'Clean Up Your Toys'

For a wonderful, +R get together this Sunday, we are to teach our dogs to put toys/objects in a basket of some sort. This morning Luna and I did our 4th session.

I had three soft, squishy balls and an oval ice cream container that fitted those balls perfectly. Since the other 3 sessions were with an ordinary cardboard box, I first loaded this new one as a 'good place to put your nose.' Yes, I needed Luna's "huh?" to remind me of that, but I caught on immediately when I'd laid out the balls and the container and Luna didn't do anything but look at me. Duh. :D

So, first some C/T's for putting her nose in the container. Then place one ball in the container, C/T for nose touches to the ball, then for picking up the ball when it was in the container, and then on to placing the ball on the ground and C/T when Luna picked it up and pushed it (her nose wrinkled :D) into the container. Then put 2 balls out, couple of C/T's for picking up and depositing each one. Then 3 balls, more C/T for picking up and depositing each one. Then asked for 1 ball for 1 C/T, then 2 balls for 1 C/T, then back to three balls for 1 C/T each. And again. Then three balls for 1 C/T, and a couple C/T's for 1 ball at a time. And so on.

She did a great job. Quiet, calm, shoving the balls into the box, nicely following my finger points and NO FRUSTRATION. I think she's got it (for now). Yay!

Oh, and again, a short session. Maybe I'm getting it, too. ;-P