Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin Lodal  Oh Taffy, she HAS to be a lil diva! 
Any luck with any of the suggestions? |
We were out and about both today and yesterday for a short while and both times I forgot I wanted to stop by the grocery and get string cheese! Grrr...my memory is non-existent sometimes.
However, get this...
Today, she learned to lay down when I say, "Taffy, lay down." She learned this with no treats but with our toy toss. It is so funny though because after we started the game, I'd say "Taffy, sit" before I would pick up her toy (after getting it from her...still gotta work on that...LOL) and toss it again. I felt like I was playing "Simon Says"...LOL
At times I'd point to her and then back to my nose to get her to focus totally on me whenever she was distracted. Then when I said, "Taffy, sit" and she didn't I'd just cross my arms and look away. (Drove her crazy...LOL) Within 5-10 seconds, the little toot would sit...just a test of wills. When I didn't give in and toss the toy anyway, she decided to play the game my way.
This wasn't new learning because I'd already taught her to sit and as one poster wrote above, I realized that I taught her that by just playing, no treats needed sooooo...today she learned how to lay down the same way. She got so into that routine of toss, command to lay down, lay down, and then toss again that she started bypassing my telling her to lay down. LOL...she'd run back and slide into place like a runner stealing base. That's when I had to start mixing it up with the "Sit" and "Lay down."
She loves playing this game so much that she tired me out! Forget that short attention span she's supposed to have. What is funny though is that I discovered she really likes me to say her name with the cue. "Sit" doesn't get near the quick response I get from "Taffy, sit." The girl likes that personal touch...LOL
I am thrilled! Why on earth I tried to force a square peg into a round hole is beyond me. I just used some of the techniques I used when I taught kids whose attention wandered (as in the focus on me). Now I'm in territory I understand...LOL I may not know a darn thing about training dogs but evidently Taffy does not consider herself a dog anyway and I do know how to teach!
LOL...I think I'm going to love teaching her. Forget the training...LOL (We will still go to "school" though because she loves recess!)
Frank and I both talk to her all the time since we're here 24/7 and I promise you she perked up her ears when we started talking about that spaniel (her new friend)in the class! She seemed satisfied when I told her we'd see her later. (LOL...even I will admit I don't think she understands the concept of days of the week...LOL) She is really smart though so who knows? (LOL...folks, some of that is tongue-in-cheek so don't call the white coats for me.)
However, I think it's pretty obvious that it's a good thing I never had chidren...