Training an old dog with new clicks
18-Mar-04
So, we’ve decided that the ramp was a failure (Hammer was terrified, and it didn’t fit in the car). John thinks he can carefully lift Hammer into the Jeep, especially if we work with him and train him to “stay” when lifted into the Jeep.
Personally, I think lifting Hammer out of the Jeep is going to be the bigger challenge– and one that he’ll need to do, since Hammer’s joints will not be able to take the bouncing down impact.
Anyway, I’m looking into clicker training for this, since it seems fairly clever and something that we could both work with Hammer on doing. As with any dog training, the person who’s with the dog has to be involved– John is with Hammer all day, and will be the one lifting him in and out of the Jeep, so he has to be able to do the clicker training with him.
I’m hoping that John can also click-train Hammer to not beg to go out five times a day, something John complains about incessently (odd, when Hammer’s home with me all day, he only goes out twice).
I’ve read about a dozen books on dog training methods, and I’ve trained (unsuccessfully) a problem dog before. Hammer is not a problem dog, thankfully, but I worry that John won’t know the basics that I take for granted in dog training. Like, if the dog wants to go out and it’s not time for him to do so, he doesn’t go, and he doesn’t use that as an excuse to break training, either.
Anyway, just posting this little note to myself, I guess. I know and are both experienced dog trainers, so any advice you can offer, or an easy trick I could teach Hammer, would be appreciated. It’s generally acknowledged that greys don’t really learn to “sit” very well, and I’m not really invested in teaching him that, at this point. My goal is to teach a standing “stay” where he will not wiggle and freak when someone puts their arms around him and lifts him up about 3 feet. That’s the ultimate goal. All the steps along the way are pretty much just fun.