yes yES YES Moon!!

Yes in deed Moon is making strides! Up until today Moon has not really been secure with us holding a treat out for her to take. We tried Ziwi Peak and small bits of canned food, we tried kibble, and then roast. She perked up for the roast and it was the most high value but still not enough to trump her apprehension for luring or even getting her to go out the door to go potty. So I broke down and bought some hot dogs. I like to be sure anything I give the dogs is high quality and so I got the best hot dogs I could find. Organic, grass fed, all beef no nitrates or nitrites or anything artificial added.

I decided to charge the word Yes today, rather than a clicker, as I felt the clicker might be scary for her and also I always have my Yes with me wherever I go. Moon and I went in a room together and I started by just saying yes quietly and giving her a very tiny piece of hotdog. This perked her up! I did this several times and then waited. She stood staring down where I had the bowl of yummies and then she did the most awesome thing, she looked at me. I quickly replied "Yes" and gave her a treat. I sat there again no words, she pawed at my hand then she went and got on the couch. I sat. She came back down in front of me and sat, "yes" treat. Now she was sitting in front of me and I could tell the wheels were turning. She gave me a quick glance and made eye contact, yes, treat. I was getting so excited but stayed calm. I tossed a treat away from me and she went to get it, ate it, then back to sit in front of me, yes, treat. She tossed me a glance and actually looked me in the eye a fraction of a second longer, yes, treat.

I decided to try and lure her into a sit and it worked! yes, treat. I put out my hand flat close to her face and she nosed it to smell, yes, treat. We did that 3 more times with my hand out farther each time! We finished up with the last treat with me waiting for a sit and then a little longer eye contact, she did it! yes, treat. Joy!

I got up to walk outside and grabbed some Ziwi Peak as I went out the door, she followed, something she wasn't really willing to do before but hey I am the treat lady with the yummies now! YES!

We played around outside and everytime she came to me she got a treat. She peed and when I said "yes" I quickly gave her a treat. PROGRESS!

At one point she walked around on her hind legs asking for a treat, did I create a monster???? No I think she finally figured out the treat wasn't something I was going to give her so I could capture her, or lure her into something she was not sure she wanted to do. I am just the fun lady with yummies that she gets when she does something amazing! Which in my eyes is pretty much everything.

I recorded some video of her trying to get her to do her dance and what I like is that she is wagging her tail and trying to figure out what I am asking of her. She also has her tail tucked too but she is making progress for sure.

It is a bit clunky and shaky and not an official training session but I was excited she was paying attention to me and taking treats that I thought it significant enough to post :)