|
Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 15:43:15 GMT -6
Doing it without treats was always nervewracking, but Hael was proving herself to be a gem, and a hard worker. Even with only the scent of jerky on Nadia's treat hand, she shuffled forwards in the direction she was asked, blades of grass brushing along her belly. Perfect. Nadia was delighted; perseverance was the key, rather than her winging it and hoping for the best. In future, she would be sure to be more prepared, with greater research. "Now, I shan't touch you this time," She said, moving to stand in front of Hael, a few feet away. "Are you ready? Crawl!" Without the lay down command, it was somewhat daunting for the houluh. It took her a second to understand what she was meant to start with, now that the pressure wasn't there. Sure enough, though, she flopped into her lay and began to shift towards the woman, slowly but certainly. "Yes, yes! Good girl!" She rushed forwards to stroke Hael's fur and praise her. "You have done brilliantly today!" (Hael - 5/5 Nadia - 5/10 Combat Crawl, 5)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 16:24:29 GMT -6
Another day, another dollar! Or... another day, another houluh pup, in Nadia's case. Smitten as she was with Hael, she couldn't resist the urge to go back and explore the adoption agency a second time, and had come away with a second baby. Perhaps it had been rash of her, but she truly didn't regret the decision at all. In fact, his presence delighted her.Though, from the offset, it was clear he was not as outgoing as Hael. He wasn't shy, but he was cautious, and steadfast. Far less playful. It didn't bother her - she new that creatures had just as many personality types as people - but she did find it strange to see a puppy so serious! Still, it didn't mean they wouldn't get along. She was sure that they'd be thick as thieves in no time, even if he dragged his adorable pink paws and tried to resist.(Gelert - 1/5 Nadia - 6/10)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 16:39:52 GMT -6
He was a sweet little thing. Dozing in his basket as Nadia carried him up towards the training plot, he looked the picture of innocence; his ears were already too long for his face, and drooped over his closed eyes. It was too cute. They could have some snuggle time before they got to know each other, surely. Even for pure self indulgence. Gelert's training day was not as bright, but was still decent enough to sit out in. Nadia set her bag down beneath the tree on her plot, and sat down next to it, placing Gelert's basket at her side. She reached in to carefully scoop him up - oh, he was so warm and soft - and drew him into her lap. He didn't open an eye, even. How precious. It was quite a delightful experience, to cradle a baby like that and feel them breathe. She was overcome with affection. (Gelert - 2/5 Nadia - 7/10)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 7, 2020 16:49:38 GMT -6
It was mighty relaxing, to sit with her back to the bark and stroke her fingers along Gelert's fur. Nadia could take her mind off of anything that way - she found great solace in being with her companions, and was hardly seen without them nowadays. They helped her to remain calm. Though she rarely felt completely safe in her surroundings, she at least found enough courage to perform tasks and train without worrying too much. Things had been so chaotic before the houluh came along. All that loudness and uncertainty in her head. It was still there, but putting her energy into her pups helped her find peace and take her mind off of negative thoughts. Nothing else mattered when they were together. Already, she was feeling attached to Gelert. It was hard not to, when he was a vulnerable infant in her hands! She only hoped he would begin to feel the same way. (Gelert - 3/5 Nadia - 8/10)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 11, 2020 15:46:25 GMT -6
As she'd done with Hael, Nadia had made a list of basic tricks that she wanted to teach Gelert while he was still young and impressionable. It was important, from a showing perspective; the younger they started, the easier it would be as time went along. They were most adaptable while still babies. Though it seemed to be a great deal of pressure for them, she didn't doubt that they were just happy to eat the treats that came along with it. The list for him was a little different. She had to change things up and keep it fresh, or she'd fatigue herself - plus, it was nice to cover new ground and have different experiences. If all went well, she'd be secure in the knowledge that she was perfectly able to adapt to all kinds of training methods. Gelert gave a soft grunt in his sleep. Charmed, she beamed down at him. (Gelert - 4/5 Nadia - 9/10)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 11, 2020 15:56:10 GMT -6
They had to get a move on. If Nadia waited any longer, she'd end up dozing off herself, and the day would pass them by while they napped. As fun as that sounded, she knew it would be irresponsible. Pups grew so quickly - they didn't have time on their side. "Oh, I hate to do this, but..." She rubbed gentle thumbs over Gelert's face, whispering to him in a soft but insistent tone. "Time to awaken, little prince. We have a busy schedule today, I'm afraid." Gelert was roused by the petting, and opened his maw in a giant yawn, showing rows of little white needle teeth. That was the unfortunate part about training up pups. If they decided to nibble, those teeth were very sharp. "There we go. Are you ready?" Whether or not he was, he was scooted off of her lap and placed on the grass in front of her. (Gelert - 5/5 Nadia - 10/10)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 11, 2020 16:00:00 GMT -6
They'd start at the very beginning - with his name! Nadia found it to be a boring exercise, but the most important of all. If her companions didn't know when they were being addressed, how could she hope to communicate effectively with them? Plus, she chose their monikers with great care and affection, and it would be a shame to let that go to waste. "Okay. You are Gelert. Gelert," She stressed the word, making sure she had his attention. With one finger, she reached out to poke his chest, although the connection wouldn't make sense to him. "Gelert. Your name is Gelert." By the end of the training, 'Gelert' would stop sounding like a word at all. The houluh gazed back at her with bright but uninterested eyes. He was nowhere near as excitable as Hael had been... maybe sleepy, still? Either way, she could work with or through it. (Gelert - 1/5 Nadia - 1/10 Name, 1)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 11, 2020 16:13:46 GMT -6
At least he was paying attention! Or, he had been, until he found something more worth his time. Gelert's little tail wiggled behind him as he stood and padded over to Nadia, sniffing at the tree trunk next to where she'd been leaning. "Gelert... what are you doing?" It didn't take long for her to find out. He cocked his leg, and she had to roll dramatically to the side to safety to avoid being hit with something unpleasant. "Gelert!" Startled by the sharpness of her tone, he stared at her, his ears flat against his skull. Oops. She hadn't quite meant to alarm him to that degree, but it had worked to her advantage... if she rewarded him, would he think he was getting a treat for peeing? It didn't matter. He got a bite of meat for his compliance, and if it turned out to have been a mistake, then she'd do her best to remedy it. (Gelert - 2/5 Nadia - 2/10 Name, 2)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 11, 2020 17:09:54 GMT -6
She did feel a little guilty. It hadn't been her intention to scold him for doing something natural - she'd been surprised, that's all! As it happened, Gelert had turned tail on her and started to walk across the plot. Nadia pushed herself to her feet to follow. "Gelert!" No response. He hadn't quite figured out that answering her would lead to a tasty reward - only that he'd gotten mixed signals about doing his business against the tree. "Let me get you a treat... Gelert!" He did smell meat, though, when it was pulled out into the woman's hand. Nose twitching, he looked over his shoulder, and Nadia cooed and tossed him the cube for his compliance. "Good! Good, good!" It wasn't a massive breakthrough, but it was a start. At least he could see where she was trying to connect the dots. "Good boy. Your name is Gelert. It is a lovely name, so please heed it." (Gelert - 3/5 Nadia - 3/10 Name, 3)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 11, 2020 18:13:54 GMT -6
Nadia would have to start repeating until he understood a little better, and removing the promise of treats, to boot. That was the difficult bit. Her companions always got resistant once the prospect of food was out of the picture... but perhaps Gelert would take it better than Hael had. "Gelert," She said. The pup brought his back foot up to scratch his ear, and then sniffed at his toes. "That is delightful. Gelert! Hey, Gelert!" There was nothing else to do but look at her, so he did, but he seemed apathetic at best. That was fine. As long as he was getting the idea of it, she could cope with any withering glances. He was rewarded with some pets and a smaller chunk of meat; his nose did nudge into her palm in search of more, but he wasn't too put out by not finding any. That was a relief. (Gelert - 4/5 Nadia - 4/10 Name, 4)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 11, 2020 18:17:33 GMT -6
And so they went, strengthening the command with repetition and doing away with the food reward bit by bit. Though still not impressed with the task, or his companion, Gelert was at least giving his attention when requested. It seemed he was still too sleepy to make any riotous rejection of the proceedings. "Gelert!" Nadia called. The houluh peered back around at her, having been more interested in watching another person go past. "Good boy! You are doing very well, Gelert!" This time, no food. Only some petting. His inquisitive snout poked at her, seeking a treat she may have forgotten; upon finding nothing, he stared at her with as much disappointment as a houluh could feel or express. "Oh, I know. But you are understanding now, aren't you, Gelert?" His ears perked at his name. Nadia grinned, soothing a hand over his head. "Yes, very good indeed. I'm proud of you, Gelert." (Gelert - 5/5 Nadia - 5/10 Name, 5)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 11, 2020 19:29:27 GMT -6
With one basic under their belt, it was time for another. The sooner they were out of the way, the better; they could move on to something more entertaining once they'd built up a little bond and Nadia could be sure he'd listen to her. Gelert didn't appear to be much trouble, but she didn't know the full extent of his personality. "Okay, this one is easy," She said, producing a chunk of meat from her pack. Instantly interested, the houluh padded close. "Now now, Gelert. This is not for you. At least not yet, anyway." She knelt down on the grass before him and placed the meat down, with her hand still cupped over it. Gelert sniffed at it, and raised his foot to paw at it, hoping to gain access through persistence. "No. No, Gelert." She was gentle as she pushed him away. "No. This is not yours. No." (Gelert - 1/5 Nadia - 6/10 No, 1)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 12, 2020 13:49:14 GMT -6
Gelert stared. What was the point in putting down meat and not letting him have it? He snorted an annoyed breath through his nose and wiggled his body, trying to find a way around the blockage. "No. No, Gelert." Nadia was calm but firm - if he got a little too active in his persistence to get at the treat, she would push him away. He wasn't being shoved around, but he was moved insistently enough to get the message. "No." It wasn't fair! Gelert plopped down onto his rump and gave a frustrated woof. He was practically starving to death, here! He'd given up on bothering her, though, because he wasn't getting anywhere. To his surprise, that pleased Nadia, and she moved her hand away from the treat. "Good boy! Good no," She cooed. "There we go. You may have it now." Gelert was cautious, but not enough to resist the siren call of food. (Gelert - 2/5 Nadia - 7/10 No, 2)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 12, 2020 15:31:06 GMT -6
It was a solid start. Gelert chewed up the meat and gulped it down, albeit with a look of uncertainty. What a bunch of fuss over nothing! Nadia just had to fine tune it and make sure she didn't have to physically prevent him from doing something once the command was given, and they'd be golden. "Right. A little bit tougher this time," She said as she got out another treat, laying it in the same spot as the last. Immediately suspicious, the houluh stared at her hard. "Yes, you are very sharp. I imagine you are somewhat dubious, yes? Good. No, Gelert." This time, she didn't bother putting her hands over it. As such, it was less intimidating to him, and he was on it almost as soon as it was laid down. "No!" A sharper tone than she'd used so far. Gelert froze, mouth open above the meat, his ears twitching back. "No. No, Gelert." (Gelert - 3/5 Nadia - 8/10 No, 3)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 12, 2020 16:18:45 GMT -6
There was nothing stopping him but her voice. Nadia wasn't sure that it would be enough yet - he barely knew her, and didn't care much about what she had to say. Still, with enough power behind it, it would stop him in his tracks at the very least. He wanted that meat, though. His insistent little mouth crept down closer, and his teeth were closing around it, his eyes locked on her. Ah. So he knew she was watching him, and was waiting for her reaction. "No. No." He didn't let up. Nadia's voice hardened. "No, Gelert. No!" He faltered. Her cold tone wasn't pleasant, even if he wasn't invested in her yet, and he backed off, releasing the chunk from his mouth. Excellent! She smiled and gently pet his head before offering the food to him properly, with her full consent. It was going decently. All that was left was plenty of repetition. (Gelert - 4/5 Nadia - 9/10 No, 4)
|
|