Thursday, March 25, 2010

tRicky T-Day!

We had a huge breakthrough this week! After a long struggle with the concept, I think I finally understand how to get an object (a ball in this case) and hold on to it! Naturally I hold on to stuff all the time. I like to tug, etc. But to get me to take something and hold on to it on cue has been very difficult. Mom used to have dreams of me competing in obedience and she tried to teach me how to take and hold a dumbbell when I was younger. I didn't like that dumbbell and I think that is where my aversion to holding something on cue started. But from time to time, mom has worked on this trick or that with me to try to encourage me to "hold it." Lately we have been working on the roll up in a blanket trick (the one that Sara and Oreo did for tRicky T-Day this week) and I started understanding what hold it means with the blanket. Then on a whim the other day, mom thought she would try to see if I would pick up the little nerf ball and put it into the flower pot. We ended up backchaining and I started to take the ball out of the pot! But look at me, I can get it and hold it!! WooHoo!





If I really understand holding an object, then there are tons of tricks I couldn't do before but now I will be able to learn them! We're pretty excited, can you tell?

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

13 comments:

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

Great job Ricky!

Woo are so furry talented!

We've been reading YOUR PF's blog each post! KHOOL!

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
PeeEssWoo: My pals Juno and Loki's Wild Dingo Woman have some training 'things' on their blog
http://www.wilddingo.com/

Pepper said...

Yay Ricky, thats a real breakthrough! Good on your Mum for not giving up! Well done
Pep

Unknown said...

Hey Ricky, we're pretty excited to see more of your new tricks!
Get it and hold it is AWESOME!

Diana said...

Way to go Ricky! Diana

Sara said...

Yea Ricky! We understand your excitement, it was a hard one for us too. Why hold something, when there is a treat around, right?

Unknown said...

Hi Ricky - so happy for you! It's great when we get those "lightbulb" moments too, isn't it?

I was like you - it took my human AGES to teach me to pick up & hold things on cue (although like you I would carry my stuffies & other toys around quite happily) and I also developed an aversion to my dumbbell although my human managed to cure that by stitching a soft towel around the middle bit so that it was nicer in my mouth, for me to pick up - and using clicker training to shape me picking it up and holding it. And now I LOVE my dumbbell - I go crazy when Hsin-Yi brings it out, especially as I only get it in special training times. But I still have to learn to like it when the towl is taken off - that's the next step - it's coz I'm a wimp and only like soft things in my mouth! Hee! Hee!

Slobbers,
Honey the Great Dane

Kathy Mocharnuk said...

whoo hoooo Ricky!!!

Cynthia Blue said...

How fun! You are doing great! I am trying to teach Jet to hold stuff too.. he'll put it in his mouth but that's as far as we've gotten. We need some duration. And the wooden dumbbell I'm using is just too much fun to chew on! LOL

Levi, Lucy and Chase all have great holds so we'll get there!

Natasha said...

Yay!! That's been a hard trick for my dogs too, especially for Wall-e! Great that you got it! :)

Kapitein Haakje said...

supeeeeer ricky

you always makes us smile with our tricks :) thank you


kissslobbers
El'bow & Hauwii

Marie said...

Awesome! I'm so glad you've had a break through with this. Dare and I seem to have hit a bit of a training challenge in trying to get her to take something from me to another place. She will get something and bring it to me without problem, but taking it away, like to put it in the basket, or garbage is a whole different skill. I'm hoping we can figure it out, but at the same time I'm worried about wrecking her tendency to bring me whatever I have her pick up. Bleh.

Dawn said...

Way to go Ricky!!!!!

Xsara and Tani said...

good job, I love seeing your tricks videos :)