Yes, yes, yes. This is a huge thing for Willow, too. I think, once they understand they have a choice, it's actually pretty transferrable as a skill. You then just have to train your application(s) of it.
This is what I'm aiming for When you put the bottle down do you put it on a surface or just move it away?
These days, the bottle is on a table just by the sofa with the cheese. He gets on the sofa and I pick up the bottle. If he gets off the sofa I put the bottle down on the table, wait a moment and invite him back up on the sofa. If he doesn't come, I leave it and try again later. I see in the video of my earlier training, I put the bottle down if he backed away, but if he just lifted his head I moved the bottle away. I probably should have been a bit more obvious with what I did with the bottle.
There is a Facebook group here, on people training the bucket game - more good videos, and also some material presented by Chirag Patel himself. https://www.facebook.com/thebucketgame/
Absolutely brilliant! We are really getting there. I can hold the bottle right by Tatze's ears and eyes. She knows head lift = bottle goes away but no treat. I am thrilled with her progress and with this method. Many thanks!
That's amazing - I have given up on getting drops into her eyes for now (the oral medication has cleared them up thankfully) . I will keep working on it so that next time we can be successful. We are at the point that she is fine with the bottle by her eyes but the second it's above her head she backs away!
Yeah, me too - if I ever meet Chirag Patel I'll feel like giving him a big kiss. Not that I would actually do that because it would be just awkward. But you know what I mean! Both Charlie and I were miserable about ear cleaning. He was scared, and I was super upset about scaring my dog. All solved now though. I'll join you in the happy feet dance.
I remembered to switch on my gopro while I did Charlie's eyes tonight. Such a good boy. He has never been as bad about his eyes as ears, but we don't need to do ears right now. agreeing to do eyes by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr
Good boy Charlie! Does he have something wrong with his eyes at the moment, or is it a general husbandry thing you do? He seems completely unbothered by the whole thing
Charlie gets conjunctivitis on and off - it's always in London, and I think it is related to the London Plane trees. He tends to get it in the spring when there is a lot of Plane tree pollen, and now when all the leaves drop. Normally, we keep it under control by just washing his face when he comes in from walks but about twice a year it's bad enough to have a course of drops. This is one of those times. He is coming to the end of the course now, and his eyes look ok, but the instructions are to finish the bottle, so I'm doing that.
Aw, bless him. That's what Willow had when I had to give her drops - it was the pollen that seemed to bring it on with her, too. She actually liked having the drops put in; I think she found them soothing. She is so trusting when it comes to "making things better". Even if she has a thorn in a pad - I know it has to hurt to find it and pull it out, but she stands there, knowing that it'll be better once I've finished.
