The Dish by Darcy

Dancer saw the mouse first, she was chasing it around the coiled up garden hose on the patio. When I first saw it, I thought it was a toad. “Dancer, you know that toad will foam in your mouth, you learned that when you were a baby.” Then I saw the mouse.

Dancer picked up the mouse gingerly with her front teeth. The mouse either bit her or grabbed her with his teeny tiny feet. If you’ve ever been walked on by a grasshopper, you know what a mouse feels like. They grip with their feet and bite just hard enough to startle you making you pull your hand or arm back really fast. She threw him six feet into the air and he landed with a thud on the board walk. Oh, poor mouse, that had to hurt.

Oliver ran to the mouse. I yelled, “Oliver, off.” Oliver stopped and backed up. Dancer ran back to the mouse and I ran for the video camera.

Dancer approached slowly and stealthy  like she wanted to touch him but he might grab her again. She braved it, she grabbed him, he grabbed her whiskers, she tossed him into the air again. And then again. At this point the mouse is dead. Dancer sniffs him. I say, “Dancer, don’t you eat that mouse. Leave it for the kitty.” Dancer walks away as proud as she could be, as if she’s just won the gold medal in the mouse Olympics.

Oliver ran up to the mouse again. “Oliver, off!” Oliver backs up and as I’m praising him for leaving the mouse alone, Frankie runs through behind me, and without missing a beat, puts her head down, swallows the mouse whole and keeps on running.

The only thing I got on film was Dancer throwing the mouse into the air.

Life in the wild.

Some dogs learn more quickly than others. Some learn some things faster than other things. I think that Oliver is going to be the dog that learns some things faster than others. He got loose leash walking fast, really fast, but he doesn’t quite understand what a down from a standing position is yet. He’s so gawky right now, all legs, maybe that’s the reason, maybe he doesn’t know how to control his own legs on cue yet. I like to give him an excuse for just a little bit, he’s a doll and he makes me laugh.

“Oliver, dowwnnn.” I lure him with a treat, my hand and treat right between his front legs and under his chest. Oliver’s nose goes for the treat, his body goes down into a perfect down. Click and treat.

“Oliver, dowwnnn.” I lure him with a treat. Oliver goes down into a perfect down. Click, treat.

“Oliver, dowwnnn.” I wait to see what happens. Oliver gives me this huge innocent dark eyed look. He leans toward me. His eyes continue to grow bigger and bigger and bigger and he’s leaning with his head more and more toward me like he’s saying, “Annddd whaat?” I’ve started to giggle.

“Oliver, dowwnn. Mummf.” My lips are pressed tight, my nose is crinkling up, I’m trying not to giggle. I lure him with a treat. Oliver goes down into a perfect down. Click, treat.

“Oliver, dowwnn.” I wait. The eye thing again. Oh, my God! It’s so funny. “Whaattt do you wannnnt?” as he leans toward me. He speaks with his eyes in the voice that we silly humans make as we pretend we know sign language but we’re really just moving our hands and fingers. I have almost lost all control of myself by now. I’m hiccuping and my eyes are tearing.

“Oliver, dowwnn.” I can’t help it, I’ve started to laugh. I can’t hold it in much longer. I wait to see what happens. Frankie, who is supposed to be being watched closely by Kent so she’s not a distraction, comes running by and throws herself onto the floor into a perfect down. A great big happy grin on her face and waits on her elbows for her treat. “I did it,” she beams. ” Can I have my cookie now?” I give her the treat that was waiting for Oliver.

Oliver looks over at Frankie in complete disbelief. He looks at the next treat in my hand. He looks at me. He tilts his little furry face to mine and I see the light go on in his eyes. A light bulb goes on over his head. He throws himself into a perfect down exactly like Frankie had. He grins happily first at me and then at Frankie then back at me. His tail is wagging furiously. Click and treat.

Then….this is all I’ve got left….both dogs stand up at the same time, lift their front legs like rearing horses, and throw themselves onto the floor into perfect downs. Click and treat, treat, treat.

I lose it. I am on the floor laughing out loud, rolling around, holding my sides. Both dogs stay in their downs for a split second, then they jump on me with kisses and hugs and more kisses and hugs.

I can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow.

(Know how to use clicker training before you start. It’s just as easy to create bad habits as it is to train good behavior and tricks and it happens almost instantly. Go to SitStay.com and search for the words ‘clicker training’. Both books and DVDs for your pleasurable training. I learn faster by watching but I read everything I can get my hands on about training and dog behavior. I sort out what I don’t like and use what I do like. Positive training is the only kind of training I use. It works and my dogs love me for it. We have a great library to help you live a better and happier life with your dog.)

No jerking, no pulling, no hurting your dog to get the good manners, tricks, and good behavior you want. Clicker training is fast and fun for everybody.

Your dog will learn quickly with positive clicker training what you want. You teach a verbal and a gesture cue for everything you teach as your dog learns it. When the dog knows the verbal and gesture cue, put the clicker and the treats down. You have a dog who will do anything you want by voice request or by your gesture.

Use the clicker to teach your dog anything!