|
Post by Morgan on Oct 17, 2020 14:40:41 GMT -6
Little Spook wasn't entirely sure about what was going on, BUT he found himself quite happy to see Morgan about to possibly teach him something again (that was what was going on, right?) because he knew he was going to get treats. He was good at it, he thought, so it should be a piece of cake. He sits very still, watching Morgan's face and hands periodically, to see if there was a new cue to be had.
Soon enough, Morgan decides on a hand signal cue for the bowing behavior. They decided on a flat hand, lowering in one quick movement, like a quick wave. They got Spook's attention (not really noticing that they already had it) and then made the hand signal. Immediately they noticed that the puppy wasn't entirely sure what was going on- but he did notice the command. At this, Morgan reached out and gently pushes his front end down, and then raises up his hind end. Another moment of trying to get him tolerant to being moved that he was seemingly more used to by now.
[42]
|
|
|
Post by Morgan on Oct 17, 2020 14:53:30 GMT -6
That was good, Morgan thought. Morgan told him to stay once they got him into position. The puppy looked confused, a bit, but soon enough Morgan gave him a treat and praised him. "G-good Boyo, Spook!" They said to him, patting him on the back and scratching him behind the ears. Spook wagged his tail excitedly, and pranced once he got up out of the bowing position. Hopefully, he would learn rather quickly. They tried this a few more times. It was quite obvious that the houluh knew what the command was, but not entirely what to do. The first few times, Morgan carefully put him into the correct position, and then told him to stay. After that, they gave him a treat and smiled at him.
"Good boyo." They said. Still, they hoped that as they continued, he would improve. After a bit more repetition, he finally bowed on his own to the command.
[43]
|
|
|
Post by Morgan on Oct 17, 2020 15:00:53 GMT -6
That was exactly what Morgan had been hoping for! In addition to this, he wasn't minding Morgan moving his legs and ears and such around at all anymore, so they were sure that he was also far more tolerant to being touched, posed, and moved around now! It was a big success. "Great job, Spook!" Morgan said to him, offering him a treat and more praise. "Y-you did it!" Morgan told him.
After Spook finished his treat, the human decided to continue working on him with the bow. It was all repetition from here, to make sure that he absolutely got the training and allowed it to soak in and be remembered well enough. Morgan gave the hand signal again for him to bow, and this time the little one was much faster on the uptake, getting down into the bow position that had been taught to him.
[44] - [End of 'Tolerance']
|
|
|
Post by Morgan on Oct 17, 2020 15:06:35 GMT -6
Morgan was quite pleased with his progress. They gave him lots of praise, and then pet him before giving him a treat. This houluh seemed very treat motivated, and Morgan was glad. Nico was mostly verbal praise motivated, and Todd was more toy motivated. It was honestly easier when a critter was treat oriented. After the puppy was finished with the treat, Morgan continued to work with the houluh on the bow behavior repeatedly. They would give the hand signal command for bow, and then whenever the houluh would bow, Morgan would give him a treat. Over time, the houluh got much smoother while getting into the bow position, and even began to make it his own. That was exactly what Morgan was looking for- a show houluh was always excellent when they could look cute while minding!
After about twenty minutes of reptition and work, Morgan was sure that Spook had gotten the bow behavior down pat.
[45] - [End of 'Bow']
|
|
|
Post by Morgan on Oct 17, 2020 15:24:07 GMT -6
Whenever Morgan got up, they noticed that on the other side of the hillock that they had sat down on so that Morgan could teach the houluh how to bow, they saw that there was a whole pumpkin patch, just right there. How had they not noticed that before? They loved pumpkin patches as a child, so they were excited to see it (a little oddly so, really). "Okay, we're d-done for a bit, Spook." Morgan told him, before giving him a hand signal to follow them. The follow behavior must have stuck really well, because he was far more than happy to follow Morgan across the grassy hillock. The houluh stops at the top crest, and looks down at the patch. He wasn't sure what it was- he'd never seen anything like that before, but as Morgan began to descend the hillock, the houluh quickly half walked, half tumbled down after them.
[46]
|
|
|
Post by Morgan on Oct 17, 2020 15:45:37 GMT -6
Morgan made sure that Spook didn't get hurt due to his little tumble by scooping him up about halfway down. He really did try to follow after them, but it was a little bit steep now that they thought about it for a houluh with short legs like his. Still, it was cute and he didn't get hurt, so Morgan chuckled at it. It was a funny circumstance, though it would not have been had the puppy gotten hurt instead. So Morgan legs it down the steep hillside, and down into the broad 'valley' that was the pumpkin patch. Morgan knew that they were going to have to walk in between each one of the rows of pumpkins, because they had vines between them that were attatched to one another, and could easily trip them. That would be incredibly unfortunate! Perhaps it was important for Morgan to try to carry the houluh pup, for now.
[47]
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Oct 18, 2020 7:58:50 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Morgan on Oct 19, 2020 12:02:49 GMT -6
The pumpkin patch was fairly exciting, but once Morgan got down the hillock and in front of the pumpkin patch's very outside edge- they began to feel that tell-tale thrum. What? Another Crystal? Morgan was always happy to find crystals- obviously they were incredibly useful, and sold for a pretty penny. They would not leave a crystal that they could feel nearby, so they decided to hold the puppy near them, up against their chest, and then step into the field. They were trying to triangulate where the crystal could be, so that they could pick it up. However, the pumpkin patch was incredibly vast. They were entirely sure that it was here, but it was going to take a long time to check the entire area! Spook gets a little wriggly in their arms, and Morgan gives him a quick scratch behind the ears in an attempt to calm him.
[48]
|
|
|
Post by Morgan on Oct 19, 2020 12:19:18 GMT -6
It wasn't really that the puppy needed calming, he just wanted down. Understandably, Morgan didn't want to put him down and chance him swallowing the crystal, wherever it was. It was a pretty dumb thing to be concerned over (why would he want to eat an inedible thing?) but then they reminded theirself that it wasn't uncommon for unruly houluh to chew on substances like wood, so they winced at the thought of it and continued on. Spook continued to be somewhat wriggly, but Morgan quieted him every now and again with a touch as they high-stepped it over the many vines of the pumpkins. They weren't really thinking about how dangerous this could be, but they were careful not to get tangled in the thick green vines between the huge pumpkins.
After a bit of walking around and changing directions, Morgan finally found the crystal, hidden in a clump of small pumpkins.
[49]
|
|
|
Post by Morgan on Oct 19, 2020 12:23:42 GMT -6
Now that they had found the crystal (and a few small things along the way), Morgan decided that it was time to head back home. They didn't really know how long they had been out here, working with the houluh, but they were sure that it had been a while. They were planning on taking the houluh out again when it was a little bit bigger, to make sure that it was trained well enough for a Debutante show in the future, but they had a lot of houluh that needed worked on soon, so they weren't entirely sure which ones would get worked with first. "Alrighty, I t-think we're done here, for now, boyo." Morgan told Spook, scratching him behind the ears as they went.
They high-stepped it over the vines, picked up anything of interest along the way, and finally managed to get out of the pumpkin patch without any scary events.
This time, anyway.
[50] - [End of trip for now, the pair picks up anything of interest and heads home.]
|
|
|
Post by Morgan on Oct 22, 2020 15:42:18 GMT -6
Morgan was back before long, and with the same houluh too. They felt like it was important to go ahead and get Spook trained for his first Debutante show as soon as possible. With any luck, they'd have Spook and Valentine ready about the same time, since they were the pups that seemed to be getting close enough to juvenile weight. They wouldn't have a lot of time after that before they got ready to grow. So Morgan was back at the mansion soon enough to work with Spook. He was a sort of thin, delicately built houluh so far. He was fed quite a bit, but just wouldn't pick up any more weight than it seemed like would maintain that build- apparently he was fine according to the vet's though.
Morgan holds the thin but lanky pup in their arms as they step through the outer gate. What to work on with the pup today?
[51]
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Oct 23, 2020 11:58:26 GMT -6
The old boards creak and groan around you. Somewhere, in the distance, a cackle can be heard.
[Nothing happens.]
|
|
|
Post by Morgan on Oct 23, 2020 18:48:20 GMT -6
The next thing on the list was 'stack'. Morgan didn't usually bother with teaching stack until pups were juvies, but they figured that Spook was just barely on the cusp of growing to what was generally considered 'juvie' size, so they were sure that Spook would be fine with it. "Y-you ready to work on something boyo?" Morgan asks him, grinning. Spook makes the softest little bark in return, as if he was simply trying to 'return a voice' to Morgan- it was a thing that typically happened when social critters started to get used to you. Morgan took it as a very good sign.
They performed a hand signal, the one they were going to use for 'stack'. Immediately little Spook perked up, chocolate eyes on Morgan's hand. At this, Morgan moved little Spook's legs around to properly put him in stack, and told him to stay using the hand signal for stay.
[52] - [Start 'Stack']
|
|
|
Post by Morgan on Oct 23, 2020 19:55:06 GMT -6
The puppy was mildly uncomfortable, but he stood stark still as Morgan finished putting him into the stack and then he stood there for a moment, eyes on the 'stay' command. Soon, he watched as Morgan's face contorted into a smile. That meant he did a good. That was right- he stood still when he was told to, huh? He wagged his tail, but then he thought (and as he thought his tail slowed down a bit)- what about that other hand signal though? That would warrant further consideration, indeed.
Morgan is sure to give Spook lots of praise and a treat for doing well. Of course, he wasn't savvy quite yet, but it was a good start. "G-good boyo, Spook!" They said, grinning. After he finished his treat, Morgan started up again by giving the hand signal for the 'stack' behavior once again. Spook watched the hand signal, as if trying to glean meaning from it.
[53]
|
|
|
Post by Morgan on Oct 23, 2020 21:14:06 GMT -6
Morgan knew that Spook would get the 'stacking' behavior with time and repetition. They made sure that the houluh saw the hand signal, and then they carefully stacked him into the correct position again. Thankfully, he was quite tolerant with Morgan moving his limbs around now! After that, Morgan gave the hand signal for stay again. Spook stands very still after that. He knew what stay meant, that was for sure! He noted that this process was the exact same as the one before had been, so the first signal probably had something to do with this. It was different than stay, but had to do with it.
Morgan smiled again, gave Spook verbal praise, and then gave him a treat as well. "G-good boyo, Spook!" He was doing incredibly good, Morgan decided. They patted Spook behind his pale ears. "V-very good." Morgan backed up, and gave the hand signal for 'stack' again.
[54]
|
|