Praising

[Brewfilek]

Hey i have a question about praising for good behavior.

Brew is now just over 7 months old.

We Brew and I are doing training session i find that he acts a little funny sometimes. He gives me a good sit/stay/down...etc and i will give him a kibble or some small treat for a reward. i also try to give him a little pat on his body, and say good boy.

he seems to kind of flinch away from the pet though. i don't know if it's because he is looking for another kibble (which i'm hoping is the case, and maybe he is just food driven...??)

he's never been beaten or treated poorly even for a second, so it just seems odd to me.

does any one have any thoughts or experience on this?

do you think maybe purchasing a clicker might help?

i just want him to feel all the love i have for him.

[gracielove]

I haven't had experience with that type of reaction to a pat. Maybe you are doing it a bit harder than he would like? Maybe just a slight pat to the head would be good. Some dogs have sensitive areas. If you want to encourage him in his good behavior you probably should just do what he seems to enjoy.

Another thought is that maybe someone else has maybe over patted him in your absence? Has he ever been left alone with someone else?

[Brewfilek]

Thanks for the response!

He hasn't spent any alone time with anyone other then myself and my husband.

He is just starting in the last few weeks to really get into cuddleing. He just loves to play and fetch and catch so much that he doesn't really settle into a nice relaxing "petting session".

[kjc]

Originally Posted by Brewfilek

Hey i have a question about praising for good behavior.

Brew is now just over 7 months old.

We Brew and I are doing training session i find that he acts a little funny sometimes. He gives me a good sit/stay/down...etc and i will give him a kibble or some small treat for a reward. i also try to give him a little pat on his body, and say good boy.

he seems to kind of flinch away from the pet though. i don't know if it's because he is looking for another kibble (which i'm hoping is the case, and maybe he is just food driven...??)

he's never been beaten or treated poorly even for a second, so it just seems odd to me.

does any one have any thoughts or experience on this?

do you think maybe purchasing a clicker might help?

i just want him to feel all the love i have for him.

All four of mine act like slinky worms if I try to pet them while they are eating, lol!

I tried a clicker with Tink... first time she tried to eat me ! (she has been abused, not by me)
It is way too loud. Mine all do fine with a well-timed, enthusiastic 'Good dog!', then a treat.

[kjc]

Originally Posted by Brewfilek

Thanks for the response!

He hasn't spent any alone time with anyone other then myself and my husband.

He is just starting in the last few weeks to really get into cuddleing. He just loves to play and fetch and catch so much that he doesn't really settle into a nice relaxing "petting session".

Tink loved to play 24/7. She was raised with kids, and they taught her if you bring a toy to a human, it makes the human happy. That is all they taught her, and that's all she knew to do. So as her new owner, she brought me toy after toy after toy. Play, play, play ,play!

I decided she needed to learn to be held and petted. Ten seconds and she was done. Slowly the time increased in which she would stay in my lap, till one day she fell sound asleep for over an hour. Now she'll come and want up, just for hugs and kisses. Teach the puppy how to have down time. A blankie to make him warm may make him sleepy, cuddle with him when he gets a little tired. Take breaks between playtime, you call the shots, not him. Or you will end up with a Tinkerbell!

When he gets squirmy and wants down, say 'wait a minute', and hold him for a few seconds longer. Keep it all on your terms.

[Brewfilek]

slinky worm is a perfect analogy!!

i couldn't really think of a way to describe how he acts. it's not that i think he's scared of the pet. he just doesn't "get" that its a reward not another game.

he's perfect in my eyes, and is really growing into a lovely boy.

i'm so proud of him and how well he does in the new situations we put him in. he is such a joy in my life.

i think we just still have a lot of learning to do

[Brewfilek]

Originally Posted by kjc

Tink loved to play 24/7. She was raised with kids, and they taught her if you bring a toy to a human, it makes the human happy. That is all they taught her, and that's all she knew to do. So as her new owner, she brought me toy after toy after toy. Play, play, play ,play!

I decided she needed to learn to be held and petted. Ten seconds and she was done. Slowly the time increased in which she would stay in my lap, till one day she fell sound asleep for over an hour. Now she'll come and want up, just for hugs and kisses. Teach the puppy how to have down time. A blankie to make him warm may make him sleepy, cuddle with him when he gets a little tired. Take breaks between playtime, you call the shots, not him. Or you will end up with a Tinkerbell!

When he gets squirmy and wants down, say 'wait a minute', and hold him for a few seconds longer. Keep it all on your terms.

i've actually been thinking of starting to incorporate so cuddle training in with his obidience. He does have a little blankie and it's oh so cute when he brings over to us. (i added some pictures into an album today on my profile of his snuggling in with his tail and blankie)


Thank you so much for your feedback. it was very helpful to me.

[Maximo]

My boys are always wary of anything above their heads and will sometimes make what appears to be a cowering move. I know they are not afraid of me, they are just being cautious because they are short.

[zedhead]

I think its a self preservation thing. Both of my Yorkies will/would do it.