Ramp training

I learned two things yesterday.  

1. How to cook beef short ribs.  One thing I had never cooked in all my years of cooking for my family.  The gal who helps me out with laundry and cleaning was here and gave me her recipe.  They came out so delicious.  Edgar was fairly quivering with delight when they came out of the oven.   That gave me an idea.  I do not feed Edgar "people" food.  I was in need of a high value treat to attempt teaching Edgar to climb the ramp to the couch.  So I saved a few chuncks of beef for training purposes.

2.  Edgar would never make an agility dog.   Ramp solidly in place against the sofa.  Short (2 foot) lead attached to Edgar's harness.  A few pieces of tender beef  tucked into my apron pocket.

I devised a hand signal quite different from anything I currently use--first and second fingers of my right hand "walking" up the ramp.  The two fingers had been liberally basted with beef.  Watch out fingers--Edgar got a whiff and was after those wiggling fingers.  He tried every way to get at the treat - a small piece of which I had placed at the top of the ramp.  Front feet on ramp, rear glued to the carpet at the base of the ramp---s t r e t c h  out long and lean and still could not quite reach that enticing morsel.  Trying to place his hind feet on the ramp, steady his body with left hand on the harness, and keep the wiggling finger hand signal JUST out of reach of those formidable teeth, I realized what I really needed was another arm.  At last Edgar made a lunge up the ramp.  He grabbed the tiny piece of beef and backed down the ramp before I could get an arm behind him to urge him on to the couch.

I called that a partial success.   Edgar decided we were done with that game.  He hadn't cared much for it anyway.  And it seemed there was no more beef.  He retired to his pillow, flopped down and prepared to take a nap.

"Oh no you're not", I told my deaf dog.  Plastering on my fake smile, I guided Edgar from pillow to base of ramp.  Chorgi brakes now firmly set.  Chorgi eyes anywhere but on me.  He paid no heed to the wiggling finger signal until---what was that smell?  Could it be she had another piece of that beef?  Edgar's body relaxed a mite as it eased towards the ramp.  Two little front paws were placed cautiously on the ramp.  Twitching nose detected---ah yes--another wee chunk of that delicious beef resting atop the ramp.  A sudden lunge and Edgar was up the ramp, gulping beef, while I hastily switched arm # 2 (#1 was making signal in front) from harness to behind Edgar, beneath his tail, and pushed.  Edgar tried to turn around on the narrow  ramp, never very agile, he lost his balance and popped off.  ARGGH--where was that darn arm #3 when I needed it?  

Edgar had managed to gulp the treat.  Since he now had no faith whatsoever in me or the ramp, he was not about to try it again. I let him believe it was over.  then after a few minutes rest, I repeated the effort.  Less interest in the treat this time, thoroughly bored with this game, my most unenthusiastic would-be agility dog had to be guided paw by paw up the ramp until once again, the scent of beef won out.  this time it was not at the top of the ramp.  It was way over on the back of the sofa cushion.  Nothing for it but to go all the way.  Edgar did. Stumbling a bit at the top he kind of fell onto the chuck of meat.  Before he could jump off with meat clenched in teeth, I pushed him into a down position.  Much praise and more treats came forth from the apron pocket before I let him up.

Edgar jumped from the couch apparently having no idea what that whole thing was about.  He flopped on his pillow.  Probably not dreaming about his success as an agility dog.

 

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