The advice and homework from the trainer has really been paying off! I've been doing work to help reduce his anxiety in the home through enrichment feeding, changing the picture around going outside, got to mat and crate games. He's enjoying the enrichment feeding and it's taking him 20 minutes to eat his meals not 30 seconds! Dinner by Vectis Hamstery, on Flickr
He loves his mat and it's helping to give him a 'job' when there's something going on outside. Settle on the mat by Vectis Hamstery, on Flickr
Here he is showing off a going into and out of his crate on cue, as well as going to his mat (and a couple of bonuses) https://youtu.be/S0aP_Mw8W7Q
It's taken time, patience, practice and splitting behaviours into manageable steps for him. I'd managed to make him wary of the crate, so I went back to tossing treats in then click/treating for putting his head in, then front paws then all of him, then for doing a down, then for staying in - just gradually increasing the criteria. I'm bad at forgetting sometimes to reduce the criteria back down again in a new place/situation so have been working on that with the mat - click/treat for standing on the mat when there's a distraction rather than his usual doing a down on the mat.
The 'cry' is progressing well and today he offered the next step towards the salute I was hoping for - touching his eye while standing. One day it will be part of our fancy dress competition entry him wearing a uniform and saluting!
This morning we went to a scentwork session and he amazed me by finding a find with 4 layers (the scent article was in a box in a bag in another box in another bag). He also searched around people which I was so pleased with, though a find hidden under someone's shoe was just a bit too scary for him to get himself so the trainer and I had to make it more accessible for him.
Our trainer is coming back on Thursday for more behavioural work so lots of practice! Our obedience work has taken a bit of a back seat so I'll be skipping the trial next month.
Yesterday it was rather drizzly but it didn't stop him having fun on our woodland walkies. We played parkour on some fallen logs. IMG_5892 by Vectis Hamstery, on Flickr IMG_5895 by Vectis Hamstery, on Flickr
He looks like he's having fun Vectis, he's so handsome and quite the little poser
He looks comfy and snuggly in his bed. Well deserved after all his adventures.
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Bossed around by Artie, Spartacus, Snapdragon, Feliks, Veikko & Delphia.
Boris, Pasha, Jaska & Max playing at the rainbow bridge, forever loved. https://www.instagram.com/wehave3hamsters/
Rogue's behavioural work is going well, and we're going to start training again for rally (our next trial is in September). He used his existing skills to earn a Novice Trick Dog title which arrived yesterday! NTD by Vectis Hamstery, on Flickr
We'll be looking at doing more parkour and trick titles, but that'll be good indoor work for winter.
Aww well done Rogue, he's such a clever and handsome boy
I think I maybe seen you and Rogue at Lymm. We were walking across the car park with our 2 new boys back to the car and there was a woman holding a dog that looked just like Rogue. I said to hubby, that looks like Vectis' dog Rogue. I didn't even think that it could have been you or I would have said hello. It was only afterwards when I seen you had been there that I wondered if perhaps it had been you afterall
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Bossed around by Artie, Spartacus, Snapdragon, Feliks, Veikko & Delphia.
Boris, Pasha, Jaska & Max playing at the rainbow bridge, forever loved. https://www.instagram.com/wehave3hamsters/