Oh, TOY, I love your posts! :D I don't know about treats, but I think you have such a way with words that you should write a book about Taffy! It would be a best-seller for sure! :D

Thanks so much for your response. I am fascinated by your experiences with your dogs and I so agree with you that each has their own learning style, etc. Cookie cutter teaching doesn't work well with all children so I can understand why it doesn't work with other animals.

Actually this trainer did do things right, I think. For the most part after trying to get Taffy to take treats in several passes, he didn't offer a treat but would say to her, "You're sitting nicely. I'd give you a treat if you'd take it." I couldn't fault him for that...it's just I got the feeling that since ours wasn't one of his successful interactions, he'd just as soon we disappear...LOL

Can't do that...it's not the money. Shoot, I've spent way much more on treats...LOL...but Taffy needs the social interaction with others, especially other puppies. We are retired with no children/grandchildren so much as older parents interact differently with human children (vocabulary, etc.), I think Taffy is getting that vibe and reacting from us.

Every day I am astounded by some new facet of her intellect or personality. I realized just yesterday that she knows my husband as Frank or Daddy. I can tell her to go to him (using either name) or ask where he is by either name and she will respond appropriately. Also yesterday I got tired of playing fetch so I casually commented, "Go see if your Daddy wants to play." I'd never said such a thing before but she literally picked up the toy and took it over in front of his chair, laid it down, and then looked up at him imploringly. Generally, I refer to him as Frank which is another reason this shocked me and made me realize she knew him by 2 different words.

This ability to process new information is what is so fascinating to me...and although I am highly prejudiced (and know it), I really think she is probably a candidate for a canine MENSA. LOL...I know I probably do have too much time on my hands to think of such things but she really is amazing.

It does make me wonder though if any research has been undertaken to use information such as this to correlate to children with autism. Hmmm...

Thank you so much.

I do love to write...probably because I love to talk so much! I have entertained the thought but haven't pursued it as such except in two personal books I did for friends.

As an aside...Taffy doesn't seem too traumatized after last night. She just brought her harness and laid it by my chair. The girl can communicate...LOL

In my 20 years working with and training dogs, what I will say is this: you have to be flexible and follow your instincts.

My Dante was a rescue. He HATED the car. I don't know what they did to him, but cars were traumatic for him. Till I started making car rides seem like the best thing ever. Usually by taking him to a drive through! Ever time I had to go somewhere, he went in the car, we stopped and got chicken nuggets or some other devilishly bad for US treat! Now, I can barely get out the door without him. But on the trail (which he loves) he ignores food totally and just looks at me like "am I doing it right??", I just love that big guy!

Hamish had been abandoned to a shelter because he was a "runner". Not a lot of fenced yards in the NE of Scotland and a dog that won't come home is a problem. He started that business with me. I would call...he would take off. I just handled him differently. I said fine, went in, shut the door and ignored him (we had a dog door, and lived on a large farm). He would be sitting by the back door a few minutes later and I would let him in. When he discovered that we were NOT going to chase, he stopped running. We "reason with" him mostly. He understands english, much like your girl. when he does bad, we call his name and say "did you do that??" he hangs his head....turns away...so pitiful!

Fergus has been a challenge. he is a mommy's boy. Totally. I haven't discovered his "drive" yet. What motivates him mostly is being protective over me and keeping everyone else at bay! I just haven't figured a way to turn that into a training tool!

Well, I'm here to tell ya, I can relate. My little Zhoie went to good manners puppy class at 5mos. She too didn't take treats nor could she tolerate the sound of even a quiet clicker. Needless to say, she was the belle of the ball only because she wanted to socialize with the other pups. That was the best part of class for us, as she doesn't get to play with any small dogs. My girlie only eats her food and takes nothing else.

Zhoie would not participate in class, but training at home now and knowing the proper techniques has been great. Now we train with praise and toys as a reward. No clicker involved.

GOOD LUCK!

HELP, am I posting a reply in the right place, sorry...gals..new to this and I think it is difficult site to use??????

Your post was absolutely in the right place! Just remember though that it's not a "chat" room so if you don't see a response to your post immediately, it's because sometimes the poster is off reading other threads or off the computer entirely. (Personally I am the world's worst at leaving Yorkie Talk up on the computer when I get up to do something else. It's my favorite site these days and sometimes I can have it "on" all day without getting back to it until night!)

Also, there are many times that you post and althought folks may read it, they don't respond. Plus, sometimes posts just sorta die a sad, lonely death with no responses at all.

I was afraid since my original post turned out so long that I wouldn't have any responses but I have been pleasantly surprised today. (I return over and over during the day just to see if there are any responses and get as excited as a teen getting the car keys for the first time!)

And by the way, I've been on here for months and am still finding places on the site I haven't visited before. It's a treasure trove of goodies! Welcome!

Oh Taffy, she HAS to be a lil diva! ;)

Any luck with any of the suggestions?

I have heard that dogs have the mentality of a 2 year old child, they can understand and have that sneaky little way of doing things that a two year old has, and of course the sweetness one has as well. I didn't believe that until I realized that my dog would try to escape from the yard, she would look over to where i was and slowly move toward the fence where she knew she could get out, this really surprised me and now I believe it... you have yourself a really smart 2year old child :aimeeyork
good luck w/ the training. :animal-pa

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...

I totally believe it, too! She is much smarter than I gave her credit for and believe me, I gave her quite a bit of credit...LOL

I just failed to take into consideration that she doesn't really know she's a d-o-g. I tell her every day how pretty she is, how smart she is, etc. but I leave out the part where I tell her she's a d-o-g...LOL

A lot of the SAR dogs I have worked with do NO food treats at all, but get a special tug or toy when they have accomplished their goal (like finding a person, or detecting a drug). We had one who just wanted his 4 inches of pvc pipe that he carried around! it was hilarious, but it was his SPECIAL toy. he only got it on training or missions.

if she is responding like that then know that this is how you should train her.

Good luck, she sounds like a real bright one!

Have I ever told you how much I love Taffy stories? She's such a lucky, wonderful little girl!! I just love her to pieces! :)

I just went through the same thing with Lily at the Petsmart Class!! She is pad trained, free feeds w/dry kibble and doesn't like treats either!! The first night of school she was afraid of the clicker and didn't want any part of treats or anything there!! The next week I cooked some ground beef and put it in container and she did great with it!! I froze some and I will just take it as needed ... that is the only time she gets it and she has never had it before so it worked as a "treat" for her!! Good Luck!!

Both our dogs LOVE the Wellness treats.... until the instructor brought out the Puperoni (not sure how to spell the brand). She would only do commands for that while we were there. I was kind of mad because he never asked if those treats were okay to give her and we only feed organic, and once she had those, she ignored our treats for the rest of the night. Zukes also makes great tiny treats!
:p