Click-and-Treat

Since Cody is still a bit of a puppy, we thought it'd be great to get him trained early on.  He is SERIOUSLY food motivated and learned "lay down" VERY quickly.  Saturday was his first clicker training session with Jennifer Bachelor and 8 other greyhounds.  He was such a good boy! While many of the other hounds were whining and nervous, Cody was laying on the floor next to me trying to get me to focus on him for a belly scratch by pawing at me. :-P

When the first exercise came (i.e. getting him to tap an object with his nose in order to get a click and a treat), he was so quick to pick up on it that I even had to step away from the object so he'd turn back to me to get his reward rather than forcing it at him.  We came home to display our new skills to my husband and his parents and Cody was so funny with his tap-click-treat, tap-click-treat, over and over with no hesitation.  We continued working on it a bit today and I even stepped out of the room so he'd have to cross the room in order to tap the object.  Either he's learned how to get fed, or he's starting to understand that 'click' = reward.  His ears perk up everytime he hears it. =)

Unfortunately, my husband took a fall last Sunday, dislocating his ankle and breaking both of the bones in 3 places.  He had surgery on Tuesday and came out of the hospital with 8 screws and a plate.  It's been a busy week working and taking care of him.  Thank goodness his mother came to help out...it was nice having someone else there in case I wasn't immediately available when he needed something.  The dogs are happy we're working from home, but can't understand why they're not getting all the extra attention now.  Soon, sweethearts, soon...