Training Your Pets

Teaching your Dog to Stay

Start with your dog in the position you want them to hold, whether it’s a sit or a down. For most purposes, it doesn’t matter which you choose, but bear in mind your dog’s comfort. A sit may be harder to maintain after a few minutes, where as a dog who’s lying down may feel more vulnerable in some situations. I wouldn’t ask a dog to remain in place on a hot, wet, or icy surface. Also, small and short-haired dogs can feel uncomfortable on a cold floor, while a Husky will likely revel in it.

1. Find a quiet place to practice and get your clicker and treats. Cue your dog into a sit or stay wait 2 seconds.

2. Proceed until you can wait 10 seconds. Begin to use the cue "sit/down stay" When you say "stay", use a hand signal that is your flat hand about a foot from your dog's face.

3. If your dog gets up, this means you are proceeding too quickly. Say "oops" and try again with a shorter stay time goal and build up slowly again.

4. Take one half step away from your dog and click and give them a trea for staying. Proceed until you can take 2 steps in ANY direction from your dog.

5. Take several steps away until you can go out of sight. And work until you can have him stay for 2 minutes while you are in sight.

Teach your Cat to Fetch

1. Get the cat to realize that the ball is the object you want them to focus on. Hold the ball in your fingers about 6 inches away from your cat’s face. When the cat sniffs it or touches it with her nose, click and offer a treat. Repeat until your cat is looking for the ball as soon as she is done eating the treat.

2. Get the cat to place her open mouth on the ball. Your cat will think about why she didn’t get a click when she touched the ball and then try something else, such as a slightly opened mouth on the ball. Watch for this and as soon as it happens, click then treat.

3. Get the cat to place her mouth on the ball and grab. Hold the ball out again, and when your cat touches it with an open mouth, click then treat. Keep doing this until the cat is consistently offering the behavior of putting her open mouth on the ball.

4. Get the cat to grab the ball from the ground. Place the ball in front of you on the ground. When your cat touches the ball (with closed mouth or open), click and treat. When your cat is eating the treat, take the ball away, then offer it again at another spot on the floor. Once your cat is touching the ball every time it is offered, then you can change the expectations to having her touch it with an open mouth. Monitor any frustration in your cat as you move from one step to the next. If she walks away from the session, back up and realize that she needs more time on the previous step.

5. This step is about picking up the ball. Place the ball on the ground and wait for the cat to place her open mouth on the ball and either roll it or bite enough to move the ball. Click then treat for either of these behaviors your cat offers. Again, when the cat is offering biting and pickup (even it if is for just a second), click then treat. Then, start working on clicking when the ball is in the mouth and toward the end of the pickup. In the beginning of this step it will be super quick, but as you progress you will notice your cat keeping the ball in her mouth longer. After you get your cat to pick up the ball and hold it in her mouth for about 10 seconds, then you can move on to step 6.

6. Place the ball a bit farther away from you, such as behind your cat. Your cat will turn, pick up the ball and turn toward you, at which point you then click and offer a treat. Keep doing this while moving the ball a bit farther away from you each time. Now you have the behavior of fetch.

Teach Guniea Pig to Spin

1. Before you start this trick your guinea pig must trust and eat out of your hand. This can be frustrating. It helps to have a treat that your guinea pig enjoys and can eat somewhat quickly. Don't give your guinea pig too much of the treat, or it will get full. To start this trick, your guinea pig must follow your hand with the treat in it.

2. Start doing circular patterns with the treat. Make sure you pick one direction (clockwise or counter clockwise) and stick with it. Make sure to reward your pig with small piece of the treat for every circle. After a while your guinea pig will expect a circle.

3. Assign a key word or phrase to this trick. Every time you want your guinea pig to do a circle, say the exact same word or phrase like "circle", "turn", or "do a circle". Make sure to keep your phrase short and sweet.

4. Make sure to reward them for every circle. It is important that you never change the direction of the circle. After the circle is mastered, make sure to practice it often enough so that your guinea pig doesn't forget the trick.