# When it clicks!



## Cdnjennga (Jul 30, 2009)

Darcy and I are back in school after taking a break for August/ September. We're currently learning stay and I was getting frustrated because I could tell he wasn't getting it. He would sometimes stay in one spot but not because he understood what I was asking him - just because he happened to stay there!

Anyway, tonight I upped the ante by frying up some liver for a living room training session. He kept getting up, and I had to keep repositioning him. Then I walked out in front, he moved his front paw as if to get up and then I saw the realization dawn on his little face that he needed to stay there till I came back, and then he would get the liver. From then on he only broke the stay once on multiple attempts. The lightbulb came on! I was even able to tug on the leash and he would stay where he was. Yahoo!

I love those breakthrough moments - it makes the sometimes frustrating training process so worth it!


----------



## Skye (Feb 19, 2010)

Yay for you and Darcy!!!


----------



## Curlydogs (Jun 28, 2010)

That is great - congrats to you and Darcy on the achievement! 
It is amazing what really high value food will do for a training session - fried liver sounds perfect.


----------



## neVar (Dec 25, 2009)

we need that like button


----------



## PaddleAddict (Feb 9, 2010)

That is so awesome! You can really see "the" moment, can't you? Good for Darcy!


----------



## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

I find the AH HAH moment in training dogs SO exciting! I think that's my motivation for continuing to train.


----------



## Olie (Oct 10, 2009)

neVar said:


> we need that like button



Great Idea
LIKE


----------



## Purley (May 21, 2010)

So - I need high value treats too. Did you just fry the liver or did you bake it in the oven. I don't want anything greasy or sloppy in my pocket!!


----------



## MyGirlAbby (Oct 15, 2010)

Congrats on Darcy's AHA! moment. Thats wonderful! I had something similar recently. My Abby is 15 weeks and she has this frustrating habit of laying in the grass when we go outside for potty. She sniffs, chases leaves, sniffs like she has found the perfect spot then just sits and looks up at me! Meanwhile I am in my slippers and nightgown, bathrobe, bed head....you get the picture and so do my neighbors as we have little privacy. Well the other day she went straight out and squatted to do potty so on the advice of this forum I whooped it up. I clapped and said good girl in a happy cheerful voice a million times while I jumped up and down. She stood and looked at me like....What is she doing?Then I saw the moment when "it clicked!" and she jumped with me and there was joy......Now I have to do that everytime! If i dont she will sit outside by the door and refuse to come in..HAHaHa. She is a Parti-girl! I love her like crazy.


----------



## Cdnjennga (Jul 30, 2009)

Purley said:


> So - I need high value treats too. Did you just fry the liver or did you bake it in the oven. I don't want anything greasy or sloppy in my pocket!!


I just pan fried it in a little oil. It wasn't too greasy at all! Although I have given up on my jacket pockets anyway, they have so many random treats in there that they're beyond hope!

And thanks for the kudos. Darcy shone in class, where we had to do stay followed by recall for the first time. Noone would have believed that he only figured stay out the night before!


----------

