Who's training who

We waited Nuka for a year. So before she arrived, we had lots of time to discuss dog training and affecting distinctions of the breed we had chosen. We carefully red well selected literature and speculated what is essential for a dog to know when living with us. Now as Nuka has been a part of our pack almost a year she should already be quite well educated. We should also be quite advanced from dog's point of wiew. So, lets take a look to these traingin matters from passed year's perspective.

First thing we agreed even before dog came was that it shouldn't sleep in our bed. Against everyone's expectations Nuka has never selpt in our bed, she has her own small place right next to our bed. So, this went well. Altough I think in deep down Nuka also agreed with us about this sleeping thing. She never seriously tried to get under our blankets. When sleeping time comes, she has one special wish anyhow: she wants to be covered up. This one NUka teached us rightaway when noticing that she can also get her way through sometimes. When we go to sleep, we cover up Nuka to her bed right before we crawl into ours. Nuka will surely remind if we try to slip from this routine.

Next important issue was coming to us when called. This one we started practising right after Nuka came. We succeeded pretty well keeping Nuka's motivation up. The treats were the key of course. Nuka still runs straight to us almost in any situation hoping fro super treats. Of course we still reward her by giving someting good or doing something to keep the motivation up in the future too.

We soon noticed that Nuka is really smart and eager to do as we say, if there's rewards in sight. Well, that's good for us. Sitting, the tratitional dog thing was the only one not going so well. Finally we noticed that it was all about the surface under Nuka's butt. Sitting started working on the sofa and carpet, but it's still no use to ask Nuka to sit on a cold floor or wet grass. We have also teached Nuka some commands to ease our lives together and some tricks too. Funniest was the paw giving.

I started teatching paw giving by taking a treat to my other hand and placing my other hand open in front of Nuka. The treat was very exiting and dog tried everything. She bit and poked my open hand and me. Whe she finally realised to touch my open hand with a paw, the thrill of getting the treat was enormous. On a next try she thumped both front paws to my hand in a second. We got her to realise we want only one paw at the time, but reaction is still fast. The paw comes as a lightning and disappear just as fast as dog stares my closed hand with a treat. We ended up calling paw giving the paw throwing.

Same intensity applyes nearly every action we've teached to Nuka. She is always getsa very enthusiastic about training periods. She spins around me and I can almost see the buzz in her brains, when she tries to discover what I want from her. Resolving things doesn't take long and once resolved stays resolved. Once we mistakenly opened the door for Nuka when she barked outside. From that point she's been able to notify us when she wants back in the warmth of our house.

So, who's training who? That's the question.
-Marianna 30.3.2006

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