a change in her I have noticed already - she is calmer, barking less and settles down much more quickly! 5 minutes a day really can change your dog and change your life!
