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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 17:46:55 GMT -6
It was a relief, that nothing had befallen him! Nadia knew that a tumble from the box wouldn't have hurt, as the height was not mountainous and he only had grass to fall onto. Nonetheless, getting it done without him losing his confidence like that was a blessing. Now they just had to wean the treats out! Repeating the sizes one by one instilled greater confidence in Gelert, and soon he was hopping up without concern, his tail held high in the air. He was a capable creature. Nadia made sure not to gesture and instead relied on the verbal 'jump up' so there wouldn't be a conflict. Though there had been a lot of bouncing, he still seemed to have plenty of energy left, which was excellent. They weren't done for the day. She wanted him to be completely ready for his debutante show before the evening had come. (Gelert - 5/5 Nadia - 5/10 Jump Up, 5)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 18:07:24 GMT -6
There was a natural progression to this - to teach him to get down was the next step! Nadia was careful when she picked him up and stood him on the smallest box, ruffling his fur once he was in place. Gosh, he was doing so well. She couldn't help feeling a rush of affection whenever she looked at him. "Good boy. Alright, now we must get you down on your own. Your old friend will not be able to carry you as you grow bigger," She said with a wry smile. The treat was coming back into play - she could hear that Gelert was happy about it as his tail knocked against the box. Starting at his nose, she moved it downwards towards the ground. "Okay, sweetheart. Down!" The houluh stepped to the edge of the box, and looked at the floor below. It seemed a terribly long way away! (Gelert - 1/5 Nadia - 6/10 Down, 1)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 18:11:52 GMT -6
Nadia persisted, drawing the line in the air with the treat once again to show him where he needed to go. Gelert was watching, but as soon as he looked down, he backed up, sitting in place. That was okay. It would seem frightening at first, since he wouldn't be able to totally judge the landing. "Come on, darling. You can do it," She cooed, stroking one long ear. Gelert looked at her pitifully. "Oh, I know. Let's try, hm? Down, Gelert! Down!" It made him nervous, but darn, he wanted that treat. Could he give it a go? He moved to the edge again, and wasn't shy about whining as he leaned a paw down into the air. With his balance impeded, he lost his grip and tumbled to the ground. "Oh, dear! Are you alright?" Nadia was concerned, but Gelert didn't respond in a way that suggested pain. Instead, he rolled over and stared at the treat expectantly. "I mean... you did get down. Good job." (Gelert - 2/5 Nadia - 7/10 Down, 2)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 18:15:43 GMT -6
Nadia was convinced that the fall would impede Gelert's confidence. If he'd hurt himself, he'd be frightened to repeat the same thing, in case it happened all over again! It was unfortunate, but it did happen, so she was prepared to try and work past it. However, when Gelert hopped up onto the box again, he seemed... secure. Well, tumbling off of the box had at least given him an idea of the drop. "Down, Gelert!" She tried, gesturing with the treat. He was perhaps a little too excited, bolstered by having not died in his first attempt, and sprang off of the edge to tumble into the grass. "Oh, my word! Good boy, good boy, that was-- that was most enthusiastic!" She couldn't help worrying, but while his tail was wagging and he was munching on the recently relinquished treat, she knew there couldn't be much wrong with him. (Gelert - 3/5 Nadia - 8/10 Down, 3)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 18:19:33 GMT -6
Nadia did wish she had a way of telling Gelert to be careful that he would understand, but there was no helping it. He was filled with spirit now that he had realised the drop wouldn't cause him damage, and the best she could do was accept that and utilise it, while keeping an eye on him. The middle box was next. She commanded him to jump up, which he did, and then prepared a smaller treat for it. She swore he knew what she was up to - he would look at her with wide eyes, as if it was an affront to him to have less. "Alright. Down, Gelert, down," The gestures were kept to the minimum this time, just to show him the treat awaiting him on the ground. Whether he didn't realise there was more of a drop, or he was too excited to care, she couldn't tell, but he hopped down with a merry wiggle. "Okay, excellent!" (Gelert - 4/5 Nadia - 9/10 Down, 4)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 18:22:49 GMT -6
The last one! It was the most intimidating, but Nadia swore it looked smaller than it had initially. Maybe her own confidence was growing alongside his! That was the best result, in her opinion. The opportunity to grow together with her creatures as a unit, rather than as two separate individuals. "Jump up, Gelert," She said, and the houluh leapt up to perch on the box, already knowing what to expect. "Okay. Excuse me for messing you around so much. Down, Gelert." The change must've been more noticeable in his eyes too this time, because Gelert hesitated for a second. There was no whining, however. Any fear that he was in danger must have passed. It appeared more that he was trying to calculate his movements, before scooting forwards and making a rather awkward but still successful jump down to the grass. He was rewarded with high praise and pets. What a success! (Gelert - 5/5 Nadia - 10/10 Down, 5)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 18:33:19 GMT -6
One more new prop was to be introduced before they ended for the day, but Nadia was going to take it one step at a time. It could look daunting to Gelert if he hadn't had a softer, more personal introduction, so she had decided to begin with this trick at a simple level. To start, what she would need was another treat, and to stand with her legs a little spread. "I have to hope that you will follow your nose, Gelert," She said with a laugh, and held it to his nose - he stayed close as she moved it a few inches. "Good. Now... like this." It was a little awkward, but she began to trail the treat in figure eights around her open legs, leading Gelert through them in a weave. As she went, she repeated the word - 'weave, weave' - so he would get accustomed to it, and begin associating. (Gelert - 1/5 Nadia - 1/10 Weave, 1)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 18:37:14 GMT -6
It was simple enough for him to follow with a treat motivating him. Gelert was going where the food went, and wasn't thinking very much about what was happening. So, after a few repetitions with a treat, Nadia moved on to doing it without one, with her hand moving in the same directions. Though less keen, Gelert had to think about what he was doing - along with the 'weave' command - and followed along, to receive his food at the end as a reward. "Weave, weave," Nadia said as he turned around her legs each time, happy that he wasn't intimidated by her body. "Very good. Good boy." Relying on the command alone was more worrying. He was slightly at a loss of what the exact motion associated with the word was, but that was okay - he was getting the hang of things slowly, and they would move onto the poles next. (Gelert - 2/5 Nadia - 2/10 Weave, 2)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 18:40:46 GMT -6
The poles were certainly scarier than Nadia to a puppy who didn't know of them. To prevent them from moving and making a nose, she'd chosen to use stakes that could push into the dirt - he wasn't heavy enough to make them lean, and there would be no banging. To begin with, she lead him around them to let him sniff at them and become used to them. Fortunately, that comfort came quickly, and he decided to use the bathroom against one. Oh, well. Maybe his own scent would bring him comfort. She worked through it slowly. While saying 'weave', she used a treat once more to bring him in one side, out the other; in, out, in, out, repeating the command each time. There was no need to do it quickly at first. Getting him used to what was required was more important than speed, and she had no doubt that if he was excited enough, he'd race through. (Gelert - 3/5 Nadia - 3/10 Weave, 3)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 18:44:15 GMT -6
Now, with just the hand. Nadia was walking with him, making sure he understood which way to turn and keeping an eye on how easily - or not - he took to it. All things told, it seemed to be going nicely. Gelert shifted himself around the poles with grace that made her smile. "Weave, weave," She chanted as they went, noting how his actions were beginning to come on cue of the word rather than her gestures. Perfect. That was exactly what she wanted if she was going to stand back and allow him to do it without any guidance. "Good boy. Weave, weave." The whole set of poles had to be completed before he was rewarded that time. Nadia dared to hope that he could have agility in his future; though not fully grown, he had a certain poise that made her think he would do well in a competition. (Gelert - 4/5 Nadia - 4/10 Weave, 4)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 18:47:23 GMT -6
Soon enough, they came to the moment of truth. Nadia felt that they had repeated an ample number of times, and Gelert's intuition was taking over, making the hand signals obsolete. She hoped she was correct. There was no harm in doing further work, not at all, but she believed in him. How to get him to do it alone...? Well, there was one thing. She began with him, standing at one end of the row of poles with him, and gave him a nod. "Weave, Gelert," She said, making the move to follow... but she stayed put as he began. "Weave, weave, weave!" Being so involved with listening and doing as was ordered, Gelert didn't appear to notice that she wasn't alongside him - at least until the halfway mark, when he stopped and looked back for her. "No, no! Good boy, keep going! Weave!" Her encouragement from her spot gave him the gusto to continue on, and come to the end of the set with ease. "Good boy, good boy!" (Gelert - 5/5 Nadia - 5/10 Weave, 5)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 18:53:51 GMT -6
The final thing Nadia wanted to get finished was one of the very basics that they hadn't covered first time around. It was simple, but necessary for good behaviour in a lot of cases, and she wasn't worried about whether Gelert would take to it or not. In fact, with all the work she'd put him through, she was convinced he'd be glad to see the back of her. To begin with, she spread a dollop of peanut butter on his ball and laid it in front of him to distract him. Then, as he tucked in, she began to back away in small increments. "Stay," She said, even though he wasn't really paying attention yet. Getting the word out there and into his vocabulary was important whether or not it was a direct command yet. All she warranted was a little glance up from him. "Stay, Gelert. Good boy." (Gelert - 1/5 Nadia - 6/10 Stay, 1)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 18:57:30 GMT -6
Gelert was staying, but he didn't quite know it yet. The peanut butter was going down fast, though. She blamed it on his young, bottomless stomach - growing boys were particularly impressive at consuming food. That being said, Hael could've certainly given him a run for his money with her penchant for treats. "Stay," Nadia repeated as the treat dried up and Gelert began to look at her for longer. She saw a paw rise as if he was going to potter after her - she shook her head and tutted, even though it pained her to deny him her company. "No. Stay, Gelert. Good boy." He wasn't sure he enjoyed this. Yes, she was annoying sometimes, but he didn't want her to go away! He whined, but stayed where he had been put now he'd been chastised. That was all Nadia needed. With a smile, she went back over to him to give him a reward. (Gelert - 2/5 Nadia - 7/10 Stay, 2)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 19:00:31 GMT -6
They would work on the distance - and the need for distraction - in increments. It had worked the first time, but Nadia didn't want to have to give him something to compensate for his stay. So, no more peanut butter. The ball was tucked away, and she told him to sit, which he did without hesitation. "Good boy. Now, stay," She said, sweet but firm, stressing the importance of the command. She faced him as she backed away for the first little bit, and he watched her go, doing a great job of staying put. "Very good boy. Stay, Gelert." Then, she decided to turn around. That was the difficult part - puppies had the habit of believing that if they weren't being observed, they could get up to mischief. She could hear his harness jangling as he began to walk towards her. It was adorable, but not quite what she was looking for. (Gelert - 3/5 Nadia - 8/10 Stay, 3)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 29, 2020 19:03:48 GMT -6
"No, Gelert! Sit," Nadia said one she'd turned to face Gelert, seeing that he'd scampered a few feet towards her retreating form. That forlorn look on his face as he plopped down was too much. Still, this was a necessary evil, and he would forgive her quickly. Nothing harmless would stick in his memory. "Stay. Good boy, now. Stay." She was halfway along to her benchmark. If she could turn her back on him and keep going without him having any more issues, that would be wonderful - he'd get a treat for his effort. Going against his instinct and choosing to listen to her instead deserved praise. The jingling of his harness didn't come. She quietly thanked herself for training him to wear it before they'd gone through this part - it was an excellent way to catch him out. Once she'd crossed the distance, she was happy to return to him and give him some food. (Gelert - 4/5 Nadia - 9/10 Stay, 4)
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