Attention other MinPin owners! Questions

Wow that's incredible! I'd love to be able to get Molly to work without signals but we're having some trouble with that! You'll have to take a video and post it once Bob masters the 'looking sad' trick!

Molly absolutely loves to keep learning too. She's my first dog and I really was worried about training but she's a wonder to train, much like your Bob! Very eager and even after I've finished she always wants to do some more. So far she knows about 10 tricks. At the moment we're working on 'crawl' and putting her toys away but she's on bed rest after an operation so keeping up with the training is proving difficult as she can't put any weight on one of her back legs!

Haha Bella sounds like a right little character! Sometimes I think MinPins are too clever for their own good! I definitely agree though, they might need lots of attention but it's so worth it!

I found out how to put img on as avatar. How can I put a pic in here?

Hi Here is some pics of Bobby

Bob doing his high with paws up

and with paws down

I hope you keep up your training with Molly I would love to know what she does you could teach her cross paws or paw work while she can't do much else what was wrong with her leg poor girl
Michelle

Here is some more bob doing tap

and doing cocky

doing cross paws unfortanatly my camera has a time delay when taking a photo and he was just starting to uncross them
My lovely little man

To post photos you have to first load them on to photo bucket and down load them from there
love Michelle

Kelpie he looks so much like Bella! I would really appreciate you giving a quick run down of just how you go about teaching a trick like paws up - I'm not getting much further than sit and down. And doubt she will ever 'stay'.
Mind you, I've had dogs where 1 yr old was the magic age - they stopped running away, came back when you called them and stopped pulling on the lead.
I'm not likely to ever let Bella off the lead here in Cyprus - too many dog poisoners around. In fact that's something I do wish I could teach her - not to sniff every tiny bit of anything she sees on the ground. I'm sure I'm stretching her neck longer daily trying to keep her up and away from it all.

Oh he's gorgeous isn't he! Such a cute little face

Oh I've just seen the cross and tap. I'm jealous! I've got a broad smile on my face now. Even photos of these dogs make me happy!

Bella has some 'tricks' she taught herself - if I get the vacuum out she busies herself taking all her 'treasures' out onto the verandah and up onto the couch out there and then covers them up with the cushions!

And she sometimes just potters off and gathers all her stuff up and arranges it all on a small mat in front of the sink.

Yesterday when I tidied the couch, I found one dried biscuit behind each of the five cushions! I feel a bit guilty moving any of this because I don't have a garden (but think if I did it would now consist of just holes she'd dug!)

And if I put her harness and lead on her and don't leave immediately - she takes the loop bit in her mouth and keeps walking up and down - taking herself for a walk!

Ok let me try and explain how to do paw work. have a small tasty treat in your closed hand. Have small gaps in your fingers so the dog can smell the treat but not get it . have the dog in front of you and let her smell the treat but not have it hold it quite low the dog will eventually try and get the treat with there paw that's when you would click or say yes and give the treat. the dog will soon cotton on to touching your hand with the paw gets the treat always pay for the correct response when the dog does it well a few times start and put a command to it I use touch for right paw tap for left when the dog is doing it well hold the food nearer the other paw and ask for that one if you have any questions ask i will try and explain better I is something you could perhaps do with Molly while she cant do much with her back leg what has she done
\michelle

Thank you Michelle, you are kind. Well it's 5am here in Larnaca and I am just getting ready to take Bella the belligerent out for her main walk of the day before the sun comes up. It's still unbelievably hot here and although she seems to be able to cope with the heat well - I don't! So it's off to the waterfront with us and watch the sunrise.

I keep looking at your doggy piccies - love him!

Hi Sam It sounds lovely its cold and wet here Bob dosn't do rain I thourght I would put a link on to utube Kikopup she has a chihuahua but is the min pin type she has lots of vidieos on showing you how to train different things you can subcribe to her chanel and get through to her web site by clicking on her kikopup name its all free but you can see most of her stuff by clicking on the frames down the side I just put the link on to my fav one I love the music background http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G51Jiq7oJtI&feature=channel
Michelle

Michelle, I followed your method and can hardly believe it - she learned to do it in about 5 minutes! Yay!

That's great keep at it when you have taught the other paw keep changing between the left and right paw but remember to give a treat every time she gets it right. use your corresponding hand to help her for quite a while it will be a while before cutting down the treats so use tiny bits when she is confident keep her in the sit and raise your hand a bit higher so she cant actually touch your hand when she raises her leg click feed break the exercise and go mad with pleasure you have realy achieved a big thing so you can both get excited then get her in the sit and try again then try the opposite leg
love Michelle

Haven't got a clicker yet. Am going to try to find one today here (Cyprus isn't your 'oyster' for pet supplies - usually get stuff from eBay and have it sent over)

I was wondering about how long to leave it before trying a 'new' trick after teaching the last one?

Also thinking that, at her size, too many treats for tricks and she won't need or want any meals!

I used to reserve treats for giving her when she's been left in her cage and I return. (She's brilliant for going into her cage and also not going nuts when I get back and before I open it)

I used tiny bits broken off one of those rodeo twist treats. Ive got other treats hidden all over the apartment. She seems not to want to eat them - just takes them and 'buries' them.

I'm on a learning curve here with her and how much attention to give her. As hard as it is to do it - I find she benefits by being 'ignored' or left to herself a bit. If I talk to her all the time or even catch her eye too often she can become a complete demanding pain not wanting me to do anything other than tickle her or pet her or talk to her!
She is the most 'independent' dog I've ever owned. Will trot off outside to lie in the sun and ignore me for long periods if I leave her in peace. And for choice will always sit on the chair while I am on the couch, or even put herself in her cage to sleep (I fidget too much for her liking!)

yes keep using tiny bits of food for training If I do abit of training I cut Bobs food right down can you get bakers most meaty food its a soft food that you can brake up in to tiny bits and the dogs love them they are round nuggets and in a box you can start teaching them something else at the same time but steer away from paw tricks so you don't confuse her you can do twist and spin or heal work or walk back weave lots of things if you need anything explaining I am quite happy to try
Michelle
it will help when you get your clicker you should get one off the net they are quite cheep I can explain how to start

Morning Michelle,
I intend to stop by a new Pet Shop I've been told about on my way back from the shops today. Will be taking my life in my hands parking by it (but then I do that every time I get in my car here in Cyprus!)
We've already been out on our morning walk. She's been outside in the sun since we got back. I expected to find her sleeping but she was just finishing off chewing up my toothbrush! These min pins can jump so high! I can assure you I didn't leave it on the floor!

yep they are terrible thieves

No luck with a clicker at the new pet shop. I will buy one online. They didn't even understand what I was talking about. When I explained, they offered me a whistle! Now if you know Cyprus, you know about the street dog problem - hell I don't wanna whistle every stray in the vicinity to come to me!

Tried to add this to my last but failed.

I found CYPRUS PET SHOPS ONLINE on a banner ad at the top of this forum! I love this place.

They've got one and I love the description -
Makes A Clicking Sound That Stops The Dog From Bad Behaviour