New Game

Lowri - When Miss Kathy was here, she showed TM some new games to play with me.  The best part is that there's food associated with all of them!  Miss Kathy had gone to an obedience seminar where the instructor starts training her baby puppies on Utility exercises.  I don't want to go to her school 'cause she will think I am not too bright for my age.  In truth, TM just never caught on to doing home schooling.

Anyway, for the "Go Out" exercise, you set up a baby gate and put a treat on it where the puppy can see it.  You hold the puppy like six inches from the gate (I was held out at 18 inches, so maybe I am not so dumb after all).  You say "mark" or a work to mean something like "look at it".

I have to interrupt the thought here.  While I firmly believe in encouraging good, treating behavior in TM, I just have to ask.  Seriously?  Do you actually think I am NOT looking at it?  I have seen it, smelled it, measured the nano-seconds it will take me to get it, and I am DROOLING!  Yes, I have MARKED it!

Okay, back to the game.  Once you have the puppy looking at it, you let go and say "GO".  I... er, the puppy dashes over to the treat and grabs it and swallows it whole...so maybe you should use little treats with baby puppies.  No need to use little treats for me, though.  I can handle BIG treats.

I am now doing eight-foot "go-outs".  TM does the happy dance when I go out.  After grabbing and properly disposing of the treat, I belch and check to see if a new treat has magically reappeared.   I get to do this game several times before TM stops.

The best part is that this is only ONE of the games Miss Kathy taught TM.  I think she needs to come visit more often.