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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 11:46:51 GMT -6
A few more repetitions would do the trick. Nadia didn't want Hael to get bored and flighty, but did want to make sure that she was perfectly clear about what the command entailed. It was no chore to work with such a fun pup, though, so she was content to keep at it. "Roll over!" It was time to try it with no guidance or treats. Hael was confused by the lack of touching, and the lack of jerky - she hesitated, staring at Nadia with her ears perked. "Roll over, darling! You've got it! Smart girl, roll over!" It was a shaky manoeuvre. She was evidently unsure about not having her human's physical guidance, but complied with what she believed to be the right answer; a concise roll over her back, and then back onto her feet. "Good job! What a clever girl you are!" Nadia rewarded her with a big strip of jerky. "Wonderfully done!" (Hael - 5/5 Nadia - 10/10 Roll Over, 5)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 13:03:28 GMT -6
What next, what next... ah! This one was important to the show world, from what Nadia could tell. Houluh were supposed to stand in a certain way to show off their form and be examined by the judges; she wasn't well versed in it, but had done some research, and thought she would be able to replicate it. The main challenge was separating the stack command from the stay command. "Okay, let me see..." She knelt next to Hael, offering a quick 'stay' command to get her to stand still. "I'm glad we got you accustomed to being touched beforehand... bear with me." The first step was to adjust Hael's body into the correct position. She had to be standing squarely, with her head held in the right position and her paws aligned. Hael was not a fan of her paws being touched, but Nadia was gentle when she gripped her ankles and shifted them. (Hael - 1/5 Nadia - 1/10 Stack, 1)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 13:31:56 GMT -6
Nadia peppered her speech and actions with the 'stay' command, making sure that Hael held the position she was being manipulated into. They'd have to drop that as time went on to prevent confusion, but it was helping to lay the foundation, at least. "Good girl. This is a stack, Hael," She said once Hael was stood correctly and firmly. "Stack. Very good." She removed her hands and observed. Hael's head turned - she made a little whistle and said 'no', to try to discourage the movement, but it wasn't too effective yet. "Stay. Stack, Hael. Stay." The words were similar, and Hael couldn't distinguish between them yet. Nadia was all too happy to continue moving her with her hands, putting each limb back into the ideal placement whenever there was a wobble or a shift. "Good. Now... stack," She emphasised the word as she moved backwards slightly. "Yes. Stack. Good girl." (Hael - 2/5 Nadia - 2/10 Stack, 2)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 13:43:08 GMT -6
Hael was rewarded by a treat for holding the position for a few seconds. It was a shaky start, but Nadia was confident that they could improve as they went along - it was more difficult than 'stay' purely based on it being a specific position. Hael wagged her tail, peering at Nadia with curious eyes. Was there more to come? "Alright, let's try again," She said. It was becoming easier and easier to get Hael into the stack, since the houluh was expecting it; she was allowing the girl to do as she wished. That was very beneficial to the learning process. "Good girl. Stack. That's right." She held a bite of jerky in her hand to keep Hael focused. For an added test, she ran her free hand over different parts of Hael's body as she stacked, like a judge in a contest might do. If she could hold her ground, they were going in the right direction. (Hael - 3/5 Nadia - 3/10 Stack, 3)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 13:55:25 GMT -6
Getting her to stay still and be stacked with her person's assistance was one thing. Getting her to do it on command without being manoeuvred at all was quite another. Nadia hummed as she backed off, observing - Hael would stay in the stack briefly, but had the tendency to break out of it before she was told otherwise. It needed strengthening. "Stack, Hael." Maybe repetition of the associated word would get her to remain still for longer? It was worth a shot, and wouldn't do any harm to try. "Very good. A treat for you, darling." The jerky was relinquished for her good behaviour, and wolfed down lickety split. Good. They were standing on solid ground, at least; if it needed polishing here and there, that would be fine, as long as the basics had gotten through to her. The lines of her body were looking impressive, especially once the houluh began to act with greater confidence. (Hael - 4/5 Nadia - 4/10 Stack, 4)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 14:00:56 GMT -6
Finally, for the last test. Nadia wasn't expecting miracles, but she was thinking that Hael would have more of an inkling of what was expected of her. Standing alone in the stack wasn't extremely important to master straight away, so she was happy to just have an outline settled on. "Alright. Stack, Hael," She asked. The houluh paused for a second, before shuffling her legs into what she perceived as the right position; it wasn't spot on, but it was pretty darn good for a newbie, and the girl was overjoyed. "Oh, wonderful! So good! My clever girl!" She ruffled the houluh's fur and peppered her snout with kisses, but kept repeating 'stack', expecting her to stay still other than the furiously wagging tail. There would be no penalisation for being jolly! It was an excellent start, and she could repeat it however many times in between other tricks, to keep it organic and interesting. (Hael - 5/5 Nadia - 5/10 Stack, 5)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 14:14:22 GMT -6
It was high time for a little break, if Nadia said so herself. Hael had been doing remarkably well, and it was a better time than any to test out some of the things they'd learned by having a stroll around the park. With a smile, she cocked her head towards the gate leading out of their plot. "With me, Hael. Let's go." The day was reaching its peak. With the changing seasons, blossoms had burst into life on the trees, and petals drifted down to scatter over the dirt tracks. Other trainers were out and about, doing their own teaching; she'd seen everything from other houluh to rakai and beyond. It was amazing to see what strangers were willing to brave for a loyal companion. It also made her feel guilty, if she was honest. There were many creatures at her home that were not receiving the love and time that they deserved. (Hael - 1/5 Nadia - 6/10)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 14:17:46 GMT -6
Having Hael walk at her side felt amazing. Nadia was glowing with happiness; the way the houluh peered up at her with wide, excited eyes made her feel content beyond words. The only other animal willing to do such a thing was Dodger, and he was more or less forced to by their years of familiarity. Was this what training could bring her? Even the untrained companions held a degree of affection for her, so with a bit more time... Her plot was going to see a lot more use, that was for sure. "What do you think, Hael? Should we be considering getting you a sibling?" The idea had already crossed her mind. It wouldn't hurt to have another houluh around the place, and it might even assist in future training! They were suitable for her needs. It had only been a few weeks, and she was smitten. "I liked the facility I adopted you from. The receptionist was very pleasant." (Hael - 2/5 Nadia - 7/10)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 15:08:30 GMT -6
It had been a pleasure to meet Murr and their assistance houluh. She'd never seen a guide dog in action like that before; it was remarkable, even if it felt a little weird and voyeuristic to observe in the way she had. She doubted the uthax minded too much, though. They had been easygoing from what she could tell. The houluh there seemed to live a great life, too. All the care in the world was going into preparing them for new homes. You couldn't ask for any more from an adoption agency. Nadia was grateful to them for providing her with Hael, and had all intentions to visit again as soon as she could manage. There was a vendor selling ice cream a little bit down the path. She couldn't resist, even with the best of intentions - she diverted in that direction with Hael, who bounded at her heels. (Hael - 3/5 Nadia - 8/10)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 15:12:02 GMT -6
The vendor was a cheery looking individual with batlike ears and sunglasses. An interesting career choice for a potentially noctural being. Still, Nadia wasn't going to complain, and was fishing for her purse before she'd even considered what flavour she might like. "Hello there," She said, with a shy smile. "Let me see... oh, one strawberry, and one pet friendly, please. Thank you very much." It set her back very little coin and brought her great joy, and that was always a beautiful thing. Once the treats were in hand and paid for, she took a seat on a nearby bench and set the little cup of ice cream down in front of Hael. "Eat up, sweet," She said. "You deserve it. I do hope it really is pet friendly..." Whether or not it was, Hael had her nose stuck in it without a second thought. When she lifted her head again, there was a ring of white around her muzzle. Nadia laughed as she wiped it off with a napkin. (Hael - 4/5 Nadia - 9/10)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 15:16:06 GMT -6
Nadia polished off the strawberry ice cream quickly. It was harder work than she'd expected, doing training! Though she wasn't pacing around the field in a frenzy, she was moving around quite a bit, and they hadn't stopped for lunch. It wasn't a healthy option, but it was a satisfying one. Once she was finished, she popped the disposable cup and spoon into a nearby trash can, and called for Hael to heel so they could walk back to the plot. Hael, delighted by her treat, was in high spirits. Her tail wagged back and forth as she went. It had been a super fun day so far, and she was hoping for more treats to come! This lady had turned out to be pretty nice, all things considered. She didn't mind sticking with her for the time being! With their break concluded, it was high time to move on to the next item on the list. (Hael - 5/5 Nadia - 10/10)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 15:18:54 GMT -6
The last trick of the day was something a little different, and not one Nadia had ever taught before. Again, she would be winging it with the method; she'd done bits and pieces of research, but that couldn't beat hands-on demonstrations, so she was admittedly lacking in expertise. Still, it was a learning curve, wasn't it? If one method didn't work, she could try another. Hael already knowing lay down was vital for her method to work. Thankfully, they'd gotten that sorted. Nadia took up a piece of jerky and tore a chunk off in preparation, closing it into her fingers. Hael, anticipating a command, stared at her attentively. Excellent. They were ready to begin. "Okay. Lay down, Hael," She said. The houluh understood what was being asked of her and lowered to her belly, legs stretched out in front of her. It was the perfect position for what Nadia intended. (Hael - 1/5 Nadia - 1/10 Combat Crawl, 1)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 15:22:52 GMT -6
The jerky was held at her nose to allow her to get the scent. That was no trouble at all for Hael; she was ready to lunge forward for it at any second. That was all well and good, but she'd have to do it in a specific way to get access to the treat. "Good. Crawl, Hael," Nadia said, and shifted backwards, drawing the treat with her. Having no idea what was expected of her yet, the houluh got to her feet and paced forwards, assuming that she was meant to come. However, Nadia shook her head and put her hand behind her back, concealing it from her. "No, Hael. Lay down." Confused, Hael thumped back down onto the grass, cocking her head to one side. "We must get you to hold that laying position as you move. Let me see..." It was complex, to convey what she wanted, but Nadia had an idea. (Hael - 2/5 Nadia - 2/10 Combat Crawl, 2)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 15:33:07 GMT -6
Again, being physical was hardly the most desirable way to teach a trick, but Nadia had the feeling that it would help Hael understand what she meant. This time, as she offered Hael the jerky, she stood to the side of her. "Crawl, Hael," She said, and began moving the treat away. As Hael began to raise herself to walk, Nadia pushed carefully on her back to keep her in an almost-prone position. "Like this. Crawl." The houluh wasn't sure what to make of it. She wanted to duck away from the pressure, but ducking was what she was being made to do! She could only go forward in the hopes that she could walk out from under it. They went a few steps, with Nadia keeping up the touch to ensure she was close to the ground, and then she was released and rewarded with the jerky. "Good. Good crawl, Hael." (Hael - 3/5 Nadia - 3/10 Combat Crawl, 3)
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Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 15:39:21 GMT -6
It was no fun, to keep repeating things, but Nadia was a firm believer in it after the results she had gotten so far. Repetition was the key to success and getting Hael to remember exactly how to respond to a command. As such, they went through the same motions a few times, with the treat held in front of her nose and slowly moved away, encouraging her to go forwards but low to the ground with Nadia's hand on her back. "Crawl," She would say, making sure the word was associated with the position. "Crawl, Hael. Good." The more they did it, the less hesitant the houluh was about the pressure on her body. Though it wasn't enjoyable, it was tolerable; she was beginning to get low before Nadia touched her, connecting the dots and realising what it was that was being asked of her. It was just what the woman wanted. (Hael - 4/5 Nadia - 5/10 Combat Crawl, 4)
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