Toy Story
I initially bought a few toys for Emmett: the fleecy bone (now we have 3), a rope to chew and tug, 2 squeaky skins (no stuffing), some tennis balls and some nylabone chew things. All were fun for a bit. Well, the fleecy bone is still THE favorite but mostly as a pillow! But the other toys lost their luster after a bit of play.
Then there was the issue with the antique bear being SO desirable. Thankfully that Bear is tough! But, I had the idea that maybe other stuffed toys would be good and also a Kong and that rotating toys would keep things fresh.
Friday, the order from Chewy.com arrived:
Ok, now we have variety and I thought enough variety that I could cycle toys as the latest is always the best. And I got Auggie some treats which thankfully he loves, so he can participate in the click-treat game.
The stuffed toys went on the rocker.
Antique Bear was put out of Emmett’s reach and yes, I do know that tv is an antique itself. It plays DVDs and hooks up to Roku so does all I need :)
Back to toys.
The out of favor toys live in a basket out of Emmett’s reach and will make appearances as needed. Note the plastic water bottle … it is favorite toy which should give you a clue which way this story is headed.
It took a while, but Emmett finally saw the new stuffies in the rocker.
The moose (brown) won out over the alligator (green) and monkey (brown but with handles).
Yea for the moose!
Kong was a big hit. I watched several videos about how to introduce Kong to a puppy with no Kong experience. I’m not sure Emmett needed instruction. He emptied that little Kong in about 10 seconds.
Yes, well. The overall favorite “toy” ??? Any shoe.
Almost 17 years ago – May 18, 2001 – I brought home Karl, my last puppy. (Bear I got as a 6.5 year old).
Hmmm.
My cat Gus, was about 4.
Same, same.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree or something like that.
Meanwhile…
Follow me, follow you…
Relaxing in the front yard.
Lights out for a morning nap.
Week 4. It had a rocky start and my timetable fell apart. Some training fell apart. I gave myself a time out. For me, when things all seem to fall apart and it doesn’t seem like I have time to do anything but HURRY UP … I find that is exactly when I need to slow down. So, I put Emmett in his play pen, made myself a cup of tea and went into the far room to sit quietly and regroup. That did the trick, all got back on track and the remainder of the week went well.
Everything we’ve learned so far, we keep doing. Pooping has been happening outside. Piddling is mostly outside, but when not, it is on the piddle pads and I’ve reduced the number of pads around. Emmett is growing. Auggie and I love him more every day. Good times!
We started working on Leave It. Different from Drop, Leave it is “don’t touch, don’t take it, don’t even think about it” :). It will be a good thing to know. It will take awhile.
Here is the video that shows how I’m teaching it:
***I’m going to be doing some classes with Emmett primarily to train with distractions, but also so that an experienced trainer can assist with how I’m doing as far as timing, etc. That trainer recommended the site that is the video source: Smart Dog University (Laurie Luck, trainer) . Both the website and the youtube channel have great information and all is easily searchable. I really like Laurie Luck’s calm approach to everything.
***Toys, etc. I’ve been buying all things pet from Chewy.com . Prices and quality are good and they ship fast with free shipping for over $49 order. The stuffed toys are Kong brand and seem very well made. The stuffed toys can be expensive ($12-20) and these were not ($7-9).
7 Responses to “Toy Story”
Gosh he’s smart!
A dog and his shoe(s)–I was wondering when this would come up :)
Does Emmett get into Auggie’s litter box, or is he not able to get to it? Also, any interest in plants?
The clicker training is so interesting. Seems like timing is super important. Split second goes by and you are re-enforcing the wrong behavior.
Hee … he can get to the litter boxes but has only shown interest in the one near his bed. BUT, only in putting his feet in the “sand”, i.e. not eating stuff although I do clean them nearly immediately and this time of year, Auggie rarely uses them. I have redirected getting in the sand and for the last 3 days he’s left it alone, but …. early days. And since outside, he puts nearly everything in his mouth, I have so far been pleasantly surprised that it has not included the litter box contents!
Yes, timing is important in the clicker training and often trainers will video themselves or watch each other to check timing. Also breaking down tasks into small steps.
If you are interested, a fascinating [to me] book on the original “marker” training and actually a training memoir by Karen Pryor is “Reaching the Animal Mind”. The last chapters detail some of the physiology of the brain that happens with maker/operant training as well as how it is used for athletics, low function/no language people and other types of training. I always thought it was just a gimmick!
Oh, the plant question. I don’t have any house plants. He sniffs the iris, but didn’t bother them.
I’ve never used clicker training, but she gives such good directions. Gina knows “wait” instead of “leave it”, but it’s just what I have always taught. She is so funny when she hears it…when we go to bed for the night she gets a few carrot slices as a bedtime treat. She’s sitting there almost trembling in anticipation, waiting for her treat. When I put a piece down and say “wait” she immediately and very deliberately looks at the ceiling as if the treat doesn’t exist. If I wait too long, in her estimation, she will look back at me and if nothing is said she returns to ceiling/anywhere else watching until she hears OK…then she gobbles it up. We do this anytime day or night if a treat is involved. She also knows to stop at the door and wait till she hears OK. Lucky for me she wasn’t a puppy when she came to live with me and knew about outside for potty. Looks like Emmett will lack for no toys…hah…I have a gigantic basket full of toys that all my dogs have ever had…just don’t have the heart to get rid of them. He and Auggie are such a cute pair!
That’s funny about the looking at the ceiling!
In my defense re toy volume, the basket has Auggie’s toys as well!
Ha! Our three cats disdain the bought toys and go for the shoelaces, pieces of string and soft toys which you don’t want them to destroy like a set of World Cup Mascots…which must be kept in a cabinet.
Emmett has a wonderful selection there!
That’s funny about the soft toys! Auggie does play with the toys I’ve bought. Usually at night. I wake up and find things here and there that he has retrieved from the toy basket. BUT, he also likes a soft toy … a Christmas cat angel – I have to keep an eye on that!
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