Mocha went to his first beginner class!

[sharona1973]

Well, I usually don't wait so long to take my dogs to training classes, but it's been very busy....

Mocha went to Petsmart for his first beginner class! It's a rather large class....about 10 dogs all together. Our homework for this week is to get Mocha to "watch me" for as long as 20 seconds. So far he can do about 5 seconds (but not consistently). They are using clicker training. I've already started clicker training with Mocha at home, so he was used to the clicker already. I would have to say that he was definitely very interested in the other doggies there and not very good at sitting still...but that's why we're there.

One other thing....it's driving me nuts that Mocha still isn't catching on to the ringing of the bell! He sits by the door and by the bell, but doesn't ring it. I ring it everytime I take him out and even spent time asking him to "ring the bell" and rewarding him. He paws at the bell, but sometimes he paws at it and it doesn't ring...it's a service bell and you have to hit it just right sometimes. He can nose it and it will ring, but he doesn't do it often. I wonder if it's just too much work for him? Perhaps I need to go back to jingle bells....I tried tying one bell to the door, but it wouldn't work very well. Maybe I need to post a picture. Perhaps I need to get several bells and really make it jingle.

[Barrett]

Is it a bell that you tap in the middle like when you are at a hotel and need service or is it bell shaped with a weight hanging in the middle? My sister has the bell shaped one that is on a small plate that is screwed to the bottom of the door. The bell is on a tight spring so it automatically rings when she opens the door. Any movement moves the weight back and forth against the sides of the bell. Her dog just barely has to touch it to make it ring.

[sharona1973]

Hi Barrett, the bell I have is the one you see in the hotel or a doctor's office. You have to hit a small "button" on the top...tap it, to make it ring.

The bell that your sister has....where did she get it and I guess it sounds like it's attached to the door? So everytime she opens the door the bell rings? But the dog is able to touch it with say, a nose or raise a paw to touch it and it will ring?

[Carrie]

Use one of those little bells you can get as a Xmas ornament. They're small and light weight and just the classic bell shape with a little deal inside which dings easily. You can probably find one at a craft store or a place like Wal mart or Fred Meyer.

Put a little dab of peanut butter on it, hang it on the door knob and take your dog near the door. When she discovers the peanut butter and licks, it will cause the bell to ding. Open the door and let her out. Make a fuss over her and bring her back in or let her pee first.

She'll also learn by observation. Everytime you open the door, the bell will ring and she'll learn by association that when the bell rings, the door opens....unless of course it works backwards and she learns that when the door opens, the bell rings. LOL. I hope not. Otherwise, she'll think she has to open the door so the bell will ring, then she gets a treat. I hope the bell always rings just a second or two before the door actually opens up. LOL.

The puppy class sounds great. It's a great way to socialize your pup to other dogs and people. That's the main thing. And working on the watch me is a good thing. Take it slowly and don't worry about hitting the 20 second mark in one week necessarily. Your trainer probably already told you this, but here's my .02 worth: Make sure you don't make her hold it longer than she's able because you'll miss the chance to reward her if she looks away and she'll fail. Instead, very gradually increase the length of time she should hold it and reward for tiny, baby steps so she is successful each step. The more opportunity for reward, the quicker she'll catch on.

Let us know how it all goes.

[Jamilupine]

Glad Mocha is in Puppy classes! I think they are a great thing for dogs and owners!

As for the bells, I too vote for the christmas type jingle bells that ring easily. I'd get two or three, enough that the slightest touch makes noise! Good luck! He'll get it.

[sharona1973]

Thanks guys...I've been trying for weeks now with this bell and that bell. I did get a jingle bell, but I think one isn't enough. I was thinking of getting a "sleigh bell" thingie since christmas is rolling around. I'm determined to get him to ring that bell!

And thanks for the tip Carrie....I did notice that if I wait too long, he looks away and I start to click and realize that I may be clicking his looking away. When he does that, I just go back to doing "watch me" and click immediately when he makes eye contact and then when he is doing that consistently again then I lengthen the time again. He can hold the gaze for about 5 seconds....and he can really hold it long if I hold the treat to my nose. If I only give the hand signal without the treat in my hand (and the command), he will only "watch me" for about 2-3 seconds.

[Carrie]

If I only give the hand signal without the treat in my hand (and the command), he will only "watch me" for about 2-3 seconds.

My recommendation is that you set him up so that he can be the most successful. In other words, use the treats if that causes him to perform the best...use them for a very long time until way down the road when you can use them randomly. If he can hold the gaze for 5 seconds, then the next day try 6 seconds and the next, 7 seconds. Then try adding a very small distraction, then a little bigger distraction etc. It sounds like you guys are doing stupendously!

[sharona1973]

Thanks Carrie! I'm already working with him with the TV in the background...mostly cuz I'm lazy to take him into a "quiet room". I can't wait to get him to learn how to sit up on his hind legs. But right now we're going to work on "watch me".