Kitty trick update
1. Shake: Paw is raising high but still working on actually touching my hand.
2. Beg: We have duration!
3. Figure 8: Kitty still rubs against my leg every half 8, but at least he's getting to go through and alternate.
4. Back stall: Awesome. Full height, no lure. But I do have to shove him back far enough or he 'll keep rubbing.
5. Stay: Working on platform stays. He thinks me just handing him food is the way it should always be.
6. Rollover: He "offered" it once when he was pissed I wanted him to sit and wasn't getting any food just from rubbing against my leg. I'm now on a mission to get this trick but can't get him to even lay on his side.
OMD, I never knew kitties could be so smart!!
That is great that you are training your kitty! When teaching something new,using wet food might be the way to go if he likes it better. I always use higher value rewards for new and difficult behaviors. It looks like you are doing great. Keep up the good work and have fun!
Good job! I don't have the patience to train cats lol.
Oh, you're making me feel guilty!! :-) I keep saying I must teach Muesli another trick (she's now a TWO trick pony - ha! ha!) but still haven't gotten round to it...
Oh - can I ask - what is a "back stall"? I'm intrigued!
And I've also been meaning to ask you how to teach a cat Down? I tried once and was getting nowhere using the dog method (lure down between front legs) as cats are so flexible - they can dip their heads down to follow the treat, without even bending their front legs! How do I get them to lie down?
Muesli does this very cute roll-onto-her side move - she does it when she wants to invite us to play - which I'd love to get on command. Should I just try to capture it? She's like Honey - so frustrating - when you withhold treats to try to elicit something else, she doesn't keep offering - just gives up & walks away... :-(
I've been thinking of teaching Figure 8 too! How did you teach yours? I was thinking of using a nose target (although I'd need to teach that first...) With Honey, I never used a target - I built it up from teaching her "Through" the legs and then only rewarding her when she came round back to the front - extending to her coming-back-round-to-front on both Left & Right sides...which became the Figure 8 - and then eventually, the Leg Weave. But not sure that method would work with a cat since they don't have the same motivation to come back round to the front of you, I think! :-)
Hsin-Yi
Hsin-Yi: You should be the perfect cat trainer! You have to be used to persistence and getting snubbed by now :)
The back stall is a common disc dog move where the dog jumps on the handlers back and stays. A stall is any type of move where the dog stays on the handler (ie foot). Much easier on the body with a cat.
I haven't taught Luke to down as I ran in the same problem. I think the only way to get a down the hip roll style one. Luke offered it a few times during training that one day but he's making it difficult now.
For the figure 8 I had already taught him to nudge my hand. You could use a target stick too, might be easier on the back. I'm trying to get rid of the hand and have been somewhat successful as Luke loves to rub against my leg so damn much that he now just alternates legs. Doesn't always go through though. Cats...
LOVE hearing about kitty training, sounds like some solid progress has been made, YIPPIE!!!