From the furry side
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More clicker training Sallie and I were at obedience school again this evening. I must admit dog training has changed enormously in my six decades of experience! When I first went through obedience school, you gave the command and forced the animal to comply; then you praised the animal. In other words, you taught sit by saying, "SIT!" Simultaneously, you pulled up on the leash and pushed down on the hindquarters. The dog sat, perforce, and you said, "Good girl!" Same for "DOWN!" only you pushed on both hindquarters and shoulders.
Morgan, my trainer, taught sit this evening by the simple expedient of moving her hand, with treat obvious, toward the dog's nose and then back over her head. The head followed the treat, and Sallie sat automatically. Easy learning!
But down was harder. Morgan got Sallie to sit, but didn't give the treat. Instead, she put her hand on the floor, coaxing Sallie's nose (and, in theory, forequarters) down, too. But Sallie wasn't getting it—she pawed and nibbled at Morgan's hand, seeking her treat. It took many tries before she accidentally lay down, and I'm sure she had long since forgotten what command was most recently given.
Morgan explained, "I want her to think about what she's doing, to try to figure out what I want. If she understands the process, she'll learn other things more easily."
I keep saying, facetiously, "I wish God would just send me an email!" But maybe he's doing what Morgan does: maybe He's letting me figure it out, work on what He's thinking, try different things with increasing eagerness to follow His lead and learn His thoughts.
Shoving me into sit position would be simpler, but I wouldn't learn as much ...
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