We did it!!!! Isn't Swiss cheese WONDERFUL!!!!! Tippy will do almost anything if the payout is worth it!!!! SWISS CHEESE!!!! I tried it at NEADS during training since that was the only special treat I had available when I needed it. Tippy thought it was amazing and was able to perform "Recall Level I & II" as long as he knew that there was this amazing, stupendous, delicious, scrumptious treat when he got it right!
When we were doing "Fridge", Tippy, as I've said before, would back out of the fridge if the door appeared to be closing in on him. For this reason, I needed to voice each step of the ultimate "fetch" procedure. 1) Fridge (after a very excited "are you ready, are you ready?) 2) Fetch 3) Hold 4) Nudge 5) Hold 6) Closer(if necessary....rarely is it necessary) 7) Give Richie was very quick as he's very much a "go-getter" and appeared to be "racing" for a better time when just given the command, "Fridge". Today, we hit the "Jackpot"!!!!!! After the last few days of step-by-step commands, Tippy started the day with just the "Fridge" and "Nudge" commands! I took a break for a couple of hours, and sure enough, all I needed to say was, "Fridge"! He did look at me as he switched to each behavior, but just that one command was all that was necessary! I know that once they do it right we're supposed to stop, but Tippy honestly looked so pleased with himself I had to do it again so that he could be rewarded a second time!!!! YAAAAAAAAAY!!!! Besides the cheese, he got a million "Good Boy" and side pats.....this, he also loves!!!! **I think it's also important to point out that I have a "French door fridge with the freezer drawer below......so, he had to add an extra step, "Up" to be able to reach the dumbbell. KUDOS TO TIPPY!!!! I will try to get it filmed as he becomes more confident, but right now he needs to be able to see my look of approval as he completes his "mission". **(If someone from NEADS reads this, please tell Brian....he's not calling until Friday!!!!) Mr. Slow-Mo has "Go-Go"!!(at least for today!)
Considering that he's learned that "Necessity is the mother of invention", it's a darn good thing he performed so admirably today! Tippy has been getting along with George(our 13 yr old tiger cat) better than I had expected. I didn't think there would be any real problem, however, since Alli had always done her bouncing play bow around and around George I guess I kind of expected the same type of behavior. Tippy has a different tactic! "Kill him with kindness!" He licks and licks George all over and I thought George was having enough. I had just told Tippy to "be nice", when I realized that despite his licking knocking George over with each "lap", George was purring and stretching his neck out for more! So I've been letting Tippy have free range of the first floor....my bedroom is on the first floor....because I don't have to worry about any dog vs cat catastrophe:) I have George's food pushed way in the corner under the center island with the bucket of cat food on one side, the basket with the pouches of moist cat food on the other, and my stool wedged in the middle. George can fit in, but I made sure Tippy can't. Or so I thought!!! Yesterday morning Mark yelled from the family room that my dog was in the cat food! I couldn't figure out how so I went to investigate.....OMG.....it's that analytical "thing" again!!! Tippy had carefully pulled the basket out from it's wedged in position w/out knocking it over, and he had his head about 2" from the cat's bowl. He knew he had been caught red handed because his head pulled out, his ears lay flat, he looked at me w/ out picking up his head, and then he "skulked" back to my room! So, now when he has a "yen" for a feline feast, he has learned to "tip toe" out of the room....I guess this is payback for not having the terrible twos with any of my children(I did, however, have the "formidable fours"!). I watched Tippy tip toe to my door, and very nonchalantly, look back before continuing on. I know when he's going for the cat food, because neither his feet nor his "tags" make any noise. When I catch him and he comes back, you can hear both.....you also hear them any other time he's moving about without interest in the cat food!
The last 2 Sundays, Tippy has done "through" to sit facing me as I stand facing the pew in church. I then say "back" repeatedly until he's in far enough and I tell him "down". Today he just wouldn't back in and I was forced to have him lead me in and then tell him "turn". **(I guess I'll be stopping by church this week to practice a few times!) When Alli used to come to church, she always led the way, put her forepaws on the pew, turned her body and put her paws back on the floor and would lay down. I assumed Tippy would do the same....WRONG!!!! He led the way, I told him to "turn" and he automatically put his forepaws on the pew. At this point, I figured I had it under control and began to sit.....HE JUMPED TOTALLY ONTO THE PEW AND STARTED TO LAY DOWN!!!! I told him "OFF" in no uncertain terms and he honestly looked indignant!!! How dare I ask him to lay on the floor when I had the comfy pew pad to sit on....all 1" of padding!!!!! Needless to say he got off, lay down, and the only sounds I heard were his snoring and some groaning.....oh well. He did perk up a bit when I had communion for him as well. I took 2 little chunks of bread when the plate came by, and when directed I ate mine. When the "juice" came by I just took 1 tiny glass cup. When directed to drink, I dipped the 2nd piece of bread into the juice, fed that piece to Tippy and consumed the remaining juice. He was licking his "lips"(?) for at least a minute or two....I'd tell him it was only juice and not wine, but why ruin the experience for him!!!!
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