changing things up...

Camryn & I have been working on a few tricks.  She'll now chase, then pick up a ball that I throw.  We're having problems with her actually bringing it back to me however.  She'll put it in my outreached hand if I'm nearby but, that's the best we've gotten.  Rather than either of us getting past the point of fun, I decided to change it up a bit.  Enter empty/clean muck bucket!!!  Sorry no pics (yet), she picked up on this one right away, I could tell she was quite pleased with herself.  Of course a jackpot of treats, and praise with plenty of rubbing helps in that regard I'm sure.  It was really so simple, well simple as she already knows to pick up the ball.  I simply put her ball down, pointed to it, she'd pick it up as usual.  Rather than click/treat at this point, I slipped the bucket under.  She dropped the ball, which of course landed in bucket.  Click and two treats, Camryn is "wow, two treats, I did something really good" causing her to figure out what caused this two treat reward and repeat.  We repeated a few times, though after second time it was one treat.  I then put her ball down, with the bucket nearby, after a few faltering attempts, Camryn dropped her ball in the bucket.  Click and three treats, believe me when I say, Camryn knows how to count when it comes to treats and understands multiple treats are something she wants to happen again LOL.  Once she's had a jackpot she's really into cause/effect part so to speak.  I have feeling this "useless trick" in her opinion will be right up there with honking her bicycle horn.  Honking her own horn is by far Camryn's fav thing to do.  She'll even leave hay to play "beep"!!!  Come spring we'll go back to useful games, right now "girls just want to have fun"...

Camryn says "it's about time I have a new pic here"