Pixel's learnin'

Pixel is learning new things everyday. Yesterday she learned how to manipulate Vito into giving her the toy. Poor Vito is easily tricked it seems. :o)

As far as learning good things though she is doing really well. We have been playing lots of fun games and so far she LOVES to learn. Which is a good thing.

Free Shaping- last night we did this for the first time, she had fun and it was pretty cute to see the wheels turning. :o) I plan to do this every day the rest of the week.

Perch Work- she LOVES the stool and thinks it is a pretty marvelous way to get cookies. She is just starting to move around it.

Hand Touch- she is still very gentle about it, and I don't think she is at the level yet where I can frustrate her into giving a harder push so right now I am rewarding for accuracy.

Sit- very good, on verbal cue only now, and will sit in all positions in relation to me (left side, right side, in front, and behind)

Down- she doesn't fully understand the word yet but if I wait it out she does offer it. Am only rewarding for under five seconds though in hopes she'll start pairing the action adn the word together.

It's Yer Choice-No Mugging - she really gets this game, and I find that I am already having to challenge her with better treats, and placement of the hand. This has really helped her to learn that sit means sit. :o)

Crate Games- last year when I first heard about crate games I was skeptical as to the value it would have. I have been training Crate Games now for just over a week and I think that it is a great tool to build excitement and value in just training. It has been neat to see how quickly a little puppy can progress. Pixel will wait in the crate until the release word, and I can now actually move around in front of the crate and she won't leave. She dives into her crate on one word and is more than happy to stay in.

Okay- building excitement for my release word. I have her sitting next to me, throw a cookie ahead and say "Ok" and she's allowed to charge ahead and get the cookie. She thinks this is pretty fun.

Set up skills- one of my pet peeves is people who can't get their dog set up beside them (either side) and have to fiddle around at the start line all the time. I have started playing set up games with Pixel. She thinks it's pretty fun :o)

Surfaces- she has walked on lots of different surfaces- metal grating, plastic, shiny, loud, rough- pretty much anything I could think of!

Fetch- as in bring the toy back. Picking up the toy is never an issue. Bringing it back can be. So we play lots of fetch with the leash on so she can't leave. But I run around the room like a mad woman and she chases me...with the toy in her mouth.

Collar Grabs- already she has an aversion to having her collar grabbed so we've been playing the collar game- grab the collar, get a cookie. Over and Over, and Over again :o)

Recalls- it is hard to practice this by yourself, but at home I've been throwing a cookie, and running away. It works. She knows her name really well and I don't see coming when called as an issue for her.

and that's what we're learnin' these days! Puppies are LOTS of work! But her cuteness makes up for it :o)