The Fun Of Making Origami Art by Azzahra N.

Origami is the art that not a lot of people know about. In the book Easy Origami by, John Montroll this teaches you different collection of traditional Japanese projects for beginners in the hope of sparking a life long interest in Origami (1). Doing Origami keep my mind busy and keeps me occupied. I've always been interested in doing some kind of art. Following directions hasn't always come easy for me but why not try again. This book provides a good foundation as you move on to more advanced folding (1). Origami is not just about folding and making shapes but you have to be precise on the folding and following direction

In Easy Origami by John Montroll it teaches me step by step on how to make things from dogs to Frogs. As the book goes on it gets harder and harder. I started out with the first item that John shows in the book for beginner. Origami is an art from Japan that not a lot people do on a daily basis

What I struggle the most when doing origami is making them look equal and folding them equally. As times goes on I could improve Origami with this Independent Reading Project Quarter 2.

What kind of Origami do you like to do?



Trent DeLucia: Training Your Dog 2

When you think of dogs playing fetch, I bet you don't really associate any training going along with it.  I did too until Bear came along.  When I try playing fetch with him, he runs to get the ball or toy that I threw and never brings it back.  He either starts to play with it or he picks it up with his teeth and trots away.  This took all the fun out of the game because I'd be the one chasing him down to get the toy back.  Bear's odd way of playing fetch inspired me to teach him the right way to do it.

"I used to wait up to ten minutes at the door calling Tucker's name [her dog] for him to return back inside.  I grew very impatient so I decided to do something about it.  After countless trial and error procedures, I finally discovered that the best solution was luring my dog back in with a treat (Fugazza 2)."
Fugazza, Claudia. "Imitation." Do as I Do: Using Social Learning to Train Dogs. Wenatchee: Dogwise, 2014. 2. Print.

This personal story from the author of Do as I Do can tie in perfectly with what I am trying to accomplish.  Claudia's whole goal was to make her dog come back to her easier which is very similar to Bear's problem when we play fetch.  Bear has no motivation to return the toy back to me after I throw it because he has what he wanted.  A treat would entice Bear and give him incentive to return the toy I threw him.  Claudia Fugazza included some tips for going about her training with Tucker:

"Only give your dog a treat every one or two attempts so they don't become fully accustomed to receiving one.  If this doesn't work for your dog I also recommend rewarding a treat two trials in a row, then the next two trials only give encouragement (Fugazza 2)."
Fugazza, Claudia. "Imitation." Do as I Do: Using Social Learning to Train Dogs. Wenatchee: Dogwise, 2014. 2. Print.

I tried rewarding Bear with treats every other time I threw him the toy to fetch.  This didn't work too well at first because he only came back to me when a treat was involved.  I then decided to try Claudia's method of two trials with a treat, then two without.  This was a lot more effective because Bear started to understand the motion of coming back with the toy.

I did Claudia's method for about thirty minutes and then started to only give Bear a treat every four or five times he ran back to me.  By this point, Bear was hurrying back to my feet right when he retrieved the toy.  He finally started playing fetch and after about an hour I didn't have to give him anymore treats entirely!  Was it unusual for Bear to need training on how to fetch?

Trent DeLucia: Teaching Your Dog Tricks 3

I decided to let my family choose the topic for my final blog post.  They all simultaneously agreed that "shaking hands" would be the most amusing.  I didn't want to let them down so of course I took on the challenge.  Luckily there was an entire section from the book Do As I Do, by Claudia Fugazza, dedicated to this trick in particular:

"I advise teaching your dog how to sit before shaking hands.  This will make the process of shaking a lot easier and smoother.  Once your dog to knows how to sit, you are ready to train (Fugazza 51)."
Fugazza, Claudia. "Imitation." Do as I Do: Using Social Learning to Train Dogs. Wenatchee: Dogwise, 2014. 51. Print.

This trick was a lot easier than I first suspected because half of it is teaching your dog how to sit (which I previously taught Bear).  The reason for this is because for dogs to "shake hands" they can't be on all four's.  I can now move on to the procedures listed for this trick:

"Shake:

1. Tell your dog to sit
2. Show them the treat that they will receive after they are sitting (so they don't think you're rewarding them to sit)
3. Grab one of their paws (Note: you must grab the same one each attempt)
4. Tell him/her 'shake'
5. Shake their paw up and down 3-4 times
6. Reward with treat

You'll know your dog has learned the trick when they offer their paw when they hear the word 'shake' (Fugazza 51)."
Fugazza, Claudia. "Imitation." Do as I Do: Using Social Learning to Train Dogs. Wenatchee: Dogwise, 2014. 51. Print.

Bear successfully completed this trick (without me having to shake his paw for him) after only three attempts!  I was very surprised yet pleased by this result.  I would have never suspected that the most entertaining trick would be the easiest to teach.  This is proof that the more Bear is taught, the easier it is for him to learn.  Is it common for dogs to learn faster with the more training they receive?

Dogs and Car Sickness

Update from last post: Rosie has been improving each time I take her out for a new walk. She is now listening to my commands and is steadily walking rather than walking and stopping excessively. I think this is because she now pairs good behavior with receiving rewards.

One of the main reasons my parents decided on getting me a small dog rather than a big one is because they thought it might be easier for them to manage when traveling, which we do often. Little did they know this would later become a problem because the dog that I chose gets car sick.

The first time we took Rosie with us in the car, we were on our way to the veterinarian to get her a checkup. Let’s just say this visit was a traumatic experience for Rosie which left her very stressed. Before we left, she had eaten a large amount of food because we had just arrived home from both work and school leaving her hungry. Because she ate so much before leaving and she was so stressed, Rosie threw up half way to our house from the vet. We now know that “you may need to put some extra care into mealtime planning. Start early so [she] can eat at least an hour before you head out to the car. This also gives your pup plenty of time to eat and then enjoy a long walk and eliminate” (Swaim 283). Along with this we also realize that we need to set up Rosie’s future appointments much later in the day so that she has enough time to do this.

Although Rosie gets carsick now, the veterinarians have told us that she may outgrow it along with the fact that we need to take her in the car more in order for her to get used to it. Most of the routes we take to get to different locations have routes with lots of turns, potholes, and frequent stops, so we will now try to find alternative routes to get to places (Swaim 283).

Rosie preparing for a car ride

We are now experimenting with different locations where we can place Rosie while driving. This is so that we can see which area best suits Rosie and her car sickness. “Some puppies ride better if they can see out of their crate, while others do best in a quiet, dark corner of the car” (Swaim 283). Along with this, we are also testing different cooling methods for Rosie. “Many puppies do just fine if the car is cool and if they have fresh air. Keep the air conditioning on if possible. Use a crate fan if needed” (Swaim 283). Another cooling technique is leaving the window slightly open. I’m not really sure if this one is the best for Rosie because although she seems to like it and places her head out the window to watch the people outside, it may induce the carsickness due to the motion aspect of it.

My question to you: Have any of your animals ever experienced car sickness? If they have in the past, have they grown out of it since then?

Leash Training

Update from last post: As talked about before, Rosie had serious digging issues and would attempt to dig on everything. I have applied the technique of giving her something to do by either playing a game with her such as catch or by giving her one of her favorite bones to chew on. Because I am doing this, her digging has decreased, but it’s still there. I have yet to build her a digging pit in my backyard, but I plan on doing so once the weather gets nicer, and once it gets closer to summer.

A couple of weeks ago, I took Rosie on her first walk because she had finally received all of her shots allowing her do so. I was so excited because I have been waiting to do this ever since I got her, and had to keep on waiting until she was old enough. I was so happy when I was finally able to put on her leash and collar and actually leave the yard of my house with her. When I finally walked out the front door and reached the crosswalk in front of my house, I realized that this was going to be one long walk.

My parents and I both agreed that we would have Rosie walk on to the left of us, just as we did with our previous dog. Rosie didn’t seem to understand this concept and ran as fast as she could across the street. I ran after her and pulled the leash back in order to gain some control over her, but this did nothing. She began to drag me everywhere and pull the leash in all directions. “Unfortunately, walks often turn into battlegrounds. Some puppies pull hard and drag their owners along” (Swaim 204). I kept giving her different commands like “come” and “heel” but she was so young and inexperienced that she couldn’t understand these terms. “Pulling while walking on a leash is one of the most common issues for puppy parents (Swaim 246). A method used to treat this is called stop and go. In this method, you keep the end of the leash placed near your stomach. If your puppy pulls, no matter what, you can’t extend your arm. This will let you dog know how much of the leash they will have to work with. If they keep pulling on the leash, stop and ignore them, until they take a step back and provide you with an excess amount of leash (Swaim). Although this task may seem tedious, it is very precise and will force your dog to catch on to the intended goal.



Rosie getting ready for her walk

Not only was just simply walking her a problem but I began to walk her up a hill to go to an elementary school, she began to stop excessively like she was scared to go up. “Others are terrified and stop often” (Swaim 204). A way to prevent this from happening is to give a specific command such as “let’s go.” If Rosie stopped at area and responded by looking at me and following me after I give that command, I should give her a treat along with praise (Swaim 206). This would allow her to think that her responding to the command is good and will her to receive rewards.

My question to you: Do have any other tips for leash issues?

Stop the Digging

Update from last post: Rosie is having less and less accidents in the house because she now understands that the only area designated for her is outside. Each time she does go outside we praise her and give her a treat. Although she is getting pretty good at this, she does have the occasional mishap and when she does we don’t necessarily yell at her, but we tell her “bad” and instantly take her outside.

One thing that I forgot to mention is that Rosie is a Havashire, meaning that she is a Havanese Yorkshire Terrier mix. This is very crucial to today’s post because terriers love to dig, which is one of Rosie’s biggest problems. “Digging is natural, especially for terrier breeds and some hounds” (Swaim 240). When people think of dogs digging, they instantly imagine a dog digging up plants in a garden and ruining the yard by leaving little holes everywhere. I can agree with this because I also thought the same thing. But no, Rosie does the complete opposite of this and although she has yet to dig outside, she does attempts to frequently throughout my house.

Rosie digs everywhere and on almost everything. She digs on people, on the floors of my house and especially on the cracks of our furniture. My dad thinks this is based on the instinct she automatically receives due to her being a terrier and I also concur, but I wonder why she only chooses to do so in the house.

According to Swaim, “Some dogs might dig because they smell something like mole or mouse and it’s exciting to try to dig up. Other dogs dig because they’re bored” (Swaim 240). This information seems to come in to play with Rosie’s behavior because she usually tends to either be laying or sitting somewhere before she actually starts to dig.





Distracting Rosie by giving her a toy

If your dog is bored, you have to grab their attention and give them something to do (Swaim 405). An example of this is to give them a toy to play with or a bone to eat. Another example of this is to “make your puppy [their] own digging pit. Get play yard sand and dig a hole 8 to 12 inches deep and several feet wide. At first put treats on the top of the sand, then begin burying the treats just under the sand. Work up to burying the treats and toys farther down” (Swaim 240). In my opinion, this would be a great method used to help stop Rosie from digging inside because not only does she love treats, but she also loves being outdoors.



My question to you: Do your pets ever do anything like this? If so,                                                          how do you try to stop it from happening?

Potty Training

Update from last post: The last time we talked, I was explaining how my dog Rosie hated her crate. She never wanted to go inside and when she did, she seemed very scared and began to whine profusely. After applying the techniques of praising her and giving her treats after going into her crate, she seemed to warm up to it. Now we leave the door open for her so she can go in whenever she wants. Now, if I can’t seem to find her, I look for her in her crate and typically finding her in it fast asleep. Training strategies such as these are allowing her to progress and become more comfortable in her new forever home.

Within the past few weeks, Rosie has had the problem of having accidents in the house. I tend to keep a close eye on her to make sure that this doesn’t happen but it seems like every single time I turn away, she has another accident waiting on the ground for me to clean up. It was beginning to get pretty irritating and old really quickly.

At first, we placed “potty pads” throughout our house and tried to show Rosie that this was her designated area to go to the bathroom. After she began to catch on to what we were trying to teach her,  we transitioned her “by placing the potty pads in an area outside where you want[ed] [her] to go” (Swaim 94). As we started to do this, I think Rosie began to feel a little anxious due to being introduced to a new environment such as the outdoors and because of our wonderful Washington weather, which mostly consist of rain.

Once she was accustomed to this new setting, I “followed all of the preceding steps, taking [her] out on a leash and praising [her] as soon as [she] potties in the new spot. Block access to the area where [she] was going in the house so [she] won’t be tempted to go back to the same spot” (Swaim 94). After a few days, Rosie began to go on the potty pads without any issue. When this occurred, we began to make the pads smaller and smaller until she just went to the bathroom near where we originally placed the designated area (Swaim 94).

Rosie walking to her designated area

Rosie after going to the bathroom

While reading this chapter of potty training in an Idiot’s Guide to Puppies I learned many things that I probably would have never actually thought about. Such as teaching my small steps and eventually transitioning her into another step until I achieved my goal with her. To be honest I probably would have just stuck her outside and waited until she did her business.

My question to you: Did any of you potty train your dogs in a fashion similar to this? If not, how did you train your dog?

 

Crawl

For my last blog post, I chose to teach Shasta to crawl. To some people, "crawl" sounds like it would be a easy task. But to Shasta, poor thing was struggling so much. During the time it took to teach her to crawl, she whined, she got confused, and she out-right gave up at one point. She constantly thought I was trying to get her to roll over. In the book it suggested that I should position one of my hands over her shoulder. That helped, but it also confused her into rolling over instead.
We practiced this trick over and over again until she finally started to figure out that she needed to inch forward, towards the treat in my hand. The quote from the book that helped the most with this trick is "Hold the treat level with his nose- if you hold it any higher, it will cause him to pop up to get the treat. Let him sniff the treat, then move it just out of his reach so he must stretch to get to your hand."(Fogle 36)
 Fogle, Jean M. Tricks for Treats. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.      
Holding my hand(with the treat) nose level in front of her helped her start to inch forward and make progress. The more we practiced and she inched forward, I moved my had a bit further away from her, causing her to crawl forward towards my hand. Shasta is very smart but has very little confidence in anything. Is teaching her tricks boosting her confidence?             

Leave it. No.

This certain trick that I chose to teach her made her more confused than usual. I decided to teacher her "leave it" and not matter what I said, she would NOT take no for an answer. She really wanted that treat. Over and over again I would attempt to follow what the book told me to do, but, Shasta was very persistent..
After very, very many tries and teaching her the trick. She began to understand and listen more because I am even more stubborn than her. A quote that helped me efficiently with teaching 'leave it was, "Move your closed right hand in front of your dog's nose, and say "leave it." He will sniff, lick, and possibly paw at your hand. the second he stops trying to get the treat and either looks at you or back away, say "Yes" and give him the treat in your left hand."(Fogle 18)
Fogle, Jean M. Tricks for Treats. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Shasta actually began to nibble at my hand, desperately wanting that treat. As the quote tells me to do, I put my closed fist in front of Shasta's nose saying "leave it" and watched in amusement as she tried so hard to get it. And when she looked at me all sad, I just laughed and said "yes" giving her the treat from my left hand.
The reading has impacted the way I train my dog by giving me great tips that actually work, and brought Shasta and I a lot closer because of how stupid she looks when she tries but fails. its actually quite funny. How much should I be teaching her tricks?

Trent DeLucia: Teaching Your Dog Tricks 2

Teaching Bear tricks turned out to be a lot more enjoyable than training him so I decided to do that again.  Sitting wasn't much of a challenge for me to teach or for Bear to learn so I chose a more difficult one this time around.  Teaching Bear how to stand up will be a trick that tests both my teaching and his ability to learn new things.  The "Imitation Rule" teaching method that I used to teach Bear how to sit was very effective, but I have decided to use a new method for standing:

"Lure-Reward Training: The trainer entices the dog into the desired position by typically using a hand-held food lure, like a treat. For example, the trainer lures a dog to sit by placing a treat in front of his nose and moving it backwards over his head. The dog follows the treat or 'lure' into the desired position. Reinforcement is generally giving the food reward along with verbal praise at the completion of the desired behavior (Fugazza 43)."

Fugazza, Claudia. "Imitation." Do as I Do: Using Social Learning to Train Dogs. Wenatchee: Dogwise, 2014. 43. Print.

"Lure-Reward Training:

1. Show your dog the treat.
2. Move the treat in the direction/motion of the trick you want your dog to complete.
3. If your dog doesn't pick up on the motion, force them to complete it until they get the general idea of the trick.
4. Give your dog the treat and a lot of praise after each attempt whether failure or success (Fugazza 44)."

Fugazza, Claudia. "Imitation." Do as I Do: Using Social Learning to Train Dogs. Wenatchee: Dogwise, 2014. 44. Print.

Even though the example given with the "Lure-Reward Training Method" is sitting, it will work perfectly with teaching Bear how to stand.  I started Bear's lesson by showing him the treat.  After this I slowly moved the treat above his head so he was looking up at it.  I then moved it higher and higher so he was still very intrigued.  His first reaction was to bark and growl when it got too high.  I finally found the perfect height so he was able to stand up and eat the treat.  Even if Bear growled instead of standing, I still gave him a lot of praise and the treat as well.

It took about two hours for Bear to consistently stand when I showed him the treat.  After all this teaching, all I have to do to get Bear to stand is to put the treat anywhere above his head.  I showed my family what I taught him and they were very impressed on how quickly he learned.  Does Bear sound like an unusually stubborn dog, or do you think all dogs respond to training similarly to him?

Trent DeLucia: Teaching Your Dog Tricks

My previous blog was focused on training Bear and helping him get rid of one of his bad habits, but this time I chose a more fun topic.  I'm going to teach Bear how to sit.  I know this may seem like a basic trick that all dogs should know, but he was never taught.  There are some great tips and tricks in the book Do as I Do, by Claudia Fugazza, that are going to benefit my teaching immensely.

Since I am new to teaching and training dogs, the "Preliminary Training" section of my book was a great place to start.  It gave me helpful tips on what to do and what not to do when I start teaching.

"3 things to do prior to training:

1. Dogs cannot focus as well as they could on an empty stomach so start a training session after a small snack.
2. Make your dog feel loved and start to encourage before you begin.
3. Have treats out and ready to reward your dog with (Fugazza 15)."

Fugazza, Claudia. "Imitation." Do as I Do: Using Social Learning to Train Dogs. Wenatchee: Dogwise, 2014. 15. Print.

"3 things not to do prior to training:

1. Too much physical exertion before teaching your dog a trick will cause drowsiness and lack of focus so avoid playing at the park, long walks, etc.
2. Don't forget to refill the water bowl!  Dogs are more easily distracted while thirsty.
3. You cannot be in an impatient mood while working with animals.  You will only frustrate yourself and the dogs (Fugazza 16)."

Fugazza, Claudia. "Imitation." Do as I Do: Using Social Learning to Train Dogs. Wenatchee: Dogwise, 2014. 16. Print.

These tips helped me to prepare myself to teach Bear his first trick.  I fed him two green beans for a healthy snack about twenty minutes before we started.  I also pet him for a few minutes and brought the treats from the pantry to the living room.  I skipped taking Bear on his daily walk so he wasn't so tired for his lesson.  I also refilled his water bowl and made sure I was calm and ready to teach him.  After this, I was ready to perform the "Imitation Rule" teaching method:

"The imitation rule involves the dog learning that the cue "Do it!" means "copy the behavior I have just demonstrated" no matter what it is (Fugazza 16)."

Fugazza, Claudia. "Imitation." Do as I Do: Using Social Learning to Train Dogs. Wenatchee: Dogwise, 2014. 16. Print.

I decided to use the imitation rule on how I'm going to teach Bear how to sit.  I sat down, stood up, said "do it," forced him to sit down, and then repeated.  I repeated these steps about six times until I finally didn't have to force Bear to sit anymore.  When he sat by himself after repeating what I did, I rewarded him with a treat. Eventually, I just had to say "do it," and Bear sat down without me having to sit first.

The video shows that Bear learned how to respond to the cue, "do it."  It only took about an hour to teach him his first trick.  My family and I were very pleased and I can't wait to teach him more.  What do you guys think is a more challenging trick that I could try to teach Bear next?

Rolling on.

Today I decided to step it up a notch but also teach a more easier trick for Shasta. I chose 'roll over' and was pleasantly surprised to see that she caught on very quickly. I have noticed Shasta improving increasingly every day that I train her. She always gets very excited when the treats come out and will try to do anything you ask. But she still has tendencies to give up at times so there is still more room for improvement.
A tip I did not know about teaching a dog to roll over is that you should always do the trick on a rug or outside on the grass; "So you have a soft spot to roll over. If your older dog is reluctant to roll over, he may have a sore back."(Fogle 40)
This tip helped me make sure that we were on the carpet to it would not cause any harm on Shasta. I believe teaching her this trick on carpet gave her more confidence and caused a more positive result.
Another tip that efficiently helped with teaching Shasta to 'role over' was to pay attention if she is already laying on one hip. -"As he relaxes, pay attention to which hip he settles on. if he is resting on his right hip, he is already leaning to the right, making it easier for him to roll that way."(Fogle 40)
Fogle, Jean M. Tricks for Treats. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

By learning the tips to teach Shasta from the book Tricks for Treats, I have expanded my understanding what the dog needs to achieve tricks or any type of training. Does it seem like I am being to easy on her?

What.

Shasta has gotten increasingly more comfortable with 'shake' since the last post but she is a very slow learner when it comes to anything new. That is why I decided that the next trick should be 'wave' because it builds off of 'shake.' Shasta has been through traumatic events so she is a bit off and needs to go slow.
While teaching Shasta how to 'wave', she showed many signs of confusion. She does not enjoy doing anything new or out of the ordinary, so it was difficult for her. After reading the tips from the book and repeating the steps for teaching her, she began to understand more but is still a bit fuzzy. She just wants to do 'shake' and me to give her the dang treat.
Although, she has improved. She still needs more practice.
A tip from the book that helped the most was "This time, move your hand up higher than you usually do for 'shake' so your dog is reaching up to get your hand."(Fogle 12)
Fogle, Jean M. Tricks for Treats. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
For the longest time, Shasta would just look at me very confused, or as I call it the "what" face. But she is getting much better at trying new things. Should I try and push her more out of her comfort zone?

Sierra Garcia: Crate Training

When we were first assigned this project, I had no idea which topic to choose. At first I was thinking something along the lines of baking or cooking, but then I realized that I really had no interest in that at all. I kept searching for a topic until my parents surprised me with a puppy as an early birthday present. Then it came to me, I would train my dog.

Here's a little background information on me. I've grown up surrounded by animals my whole life. My mom had found a Tuxedo cat (whom she named Ebony) under her dad's truck. Ebony was just a kitten, yet it seemed as if she had already be trained. This astonished my mom because she was so young and already knew some of the most common things that most cats have difficulty learning. I also had an English Bulldog named Topper. Although Topper was one of the best dogs I have ever encountered, he had no manners. My family and I tried to teach him certain things as a puppy but they never stuck with him. He only grasped the simple things like commands such as sit and heel.

Now that I have another dog, I understand that I have to train her while she is still impressionable. Her mind is a blank slate that I will now try to fill with positive training so that she can behave properly. 

So far, Rosie has been pretty manageable for a puppy as young as she is, but she does have problems with her crate. Dog crates are used as a place where one can feel safe. Not only this, but they are also used to keep them from getting into trouble when they are home alone.

As I put Rosie in her crate before I leave for school or even when I try to get her accustomed to the idea of it, Rosie shows all signs of discomfort. She either runs away, or if I can manage to place her in it and close the door, she cries for long periods of time. 

Throughout the week, I used the method of giving Rosie treats each time I placed her inside of the crate. "Once the puppy is in the crate, calmly close the door while he's in. Ignore him by turning your back by looking away for a few seconds. Immediately open the door and give the puppy a treat" (Swaim 84). This technique of rewarding your dog doesn't make them feel like they are getting disciplined but allows them to feel as if they did something good along with giving them the feeling that they are safe. 

Rosie after the week of crate training. 

She's Kinda Weird.

I chose to teach some tricks and train my dog, Shasta, because all my family does is complain about her and she honestly doesn't do much. She's kind of weird. She is around 6 years old and we rescued her about 3 years ago after she had spent some time getting abused and neglected,  and thrown out into the middle of nowhere in Idaho.
When we got her she was very scared of everything. She would scream at the slightest touch and was always afraid we would leave her. Three years later and she has gotten better. But she doesn't play with any toys and has not really been trained. So I decided to take the privilege of teaching her into my own hands.
Also, as the book says, this will help us bond as well.
The book I have chosen is "Tricks for Treats." by Jean M. Fogle. For my first post I chose to start with an easier trick that she has a bit of experience on, just to start her off. This trick would be... shake. Dun dun dun.
When I started off trying to teach her this, she was very weird about it. She would get confused and  slowly start to lay down and just plain give up. But soon enough she started to get the hang of it and understood what I was trying to tell her. Her favorite part was obviously the treats.
"Choose the right treats. Don't be tempted to use your dogs dinner kibble; find a treat that will really motivate him, and use it only for trick training."(Fogle 6)
     Fogle, Jean M. Tricks for Treats. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
This quote from the book has helped me learn an easy way to motivate, Shasta. Instead of using her regular dog food (Well actually, she eats cat food. She's kind of weird.), it is more tempting and motivational for the dog if you use dog treats or some chicken or cheese.


The picture that I took for this post was my beautiful Shasta completing 'shake'. She ended up licking my hand as well while I was taking the photo. But like I've been saying, she's kind of weird.
Do you think that she will start to overcome her intense fear of everything the longer I spend training her?

Trent DeLucia: Training Your Dog

I chose training my dog because I thought it would be fun to incorporate him into a school project.  His name is Bear and he is three years old.  None of my family members have taken the time to teach him any cool tricks or train him in any special way so I took it upon myself to accept the challenge.

I had no idea where to start after I read the book, Do as I Do, by Claudia Fugazza.  It gave me a few ideas on what tricks I could teach him, but also brought to my attention that Bear has a few bad habits he should change.  Begging at the dinner table has always been annoying, but nothing has been done to stop it.  In fact, my family has been encouraging Bear by feeding him from the table to make him go away and stop growling.

Last Sunday, I decided to focus on getting rid of the bad habit of bear begging at the dinner table.  The guidelines from my book have definitely helped because he has not begged in three days. I used the plan:

"The main cognitive variables involved are:
1. Motivation
2. Attention
3. Memorization
4. Replication (Fugazza 20-21)."

Fugazza, Claudia. "Imitation." Do as I Do: Using Social Learning to Train Dogs. Wenatchee: Dogwise, 2014. 20-21. Print.

I used this 4 step guided plan to help Bear stop begging:

1. I motivated/encouraged Bear to not beg by giving him a dog treat after dinner and not giving him any more people food.

2. I switched his attention/distracted him from delicious smelling food to toys.  I would throw him a toy that I'd keep on my lap when he would come near the table.

3. I helped Bear memorize/recall his learning through telling him "No!" when he started to beg.

4. This was replicated/put into action in only four practice days and the outcome has been no begging since!

The past few days my family and I have been able to enjoy our dinners more from not being annoyed by Bear.  My mom said, "Finally, I don't have to share my food!"  Training Bear so far has been fun and effective.  Do you think that focusing on reducing bad habits will please my family more than cool tricks?

Before: Bear begging when it's dinner time.

After: Bear with his favorite toy during dinner.