|
Post by Nadia on Apr 20, 2020 16:44:01 GMT -6
Bolstered by the relatively speedy success of her plan, Nadia was eager to go on and repeat it. Admittedly, it was going to be less appealing to Gelert once the treats stopped coming... or so she thought. From what she could tell, he was enjoying the jumping. For the first time, his tail had started wagging, and he gave a happy bark when she gave the command to jump. "Over, Gelert!" She only waved her hand to motion him closer, with no hint of a treat. The puppy bounded around and over the hurdle - delighted, she clapped him, and leaned down to rub his ears. "Such a clever boy!" It was thus not any problem of entertainment, to continue practising. What was more was that he was warming up to her, seeing that they could have fun together, and that was the most important thing. "Over!" Gelert soared over the jump with ever mounting confidence. "Excellent!" (Gelert - 5/5 Nadia - 5/10 Jump Over, 5)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 20, 2020 16:55:01 GMT -6
Nadia proposed to try a different method for teaching the next trick. Hael had reacted well to being moved around physically to learn 'sit', but it was worth trying with no touching, just to see if it was plausible. Houluh were smart - she didn't doubt that it wouldn't take a lot to get Gelert to understand what she was wanting. It was another case of waving treats in the air. She took a bite-sized chunk of meat in her hand and allowed him to look at it, before moving it up and over his head, out of his immediate sight. As he reached his nose up to follow, his backside went down to the ground in a sit. "Sit, Gelert," She said as he moved. Once he was fully stationary in the desired position, she gave him his treat, satisfied with how simple the method was. "Excellent. Good boy. That's a start." (Gelert - 1/5 Nadia - 6/10 Sit, 1)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 20, 2020 16:59:36 GMT -6
It was simple stuff. The movement of Gelert's head made his body react by sitting down - no pushing or shoving required, just a little thinking and a treat to tempt him. Great. Nadia was pleased with the instant results, but the graft came in the repetition, and keeping Gelert entertained long enough for it to sink in. Once again, a small treat, and a smooth, slow motion of it passing over his head. The food was invaluable for motivation; she was sure he would've wandered off already had he not gotten a whiff of it. He tried to turn around, but when he realised that she moved it depending on the direction in which he turned, he reverted to his original strategy, leading to his bum hitting the floor. "Sit, Gelert!" She said as he went, and fed him the treat once he had been still for a moment. "Very good!" (Gelert - 2/5 Nadia - 7/10 Sit, 2)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 20, 2020 17:03:54 GMT -6
The treats had to be phased out slowly. After a handful of repetitions with increasingly reduced meat, Nadia decided it was time to try without them - and Gelert's attention was lost nigh instantly when he realised there was nothing for him. She wasn't yet confident enough to go without the hand motions, though. Would it be possible to fool him? "Sit, Gelert," She said clearly, and drew her hand in a quicker, but still noticeable motion over Gelert's head. He let out a little huff through his nose. "Yes, I know. All the injustice in the world is upon you for no meat. Sit, Gelert." He didn't quite comprehend the command fully. Nadia repeated the hand motion once more, letting him sniff her fingers first; she was hoping it would be familiar to him even without some food. "Sit!" A little sharper, just as an experiment. He was hesitant, and his backside barely grazed the grass for longer than a moment, but she rewarded him nonetheless to boost his confidence. "Good!" (Gelert - 3/5 Nadia - 8/10 Sit, 3)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 20, 2020 17:39:40 GMT -6
Working the gesture out of the equation was the next hurdle to jump before they went through further strengthening. Nadia wasn't positive that they'd spent enough time practicing for Gelert to link it together without it, but there was no harm in trying. Nothing irreversible was going to happen! "Okay, let us try," She said to herself, and then straightened up, ready to give the houluh a command. "Sit, Gelert." It was like he'd been watching her hands to see if they'd move. Gelert blinked, and cocked his head questioningly - what exactly was he supposed to be doing? He had an idea, but was hesitant, and wouldn't sit outright. That was okay! It just meant they had to take it easy and phase it out at a slower pace. Bearing that in mind, she reduced the extent of the action bit by bit with each 'sit', teaching him to rely more on his own movement than hers. (Gelert - 4/5 Nadia - 9/10 Sit, 4)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 20, 2020 17:51:50 GMT -6
Before Nadia knew it, the signals were at their bare minimum, and Gelert looked more confident, sitting down almost instantly after receiving her command. It was a huge improvement. Working little by little had worked very well with both her houluh, and it made her happy to see the results. "Sit, Gelert!" Her hand remained still at her side. The continued focus on 'sit' meant that Gelert was running on automatic, and plopped down without any more hesitation. Delighted, Nadia came close to stroke his head. "Very good! Good boy, Gelert!" A few more rounds of practice, and she'd be content with it. Though he was getting antsy, he did a good job at focusing on the task at hand - she had to remind him gently a few times to keep it up, but otherwise he was as good as gold, and more sold on her to boot. The improvement in their relationship was an added bonus. (Gelert - 5/5 Nadia - 10/10 Sit, 5)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 20, 2020 19:06:02 GMT -6
Finally, the last trick of the day was upon them. Nadia was relieved, but also disappointed - it was so much fun to work with houluh that she wished it could go on indefinity. Still, Gelert would be getting tired, and the rest of her companions would be wondering where dinner was if she didn't wrap up soon. This was another basic one, but endearing. She'd never done it before, but was convinced it was simple enough. Once he got the gist of it, Gelert would not need much coaching. "Last thing, dearest. Sit," She said, smiling when the houluh sat down in front of her without any complaints. "Good. Now, let us begin." Though it wasn't the most elegant way of getting the point across, Nadia took one of Gelert's front paws in her hand, and gave it a curt shake. Curious, Gelert sniffed at her; she allowed him to do it, to show nothing was going to hurt him. (Gelert - 1/5 Nadia - 1/10 Shake, 1)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 20, 2020 19:09:18 GMT -6
Right. Now that was sorted, she could try the main event! Nadia took a chunk of meat out of her pack, and immediately Gelert was interested again, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air. Of course. The way to a boy's heart was through his stomach! She closed her fist around it, and then sat in front of the puppy. "Alright. Here we go!" She teased her fist in front of Gelert's face, shaking it back and forth but not opening it to him. "Shake, Gelert!" He didn't know what she was getting at yet, but that was fine, because his logical progression would be beneficial. At first, he tried to nudge his way into her hand. When that didn't work, he tried a nibble - which was met with a very firm 'no'. The last attempt was with his paw, as he raised it to try and pull her hand open. (Gelert - 2/5 Nadia - 2/10 Shake, 2)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 20, 2020 19:12:14 GMT -6
That was exactly what Nadia had been hoping for. With a smile, she relinquished the treat to him and praised him, letting him know that giving her his paw was the correct thing to do. Yes, it wouldn't be set in stone the first time, but the positive affirmation was vital to get it to stick. Once more, with gusto. She took her next cube of meat and held it in her fist, but didn't bother with the theatrics further - he could smell it well enough, and if he wanted it, it wouldn't make any difference what she did with it. "Shake, Gelert," She said. Again, his first impulse was to dive in with his nose and nudge... but when it was fruitless, he went straight to giving her his paw like he had before, instead of trying to mouth at her. As such, the treat was given to him. "Good boy!" (Gelert - 3/5 Nadia - 3/10 Shake, 3)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 20, 2020 19:15:36 GMT -6
They weaned the treats out bit by bit. Though Gelert was becoming distracted, with the end of the day approaching and other trainers around them packing up to leave, Nadia did her utmost to hold his attention. Plus, once she got a hold of his paw, he was hardly going anywhere in a hurry. "Shake, Gelert," She said. The lack of motivating factor in the hand in question was difficult for Gelert, and he stared at her open palm questioningly. "I know. It is still safe to give me your paw. Shake." A lick of her fingers first. Then a pitiful glance. Finally, a begrudgingly raised paw, slapped with grouchy force into her hand. "There we go! See? It isn't so bad," She cooed, scratching behind his ears. The affection did sway him somewhat. As stalwart as he was, Gelert was not immune to the merits of fuss. "You are getting it." (Gelert - 4/5 Nadia - 4/10 Shake, 4)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 20, 2020 19:21:32 GMT -6
They were primed to run through it as much as possible before sundown, and they did. Nadia didn't like to work him too hard, but she wanted him to be confident, and it wasn't too strenuous for him to shake her hand a few times! Even so, his sighing would make anyone think it was an impossible task. "Shake, Gelert!" She wiggled her fingers, and the houluh raised his weary paw to place in her palm once more. "Very good, very good! You are much improved!" So he should have been, after so many repetitions! The hard work was paying off. He'd taken to essentially hitting her with the lazy bats of his foot, but he was doing as he was asked, whether or not it was fed up. Nadia was highly satisfied. For all his efforts, she upended the remainder of the treat bag to let him eat what remained, and patted him on the back. It had been a great day! (Gelert - 5/5 Nadia - 5/10 Shake, 5)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 21, 2020 17:16:07 GMT -6
A few weeks had gone by since Nadia had been to the training grounds, and Gelert had flourished in that time. Though he was still reserved by nature and seemed to disapprove of Hael's wild enthusiasm, he was coming around to his new human - they spent a lot of time together whether he liked it or not, after all. It was easier on everyone if they got along. Eager to continue with his training before submitting him to his debutante show, Nadia had brought him to their training plot with plenty of equipment and a new agenda."Gelert, we are going to get started right away," She said to the houluh. It was a habit of hers to chat to them as if they understood. "Now, first off for me... sit."There had been plenty of opportunity at home to practice such commands, and he sat without hesitation, looking at her for further instruction. She let him be still while she brought out a treat.(Gelert - 1/5 Nadia - 6/10 Lay Down, 1)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 21, 2020 17:27:03 GMT -6
Though a little more mature than he had been, Gelert was still a houluh, and crazy about the meat Nadia used as a reward. She smiled with satisfaction to see him lick his lips and fidget. Excellent! That meant he'd stay engaged and not get too frustrated right off the bat. She held the morsel in front of his snout, allowing him to get a good sniff of it, and then lowered it towards the ground. "Lay down, Gelert," She said. "Lay down." Naturally, Gelert tried to reach out for it. His neck could only go so far, though - he was no Baakir - and shuffling forward gained him no extra vantage either. Hmm. Once again, Nadia raised the treat to his nose and drew it slowly towards the ground, hoping he would follow it with his whole body. "Lay down!" There wasn't much recognition. Instead, he tried to paw at her hand. "No, no. Not quite." (Gelert - 2/5 Nadia - 7/10 Lay Down, 2)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 21, 2020 17:39:04 GMT -6
Gelert cocked his head to one side. He wasn't seeing what she was driving at - Nadia persevered, though, and repeated the motion a third time at an even slower pace. The houluh realised that his former tricks didn't work, and that he'd have to try something else... "Lay down, Gelert," Nadia said, and patted the floor with her other hand. "Lay down, boy." There was only one way to get even lower, after all. Gelert slowly sank down to the ground in a lay, which evidently delighted the girl; she happily handed over the treat and rubbed a hand over his head. "Yes, good boy! Good lay down!" That was all they needed to spring off of. Doing it at least once gave him the idea of what was expected, and that was enough to hold onto as they went forward. This was an easy one, and he was smart - there shouldn't have been any problems. (Gelert - 3/5 Nadia - 8/10 Lay Down, 3)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Apr 21, 2020 17:42:09 GMT -6
They'd have to work the treats out of the equation, and make him more confident. Laying down was a lot of work! Nadia got the houluh to sit back up, and then reached for another, smaller piece of meat to use as his treat. His inquisitive, wet nose was already poking at her before she moved. "Okay, okay," She laughed. With the treat in hand, she gestured faster and sharper this time, instead of guiding him all the way, letting him use his own initiative to figure out the solution. "Lay down, Gelert." He wasn't above going for the simpler option before giving in. Her fingers were closed tight, though, and wouldn't open no matter how much he sniffed or pawed. So, even as reluctant as he was, he was forced to comply and lay down in the hopes that it would get him fed. It did, so all was right with the world! (Gelert - 4/5 Nadia - 9/10 Lay Down, 4)
|
|