Training

We got this new precious baby a few weeks ago.  Dixie is fulfilling so many needs for me right now.  #1- she's a baby and I can baby her to my  heart's content- and she eats that mess up.  She loves to take naps on us, and play,  and is surprisingly tolerant of being carried like a baby on occasion (not all the time!!! She's a lab mix- I can't be carrying her around forever!!!)


#2- I am getting to teach again.  (ok, yeah, yeah, I am still employed as a teacher, but this virtual teaching is . . . for the birds!  I love to be home, but I LOVE to teach in a school building, amongst teenagers: interacting with them, telling jokes . . . that's what I need.  Not this uncertain, cold interaction.)

Last week, Dixie had a rather naughty day.  We said no.  We yelled no.  We chased her.  She ran.  She nipped.  She growled.   I was frustrated and frankly- she was being a big brat.  I haven't had a puppy in almost 20 years.  And, that puppy was raised with his mom (we bred her).  She did a lot of training for us.  This sweet puppy has her hoomans.  Gracie (our older dog) has no use for Dixie.  She is not a reliable trainer.  And frankly- Gracie is 12 and pretty much does whatever the heck she wanna do.  She trained us.  We got Gracie when she was older (we got her from a family that was no longer able to keep her).  Gracie didn't beg for food (she does now- because we taught bad habits- but she's still low-key about it).  Gracie didn't barrel up on the furniture.  She never had interest in it.  We didn't train Gracie at all.  She was already well behaved; however, "slightly" anti-social.

When I put Dixie to bed, that night last week, I decided I better figure something out otherwise we're all gonna lose our minds.  So- I went to Pinterest, which took me to articles on dog training, which took me to YouTube.  I found some great stuff and learned I better start training.  She isn't too young.  In fact- she's the perfect age to start.  I started lesson planning.  I got my curriculum together, made my long term goal, came up with my objectives and we're working towards it.

It's totally a work in progress because I'm no pro, so I'm learning how to train- while trying to train her.  Do I screw up?  Uh- duh.  But I'll tell you this- she LOVES to train (it doesn't hurt that there are LOTS of rewards involved) and she's pretty dang smart.  We've also got a pretty good system going- Dixie does all the work and gets a reward- and . . . Gracie gets a reward.  Just because.
As soon as I bring out the clicker and treats- this is how they both behave.  Sometimes I train Dixie alone- but sometimes I train her with the others around because the distractions make it more difficult- and ultimately authentically learned. 
When I try to make her sit- she literally looks at me like I must have freaking lost my mind, because she ain't doing tricks for that little nibble.  So- hand it over lady.  Anyway- we've been really struggling when we eat- because Dixie likes to jump on our chairs and now is tall enough to put her paws on the table.  I brought the clicker and rewards to dinner last night- and worked on everytime she laid down for an extended period of time . . . she got a small reward.   Today at lunch- we had the ultimate win . . . she went and laid down on the dog bed.  She figured it out.  Begging ain't cool.


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