Just checking in for an update on Tibbe! I hope and pray you slept well last night and are both feeling great this morning! *HUG*

Very concerned about Tibbe, prayed alot for him and you. Hoping good results will come. Remember how tough dogs can be. He has you there comforting him, and I just pray that little dog will get over this problem. Also that you stay healthy and rested and are able to be by his side.

Sending prayers for. Tibbe, he has been on my heart and in my prayers.

Today Tibbe is better than yesterday though still sleeping mostly but vitals/gums all ok. He's eating half portions 3 x daily and smaller amounts every so often in between, drinking, peeing but haven't seen a poo yet. I think he did sneak one in because I rushed into the den when I thought I heard the phone ringing and when I came back, he was scratching his legs out behind him a bit. And his tummy is not all rounded out and hardish feeling as it is when he's constipated. I looked all through the grass but just couldn't find it where I saw him standing. The lawnguy couldn't do the grass yesterday because it was wet from rain so it is long and I could be overlooking. His tail is up today and he's a little more active when he is up. No dog-laughing or anything like his normal bounciness and joie de vivre but no more itching, restlessness and standing in the floor looking at me so sad. He's had 4 doses of Metro by now and needed none of his other Rx's. We both slept pretty well last night though the sneezing/stuffiness got me up a few times but he slept right through. I'll bet he feels so good to be rested and not so sick.

Thank you all again for the caring and kindnesses. I wish I could read them to Tibbe and make him understand. Hey, maybe I will - he's so smart he'd probably understand somehow.

So glad Tibbe is doing better today....my prayers are with you:)

Tibbe is standing on the back of the couch, I reached up to touch him and before I could, he gave me a high-five!!! It's a new trick he's only known for a few weeks and we haven't worked that much on it and he just did it on his own. :D :) :D :)

I am so glad Tibbe's is feeling better.

Whoo Hoo! You go Tibbe! :thumbup: Sounds like he's trying to let mommy know he's feeling better! ;)

I am so happy to hear that Tibbe is feeling better today. I know that will help his mommy get some rest tonight! I'm praying for him, but I'm praying for YOU, too, Jeanie. I want you to take care of yourself and eat and rest ok?

Now, Kudos on the high-five trick!! You need to share your technique in teaching that trick. It was really easy (wasn't even trying at first really) to teach Shelby high-five. Mandie is so different. I try to teach her with a treat but she will only do a trick if the treat is in my hand. Therefore, I have to use the hand holding the treat to pick up her paw to high five my other hand. Wellllll...that just gets her going after my hand with the treat in it. lol So, I'm very jealous that you have taught Tibbe this maneuver! :D

Sure, Terri - this is generally how I train it. There are many ways and no doubt better ones.

For advanced tricks such is a high five you start with a shake, which most dogs will start out by offering a paw when you have a treat in your fist. They raise the leg to paw, you say "yes", praise/treat/repeat. No more than 5 minutes per session and stop sooner if the dog loses interest. Keep it light, fun and praise in a high, squeaky voice that all dogs love. Just keep doing that until the dog is raising that paw every time and then start saying "Shake" as soon as they start to raise the paw and begin to open your hand to receive it as a pawshake. As soon as the paw touches the palm, say "yes", praise/treat/repeat. Keep on working that up to 5 mins/loss of interest.

When you want to advance to the "High Five" or more sophisticated tricks, those are harder in that you have to encourage/catch a behavior you want happening, mark it with a word, praise/treat right then w/in 3 - 8 seconds. Usually these little guys just work for treats and for a short time. The trick here is to only train the dog when he is hungry before mealtime. Have that in one hand and with the other hand, place in high up above or just at the dog's head. He will be excited to get that treat and raise his paw way up instead of just out in front. When that raised paw touches your outstretched palm, that's the first big step! "Mark" behavior that you want in your dog's mind by saying "yes"(it works like a clicker) as soon as they do what you want and treat, smile, praise. Keep reinforcing that behavior with a "mark" and praise/treat - even if it takes 50 times to get there again. Keep working until they do it again - even if it is 3 or 4 sessions down the road before they do do it again but these little guys are so animated, they offer behaviors all the time. If really hungry and ready to eat, they will paw high up to touch your palm. Mark it, treat/praise instantly and keep repeating and marking the high reach and praise/treating, squeaking your "yessss" and smiling really big. Keep on practicing until he does it. Tibbe got it almost instantly as he's conditioned to extend himself if he doesn't know for sure what I'm wanting when learning a new trick so he keeps offering behaviors he thinks I might be wanting and sooner or later, he hits on the right one to work from and mark.

Here's a very slightly different way. I start by getting them to shake and then turn my hand so that it is vertical and facing the dog but low down in front of the dog. A dog that knows how to shake sees your hand before it and just starts to shake hands. Just move your palm to touch the base of the paw and say "yes" when it does, praise/treat/repeat. You dog will keep trying to shake and you will meet the paw with your palm touching it and saying "yes" each time the pad touches your palm - even it it takes a lot of tries over a little time. Keep at it and start to slowly raise up your palm higher up before the dog so that he has to raise his paw more. Yes, praise/treat/repeat until he raises his paw up to actually touch your palm higher up - no matter if it takes 10 repetitions or more before he does or he wanders off and you have to stop, try later. Keep working on it that way and when your palm is high up and the dog is touching your palm with the pawpad high up like a high-five, start saying "High-five" just before the paw raises - just as you see he's starting to raise the leg. Yes when the touch happens then praise/treat/repeat until it happens again - pad to palm up high - and then with the next attempted raise say "high-five", yes with the touch, then praise/treat/repeat. Each time the dog actually touches the pad to your elevated palm, mark it with the yes, praise/treat/repeat and the next time after the successful high-five you just did is when you name it again - "High five!" - as that paw starts up. It should happen twice in succession fairly soon after that and before too much longer, every time. You can then start to drop the "yes" and just go with "High five!" and the dog respond by raising the paw high up to pad/palm you. Double treats a few times when you see he's really getting it. Just keep working that way.

If you want to add something else, such as the other paw high-fiving, offer your left hand to the other paw for a shake and start over as you did above and repeat it all from above, ignoring all of the other side high-fives you will be getting until your dog gets the "Left High-five" or whatever you want to call the dog high-fiving your left palm. Your dog will get it wrong lots and lots of times but if he's really ready for dinner, sooner or later, he'll put up the opposite paw and you mark it and go from there. That's it. No doubt you will get other ways offered to train this and just use what works best for you and your dog. :)

Tibbe
 

So happy for you and Tibbe. Hope tonight is a good night again and the tests etc will soon be over. Get well soon dear Tibbe.

Aww. So glad Tibbe is feeling better! How are your sniffles? Hopefully you can get on an effective treatment path for him and he won't have to go through any more episodes like he's had this week.

Seriously, you should write a book on training methods! The way you explain things makes it seem like the most hopeless pet parent can mold their little one's behavior - instead of the other way around!

I am glad to head that Tibbe is feeling better. Kudos on the "High Five" as well! :D

Oh, my sneezing/light cold is just stress-related and my body rebelling. I'm fine.

Haha. An editor would fall over dead at my instructions. You know how they are. No way anyone would publish that mess and who in the world would take the time to read it? But I do like to lay it out moment by moment and bit by bit for those that are unsure what to do if the dog doesn't get it right or something. Tibbe loves to train - but he sure expects to be "paid" for it with a treat each time he gets it right. And when he wants something, he'll get down in front of me and do a bunch of his tricks all on his own. Some call it throwing behaviors when they do their tricks to get you to do something for them. It is so cute.

Yeah Tibbe! It sounds like he is better! I sure thought about him alot today. I am so happy, Jeanie for you. He is your love and companion and I am thankful you have him home and he is on the back of the couch! Keep us posted on his recovery and how he is doing. I just love hearing about this darling little Yorkie-personality plus!