Trading game

Share your experience and tell us how using positive reinforcement training methods has changed yours and your dogs' lives.

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Shalista
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Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 10:04 pm

Trading game

Post by Shalista »

TLDR: the trading game works!

Wow trading game success! ever since Bax was little he LOVED socks and underwear. anytime he found any he would steal it and chew gaping holes in it. Bax doesn't really do drop it but to prep him for eventually learning it i started trading him for things. anything, socks, papers, underwear, used feminine products he'd pulled from the trash.... *shudder*.

He was always very good about trading but i got harassed by my family CONSTANTLY about how i was encouraging him to steal and just training him to take stuff in exchange for treats.

lately my family has been leaving the laundry room door open and Bax has been sneaking in to steal socks, but something is different about how he does it..... instead of taking one and secreting it away to chew he brings it to me and stands there proudly with it. then he runs off like a mad man with the sock flapping as a cape. if i ignore his thievery he will pull every sock out of the room and spray them across he house, BU T HE DOESN'T CHEW THEM. its more of a "haha look at me! come give me a treat!" then him trying to destroy something.

we watched a whole movie and he must have pulled out fifteen socks, which brought for our inspection before dashing away to grab a new one.

Needless to say i'm thrilled! I'm still going to trade them for him, of course, but knowing that i've somehow changed how the sock stealing game is played? (running around with them instead of secreting away to chew) just makes me feel so happy and successful as a fur mom.
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
JudyN
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Location: Dorset, UK
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Re: Trading game

Post by JudyN »

Well done for seeing sock stealing as a positive - and inventing a new fun game in the process! :D

Jasper tried presenting me with something out of the bedroom bin yesterday. I told him I didn't want it so he tried something else out the bin... I rather optimistically told him to put it back in the bin gesturing towards the bin, but he thought I was asking him to get something else from the bin... it got a little messy :lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Shalista
Posts: 1363
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 10:04 pm

Re: Trading game

Post by Shalista »

hahaha yeah im just happy he's not destructive anymore. I'll pick up fifty socks if it spares one from the waste bin
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
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Nettle
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Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: Trading game

Post by Nettle »

Great success story, Shalista.

How to stop family leaving doors open that should be shut is another matter entirely :roll:
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
Shalista
Posts: 1363
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 10:04 pm

Re: Trading game

Post by Shalista »

Do you think i could use dog biscuits as a reinforcer for them? :lol: :lol: :lol:
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
JudyN
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Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:20 pm
Location: Dorset, UK
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Re: Trading game

Post by JudyN »

As long as you don't tell them they're dog biscuits...
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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Nettle
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Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: Trading game

Post by Nettle »

JudyN wrote: Sun May 07, 2017 11:54 am As long as you don't tell them they're dog biscuits...
:twisted:
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
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