Clikker training

[rimturse]

Jonesy's attentionspan has gone up from approx. 20 secs to several minutes - and he's bright! For some time we've been training "target stick" only, varying the stick from ball-point pens to spoons. He's excellent at this, touching the stick with his nose. Yesterday I upped the training by not holding the target, but placing it on the floor. It took a while, but he figured that one out as well.

Today I upped the training even more by putting a sticker on my hand. The idea was that he had to touch the sticker with his paw* - a tricky thing for two reasons. 1. He's used to touching the target with his nose and 2. Stickers to Jonesy means something to rip off. BUT we ended the session with three successful full-on paw on hand and a kitty who seems to be grasping what I want from him! I'm so proud!

Felix joins the clikker training as well, but only for the rewards**. Everytime Jonesy gets a reward Felix gets one too. It's a win-win situation.

Grooming the Bonesy-boy is a whole other matter. His fur is matting like crazy. I brush him (regular brush and a card), comb him (regular comb and a razor comb), spray him with this liquid that's supposed to prevent matting (he's NOT keen on this at all), snip off the matting with a small scissors and yet his fur tangles faster than I can untangle it. It's a nightmare.

*This should hopefully develop into a "paw" trick aaaand if he's good at it, perhaps he can learn to turn on the light.

**As you know he's not the brightest bead in the bucket.

Comments

[toeknuckles.livejournal.com]

lord, i feel your pain with the matting fur. i have a dog like that. eventually, we just had to have her regularly clipped (and by clipped, i mean almost shaved bald) and just put jumpers on her in winter, the long matted hair just got SO IMPOSSIBLE.

[frigg.livejournal.com]

Good idea, that would be a whole lot easier. I can't imagine what Jonesy would look like with shortly cropped hair, though. :)

[cathemery.livejournal.com]

You want your cat to go around turning lights on?

::giggle::

[frigg.livejournal.com]

Weeeell, the theory was that he would only do so when asked to. *grin*

[navicat.livejournal.com]

Awwww kitty cuteness :D