Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattie
I wish I had heard about this 13 or so years ago. I'm not sure I can really teach my old dog this new trick. Maybe the 9 yr old Lab will do it, she's a digger anyway. Thanks for the tip!
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And I am sure you can. It is one of the easiest things I've ever taught my dogs. If she cannot balance three legged then have her sit for this training.
If you don't wanna do the treat under the towel thing then try this...
1) sit on a low stool with some treats in your hand and a driveway (or sidewalk) crack at your feet
2) let your dog watch you stuff a smelly treat really far into the driveway crack (so far she can't get it out)
3) do nothing if she licks it or noses it; if she stares at you look at the treat or point to it
4) click or "yes" and treat her the instant she paws at it to try and get it out
5) click or "yes" and treat her every single time she paws at it to try and get it out; I could not keep up with one of my dogs for this step but my poor timing didn't hinder his learning at all
6) do this for just a few minutes (less than five) several times a day
In a couple days you will have a dog that wants to paw the driveway (even with no treat in the driveway crack) every time you sit on that stool. If you have a cement driveway and live in a temperate climate you'll prolly never have to make your emery board cause the driveway will likely be rough enough to file her nails. If not or you prefer she use an emery board...
7) sit on your low stool and set the emery board under your feet in such a way that there is plenty of board for your dog to paw but also that your feet are securing the board in position
8a) your dog paws the emery board at which point you click or "yes" and jackpot her with lots of little treats
8b) your dog does not paw the emery board at which point you then let her watch you stuff a treat really far into the driveway crack and set the emery board up against the treat so that when she paws at the treat her paws naturally scrape along the emery board at which point you click or "yes" and treat her
9) click or "yes' and treat her every single time she paws the emery board
10) once your dog is consistently pawing the emery board you can begin reducing the click or "yes" and treat from every single paw to every other paw to every third paw back to every other paw to every fourth paw and so on and so forth
11) if your dog tends to favor using one foot more than the other...try this only after she has been consistently and happily pawing the emery board...you can wait her out a little by not treating her for any paws at the board with her favored foot; she will very likely try pawing the emery board with her other foot at which point you click or "yes" and jackpot her with lots of little treats
12) click or "yes" and treat her every single time she uses her less favored foot while continuing the random treating schedule for her favored foot
13) once your dog is consistently pawing the emery board with her less favored foot you can begin reducing the click or "yes" and treat from every single paw to every other paw to every third paw back to every other paw to every fourth paw and so on and so forth
You can put this on verbal cue or not. I didn't. My dogs go nuts when I get the emery board out and can't wait to start scratching at it.
It doesn't matter if your dog doesn't yet know that the click or "yes" means she did a good thing. She will after you get through step 6. Bonus...two lessons in one.
Remember not to overdo. It's very addictive because the dogs love doing it. But you don't want them to file their nails into the quick...ouch.
You're welcome.
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