Day 1 & 2: '30 Days' is here!

It's finally February & finally time to get started teaching Pickles how to pick something up on cue!

I have my training plan written out, and have gathered my tools:

Delicious chicken treats -- check!

Clicker to mark when she's doing the right thing -- check!

Toilet paper tube for her to practice with -- check!

I picked a toilet paper tube because it resembles one of her favorite toys: a paper towel tube. Cheapest dog toy ever -- put some treats in a paper towel tube, close the ends, & let her try to get the treats out.  Makes a big mess -- shreds of paper everywhere -- but she has a great time. I figure that the toilet paper tube is similar enough to the paper towel tube that she'll be more likely to put her mouth on it (rather than just sniff it), but different enough that she'll realize we're doing something different.

Lastly, dog reporting for duty -- check!

So far, so good! I'm starting with holding it at her eye level, so that it's similar to another skill that she knows -- touching my hand with her nose on cue. She's starting out strong, putting the tube in her mouth sometimes (see the slobber on the tube in the picture above), & just touching it with her nose sometimes. Next step: shaping her response so that she's putting it in her mouth each time.

So far, so good for our fundraising efforts, as well! We're already 32% to our goal of $700 for Lyon-Martin! Please click here to support our efforts and help us get closer to our goal! Thank you!