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Sparks
Sept 14, 2019 16:37:18 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Sept 14, 2019 16:37:18 GMT -6
Morgan had to make sure that he would do this consistently from here on out, and they were already pretty sure that they were in the home stretch. At this rate, they may actually have time to do another of the training bits and bobs on the list! That was great, the more he was trained the better. Morgan didn't always have time to work with him anymore, what with all of the other creatures they wanted to work with, so being able to try to cross three things off of the list was the best!
The two of them continued as they were doing previously. Morgan would give the command, the houluh would howl, more and more loudly, he was getting much better at it now, and then Morgan would give him treats, praise, and pets. They did this for another thirty minutes, until Morgan was sure that he would do it that way each and every time!
[10] - [End of 'Howl']
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Sparks
Sept 14, 2019 16:43:33 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Sept 14, 2019 16:43:33 GMT -6
Morgan decided that the last thing that they were going to work on today with Nico was going to be the 'dig' behavior. They didn't think that it would be difficult for him to learn, especially since they caught him digging a pretty size-able hole in the back yard... That was what had given them the idea in the first place. They decided on a command yet again that was a whistled one, it should be the best bet just in case he needed to hide or something. "Alrighty boyo, one more thing today, alright?" Morgan said, mostly out of habit to talking to their creatures anymore, even though Nico didn't understand speech. "We're going to teach you to dig, my boyo. Shouldn't be hard for you." Morgan already had it planned out and everything! They would give the command, and then start him digging by grabbing his paws to show the motion. Shouldn't be too hard.
[11] - [Start 'Dig']
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Sparks
Sept 14, 2019 16:51:57 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Sept 14, 2019 16:51:57 GMT -6
Morgan did just that, giving the command that they had chosen, the whistled one for dig. The houluh raised his ears up, knowing that he was supposed to do something or another, but he had never heard that command before! He tried to figure it out. Morgan gently leaned forward and took both of his front legs, making them make a scratching motion towards the ground. Then Morgan gave the command again, and the houluh nervously made a scratching motion toward the ground. "Good boyo, but not quite enough." Morgan said. Some of that fell through the RoT as things tended to do, and the houluh looked a bit determined, for a moment there. "Come on Nico." Morgan said, and then they gave him the whistle yet again. This time, the houluh made a more vigorous digging attempting, scratching the grass away. "Good boyo, Nico!" Morgan said, giving him his first treat for it.
[12]
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Sparks
Sept 14, 2019 16:59:01 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Sept 14, 2019 16:59:01 GMT -6
It wasn't much, but it was a start at least! Morgan was pleased with his first technical success, even if it wasn't exactly what they wanted. After praising the hound, Morgan gently patted him and then stood up again, giving the command. The houluh whined a bit, understanding that he wasn't doing exactly what was wanted, but knowing that he was doing something at least that was right! He dug desperately at the ground, putting a bit more work into it, and getting down to the dirt. "Keep going boyo." Morgan murmured, and it tumbled through the link. The houluh looked determinedly at Morgan, and then began to dig much better. "Good boyo, good job Nico!" Morgan gave him another treat and more petting, and then gave the command again. The houluh seemed to understand what was needed of him much better now, and dug as hard as he could, moving quite a bit of dirt along with it.
[13]
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Sparks
Sept 14, 2019 17:01:34 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Sept 14, 2019 17:01:34 GMT -6
Morgan was eventually hoping to use this training in the far future to teach the pup to be able to burrow in the hole, but for now they were very happy to just teach him how to dig a hole and then stay in it. Morgan gave him the command again, and the houluh was digging into the ground like a champ. Morgan knew he could, they had in fact seen him dig in his garden. He used his doggy claws to move a large amount of ground, until he was sitting his tiny pup body in a hole as deep as he was tall. "Great job, boyo!" Morgan called out, and of course gave him a treat, lifted him out of the hole, and moved him over slightly. Morgan gave the command again in a slightly different area, and now the houluh was having lots of fun with it, digging a huge hole as dogs were wont to do.
[14]
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Sparks
Sept 14, 2019 17:04:12 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Sept 14, 2019 17:04:12 GMT -6
Morgan knew that now that he was doing this, they were in the home stretch! They had about thirty more minutes with which to work, and Morgan put it to good use with repetition. They seemed to go on and on with this repetition, Morgan giving the command, and the houluh digging a big ole hole, and then quickly being given a treat, being removed from the hole and being given a lot of treats. Morgan started giving him the command, and then burying the holes he had made previously whenever he dug the new one, so that they wouldn't leave a mess. After they were done each time, Morgan would give him a lot of praise and a treat as per usual. Then the command was given again and it would start all over again. The houluh was a quick study, thanks to the RoT, and perhaps the link. Morgan was finally sure that he had gotten it. They gathered their things and went back home.
[15] - [End of 'Dig'] - [They both go home] - [Count this with The Wheel to level, and then 0 both]
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Sparks
Oct 13, 2019 16:01:45 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Oct 13, 2019 16:01:45 GMT -6
Morgan was back with Nico not too long later. There were two things they were going to work on today. The first was Swimming, since that would keep Nico out of trouble in the future if something happened, and the next was going to be for Socialization. Morgan had to do it in that order, because the folks that Morgan had asked to help wouldn't be here until noon, and since it was currently nine in the morning, Morgan figured that it would be good to teach him to swim first since they had a good amount of time to do it in at least! Morgan called Nico to heel, and then walked him to the little brook that was out in their favorite training area in the park. Morgan could remember bringing him here as a young juvie, all asleep in a basket. How adorable! "Today Nico, you're gonna learn how to swim." Morgan announced.
[1] - [Start 'Swim']
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Sparks
Oct 14, 2019 10:51:52 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Oct 14, 2019 10:51:52 GMT -6
Nico may not understand what Morgan was saying at all, but he sure was excited! He wagged his tail and perked his ears, listening for Morgan's voice. "Who is a good boyo, who is?" Morgan said, hands on their knees and a big dumb grin plastered to their face. Nico barked, just once, his sitting and wagging his tail ninety miles to nothing. Morgan was pleased with him. They had chosen a little place in the brook where it ran over some smooth rocks, it would come up to Morgan's ankles in depth. Morgan's plan was to get the creature completely used to the water for a bit before actually going to either side, which had varying depths in it. Dogs didn't naturally swim, though they could, so Morgan knew that it would be more difficult to teach him how to swim than the other swimming critters, but Morgan was ready.
[2]
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Sparks
Oct 16, 2019 19:12:16 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Oct 16, 2019 19:12:16 GMT -6
Swimming, huh? Nico was already all-over the water thing though. He looks up at Morgan and tilts his head, asking in the way he has learned to whether he was good to get up. Whenever Morgan smiled and then gestured to the water, Nico knew enough that he could get up from where he was sitting, and then run over to the water! He wasn't afraid of the rather noisy babbling of the brook, thankfully, and Morgan was glad to see him be quite okay with it. "Good boyo, Nico!" Morgan said. They were just going to let him get 'used' to the water for a little while. Nico was barely in water up to his own tiny ankles, but as soon as he seemed to be getting the hang of being in 'water' and he had stopped leaping around, Morgan smiled at him. "Now for swimming." Morgan decided on a good whistled command for it.
[3]
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Sparks
Oct 16, 2019 19:43:43 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Oct 16, 2019 19:43:43 GMT -6
Training Nico was usually pretty quick, and Morgan was not surprised that after working the best that they could, they finally got Nico to 'come' over into the deeper water up to his chest, and then Morgan had him come further as well. "Good boyo. Alrighty, let's try!" Morgan said, and then used the whistle to give the command. Nico raised his ears up a bit, knowing that this was a command, but it was NEW. He wagged his tail excitedly, but didn't move. Morgan shook their head, to signal to him that he had not yet done it, and then whistled the command yet again. Nico knew at this point that he needed to do something, and he danced nervously on all four paws chest deep in the water. "Come on boyo." Morgan said, excitedly. Nico stepped a bit into the water, but only another step.
[4]
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Sparks
Oct 16, 2019 19:51:17 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Oct 16, 2019 19:51:17 GMT -6
That might just be a little bit of the process that was moving forward quite well; almost the break that Morgan needed. "You've got this boyo." Morgan said, reassuringly, and then gave the whistled call they had chosen yet again. Nico moved forward once, one paw, wagging his tail and whining, looking nervous, and Morgan grinned at him. "Good boyo, you've got it!" Morgan said, and then that was when Nico moved full-force into the water, his tail wagging ninety to nothing. He doesn't do well at first. Though he was in water not at all any deeper than Morgan's mid-thigh, the creature was indeed over his head. His head nearly went under, and Morgan prepared to go save him just in case, and that was when Morgan saw him tip his head all the way up instinctively, and then begin to kick in a rhythmic way with his legs.
[5]
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Sparks
Oct 16, 2019 19:55:48 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Oct 16, 2019 19:55:48 GMT -6
Though this was a good start, Nico was not really kicking fast enough in order for him to actually keep his head reliably above water. He'd kick hard, and then come closer to Morgan with a lot of little kicks with his head way up over the water, and then he would sink on the way down. It occurred to Morgan that the creature wasn't actually 'swimming', he was trying to naturally swim (he didn't know how to do it well enough) and he was JUST tall enough on his hind legs to kick off of the bottom of the tiny shallow brook and still keep his nose above the water. Still, he was coming to Morgan in the water, and he made it to the bank, shaking himself off. That was a start! "Good boyo, such a great boyo!" Morgan said, petting his slick wet fur and then Morgan gave him a treat.
[6]
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Sparks
Oct 16, 2019 20:02:42 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Oct 16, 2019 20:02:42 GMT -6
Well, that wasn't much of a 'swim', but it was DEFINITELY a very positive attempt! Morgan was excited to see it, and only hoped that he would get the 'idea' of swimming sooner rather than later at the very least. As soon as Nico was done with his treat, Morgan looked over him quietly. He looked confident, and that was good. He didn't act like he was any more scared of the water than most creatures like him would be. "Such a good boyo, Nico." Morgan said, and then they lead him into the water again. He looked more excited this time, and when Morgan stood at the other side of the bank again, he could hardly wait until Morgan got the command out to go 'swimming' again. Luckily he did, and he began trying to cross the deeper part of the brook yet again. Maybe he would do better!
[7]
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Sparks
Oct 16, 2019 20:08:02 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Oct 16, 2019 20:08:02 GMT -6
Nico kicked off of the rock ledge and into the water in one smooth movement that made it seem like he understood more about swimming than what Morgan was actually convinced of. Still, he was reacting to the command with ease, and though he was still doing that 'bob off of the bottom' thing, Morgan was glad to see that his kicks were becoming less 'simply rhythmic' and more 'doggy paddle', which was exactly what Morgan wanted. They wanted to know that he wouldn't drown right away if he fell into some water. That was the most important thing right now. His doggy-peddle was pretty much down by the time that he managed to get to Morgan. "Good boyo, Nico!" Morgan said, and then they tossed a treat at him before giving him a good patting. It was a good time, so far. Morgan was just glad that they didn't have to save him yet.
[8]
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Sparks
Oct 16, 2019 20:15:01 GMT -6
Post by Morgan on Oct 16, 2019 20:15:01 GMT -6
Morgan waited until Nico got his little treat over with before stopping petting him and giving him a good pat on the back instead. "You ready to go again, good boyo?" Morgan said, voice kept excited in that way that really got Nico excited to 'work'. Nico wagged his tail excitedly, so hard that his hind end shook back and forth with the force of it, and Morgan was super pleased with how happy he was to try, try again. Morgan gave him the command again, and this time he already understood that he was supposed to swim, not just 'come to Morgan water or no', which had been what Morgan was afraid of a tad. He triangulated Morgan's wants SO WELL. Nico leapt into the water, flying it would seem, and then finally seemed to get his doggy paddle down perfect. His nose was kept above water super easily.
[9]
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