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Post by Fanged on Nov 9, 2019 13:48:44 GMT -6
She waited for him to finish his treat before she trained him some more. Rusty took his time, licking his paws afterwards to clean any scraps that had fallen. When he was finished, he looked up at her expectantly for more. If he wanted more, he was going to have to work for it first! She waited for Rusty to stand up and then she decided to test out the command word.
"Sit!" she called out.
Rusty hesitated for a moment before slinking down into the sitting position. When he was in the correct position, Fanged grabbed a treat for him.
"Good boy! That's exactly what I wanted you to do!" she praised.
Rusty ate the treat up happily. He ate so quickly that Fanged doubted he even had time to taste the treat. He simply knew that it was something he liked to eat and therefore he wanted more treats.
(Rusty 25, 25)
(Training: Sit 4)
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Post by Fanged on Nov 9, 2019 13:58:36 GMT -6
Again she waited for him to be completely finished before she'd test out the trick again. This time, she'd try it a few times without treats. After all, she didn't want him to be reliant on treats to perform the trick every time she asked. She also needed for him to naturally stand up and distract himself. It was also important to test the trick out in conditions that weren't ideal. She took a few steps away from Rusty, prompting him to follow her. She turned around quickly, calling out his name to capture his attention.
"Rusty, sit!" she called out.
The Lazaru flopped down onto his rear, his eyes gleaming as he expected another treat. This time, Fanged did not give him one. Instead, she leaned down and began to scratch him behind the ears.
"Good boy, Rusty! You did the trick perfectly!" she praised him. Rusty seemed to forget all about the treat as he got his ears scratched.
(Rusty 25 1/5, 25 1/5)
(Training: Sit 5)
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Post by Fanged on Nov 9, 2019 18:02:12 GMT -6
She drew away from Rusty, allowing the creature to calm down. She didn't want to get him too riled up, they were trying to train after all. When Rusty was distracted once more, Fanged decided that she would test out the trick one last time. While he was standing up, Fanged gave him the command.
"Rusty, sit!" she commanded.
The Lazaru sunk down onto his rear and tilted his head up at the girl. She smiled, glad that he had gotten the trick down.
"Good boy! That's exactly right!"
Rusty accepted the enthusiastic head pats that the woman showered him with. He seemed to be learning the tricks rather quickly, but that was thanks to the treats and the fact that the tricks were still the basics. She would need to figure out even more training strategies if she wanted to teach him more difficult tricks. But for now, they would continue with the basics.
(Rusty 25 2/5, 25 2/5)
(Training: Sit 6)
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Post by Fanged on Nov 10, 2019 9:03:07 GMT -6
The next trick on the list would be lay down. This would be the most difficult trick she'd trained Rusty so far, but the trick itself wasn't all that more complex than the others had been. She would go back to treats while Rusty learned how this trick was performed. Besides, it was easier to manipulate a creature into the correct position with the assistance of a treat.
"Rusty, sit!" she commanded.
The Lazaru sat down, his attention focused on the treat that Fanged held out. The treat's presence was to motivate him, but he would need to work a little harder first. Fanged held the treat between the tips of her fingers. She then lowered her hand so that it touching the ground in front of Rusty. She then took her other hand and pressed lightly on Rusty's back. The Lazaru followed the guidance and sunk down until his belly was flat against the ground.
"Rusty, lay down!" Fanged gave him a new command word.
(Rusty 25 3/5, 25 3/5)
(Training: Lay Down 1)
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Post by Fanged on Nov 10, 2019 12:23:50 GMT -6
With Rusty in the correct position, Fanged gave him the treat, moving her hand away quickly to ensure that her fingers didn't accidentally get nipped. Rusty ate the treat happily. Fanged waited until he was finished before trying to teach him the trick once again. Part of this process involved waiting for Rusty to naturally remove himself from the lay down position. It took a few minutes, but Rusty finally stood up and shook out his fur. She immediately took this opportunity to try out the trick again. Repetition was the best strategy for teaching these tricks.
"Rusty, sit!" she commanded.
Rusty was quick to sit, having already gotten used to performing the trick. When he was in position, Fanged once again pushed on his back until he sunk down further, using the visual aid of a treat for motivation. When he was lying down, she once again gave him the new command word.
"Rusty, lay down!"
(Rusty 25 4/5, 25 4/5)
(Training: Lay Down 2)
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Post by Fanged on Nov 10, 2019 12:53:23 GMT -6
After she had given Rusty the command word, she gave him another treat. He ate it quickly, licking his lips in satisfaction once he had finished. Fanged would need to ramp up the difficulty if she wanted him to learn the trick properly. It wouldn't do to have her push him into place each time. Now that he had some basic knowledge of how the trick was done, she'd be able to train him harder.
"Rusty, sit!" It was easier to get him to do what she wanted from the sitting position so she would continue to utilize this step for now.
When Rusty was in place, she grabbed another treat and tapped the ground in front of him. Following the treat, Rusty took the lay down position automatically. When he was in place, Fanged reiterated the command word once again.
"Lay down!" she told him firmly.
After she gave the command word, she handed him the treat as well.
(Rusty 26, 26)
(Training: Lay Down 3)
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Post by Fanged on Nov 10, 2019 17:39:40 GMT -6
Rusty ate the treat happily. He was always happy to perform a trick if it meant that he got a treat afterwards! Fanged waited for him to finish before continuing. This time, she’d see if Rusty was able to perform the trick without any guidance from her or treat motivation. She would give him a treat, but only after he had performed the trick properly.
“Rusty, sit!” she commanded him.
Rusty plopped down into the sitting position, waiting for her next orders. Fanged waited for a moment before giving him his next orders.
“Rusty, lay down!” she instructed.
The Lazaru hesitated for a moment before sliding down onto his belly. The movement was a little sloppy, but Fanged figured it was close enough to what she wanted to count as a success.
“Good boy, Rusty!” she praised him.
She handed him another piece of fish. After this one, she’d ween him off the treats for this trick.
(Rusty 26 1/5, 26 1/5)
(Training: Lay Down 4)
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Post by Fanged on Dec 1, 2019 1:43:27 GMT -6
To really test and see if Rusty had learned the trick, she would skip the step where she asked him to sit. She took a few steps back from him, watching him carefully. When she deemed him ready, she decided to train him some more.
“Rusty, lay down!” she commanded.
The Lazaru slunk down into the sitting position, pausing for a brief moment before lowering himself the rest of the way down to the ground. He managed to get himself into the proper position without difficulty. Fanged felt a rush of pride fill her chest. Rusty seemed to be getting the hang of this whole training thing despite her inexperience.
“That’s a good job, Rusty!” she exclaimed. She leaned over and gave him a scratch behind his ears. Weaning him off treats made her feel a bit guilty, so she doled out extra praise to make up for it.
“How about we try another trick now?”
(Rusty 26 2/5, 26 2/5)
(Training: Lay Down 5)
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Post by Fanged on Dec 1, 2019 15:10:53 GMT -6
“Basics are a foundation for a good training regime. In order to move forward, we’re going to have to train the no command. Things will work a bit differently and this one is going to be a bit more difficult to teach,” Fanged muttered to herself.
With that principle in mind, she knew she was going to need to practice teaching Rusty some discipline. To do this, she would use food and try to dissuade Rusty from eating that food. She had a small fish specifically for this purpose. It would be easy enough to keep away from Rusty while tempting him all the same. She made sure that Rusty had a clear view of the fish as she placed it on the ground. When he rushed over to grab the fish, Fanged placed a hand across his chest, blocking him from moving any closer.
“Rusty, no!” She spoke sharply, introducing the new command.
(Rusty 26 3/5, 26 3/5)
(Training: No 1)
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Post by Fanged on Dec 9, 2019 15:31:11 GMT -6
Rusty jerked back, a hurt expression clear on his face at the sharp tone. He wasn’t used to being disciplined and any harshness from Fanged was unexpected. In order to soften the blow, Fanged leaned in and ran her fingers down Rusty’s spine. The action was meant to be soothing without offering much in the way of reward.
“You need to understand when I’m being serious,” she murmured.
When Rusty had calmed down, Fanged slowly brought him back into view of the treat. She continued to hold him back.
“No,” she told him when he struggled against her hold. This time she didn’t use such a harsh tone.
When Rusty stayed still, she released her hold on him. He raced over to the fish, eating it up eagerly when Fanged didn’t stop him. When he was finished with that fish, she brought out another. She made sure he couldn’t see it quite just yet.
(Rusty 26 4/5, 26 4/5)
(Training: No 2)
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Post by Fanged on Feb 8, 2020 10:56:41 GMT -6
Rusty settled down to lick his paws clean. He was sulking, that was evident, but Fanged tried not to feel bad. No was an important thing to learn. It could keep him safe if they were in a dangerous situation. After a few minutes, Rusty stood up and trotted over to her, seeking affection. Fanged obliged, giving him a quick scratch behind his ears. When she drew back, she held up a small fish, making sure that he could clearly see it. Rusty licked his lips. Though he had just had a treat, that fact was long forgotten by now. He watched her as she set it down. This time, he was a little suspicious as he crept closer to the treat. Of course the tempting scent of fish won out in the end and he moved to snatch it up.
"No!" Fanged commanded, quickly blocking him from taking the treat.
(Rusty 27, 27)
(Training: No 3)
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Post by Fanged on Feb 8, 2020 11:08:00 GMT -6
Rusty immediately froze, his body going stiff within her hold. Fanged was quick to release him, not wanting him to remain uncomfortable for too long. When she let him go, he shook his fur out. He settled down to give his chest a few, brisk licks before looking at Fanged with an expression of frustration. She felt bad, but his discomfort wouldn't last forever. He was getting better at learning the trick.
"Good boy," she softly praised him.
The fish was still present and Rusty wanted it. After a few more seconds, he turned his attention back to the treat. Inching closer as though moving slowly meant that Fanged couldn't see him. Before he grabbed the treat, Fanged was quick to reprimand him.
"No!" she called out sternly.
Rusty jerked back, lifting his head to make startled eye contact with her. When he met her gaze, Fanged was quick to praise him.
"That's a good job!"
She stepped over and picked up the treat. Then, with Rusty's attention focused on her, she leaned down and gave it to him.
(Rusty 27 1/5, 27 1/5)
(Training: No 4)
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Post by Fanged on Feb 8, 2020 11:26:21 GMT -6
Rusty was slightly confused by her change in behaviour, but he was quick to accept the treat from her. He ate it quickly, acting as though he was dying of starvation. Fanged shook her head, smiling at his silliness. She was confident that he mostly knew the no command now, but she still needed to test him one last time. She allowed Rusty to take a small break. She didn't want to lose his attention completely, so she spent some time giving him some loving pats. When he wriggled away from her, that's when she decided to test out the no command again. She grabbed another small fish, taking a few steps away from Rusty and placed it on the ground. Rusty enthusiastically trotted over, but before he could grab the treat, Fanged was quick to tell him no.
"No!" she commanded sternly.
Rusty jerked back, stopping straight in his tracks. Fanged scooped the treat up and gave it to him directly, praising him as she did so. Now that she was confident he knew the word no, she would move onto the next trick.
(Rusty 27 2/5, 27 2/5)
(Training: No 5)
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Post by Fanged on Feb 9, 2020 19:05:49 GMT -6
Next, she was going to train Rusty to come when she whistled. Now that he knew his name, she could use that to her advantage. She could call his name to get his attention, then follow it up with a whistle. She waited for him to grow distracted before backing away from him. She took a small fish with her for extra incentive. She made sure not to go too far away from him. Simply enough that he would have to put some effort in to do the trick she wanted.
“Rusty!” she called to him.
The Lazaru looked up at the sound of his name. He glanced around in confusion, not realizing that Fanged had wandered away from him. Now that he was looking for her, she used her fingers to whistle loudly. She then held out the fish for him, hoping that he would be interested in it. He caught sight of the fish quickly and raced over in attempt to claim it. Once he reached her, Fanged gave him the treat.
(Rusty 27 3/5, 27 3/5)
(Training: Come 1)
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Post by Fanged on Feb 10, 2020 14:56:28 GMT -6
Rusty was happy to get a treat for doing something with minimal effort on his part. Of course, just because the trick was easy now, didn’t mean Fanged would keep it that way. Spending time with Rusty was always comforting and she liked to see how she could bring out the potential she saw in him. He might not be the smartest, but he was the most loyal creature she knew. When Rusty had finished his treat and grown distracted, she snuck away from him once again. She made sure to put a greater distance between the two of them. Rusty was going to need to be quite proactive if he wanted to do the trick properly. When she was ready, she held out a small fish and called his name.
“Rusty!”
Rusty perked up at the sound of his name. This time, she followed it up with a whistle a bit more quickly than she had before.
(Rusty 27 4/5, 27 4/5)
(Training: Come 2)
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