Dog (owners) clicker training

The dog (actually us) got her first clicker training on Saturday. We thought she was unmanageable and it turns out she is very smart! We bought a Miniature Pinscher, but we got more of a Dachshund in the deal. The constant yapping is a good indication of the mix between the two breeds! Unfortunately you cannot give back a dog like you give back faulty equipment, so we are stuck with her. (And we love those big brown eyes too much in any case). But we had to make a plan to make her more pleasant to be around with…
She was spayed as well on Thursday, and when we got her back, she was the pleasurable dog we always wanted. Shame! It must have hurt, but we enjoyed her lying quietly with us on Thursday evening. Arnia even kept her in her room for the night, but by Friday morning she was her bouncy self again. (What other operations can we send her for? Smile)
I am very impressed with the clicker training. After 30 minutes Arnia got her to sit and to lie down. And we are seeing a remarkable change in her behaviour already! Not the all-over-the-place mad dog we were getting fed-up with! The secret is apparently to catch the dog doing the thing you want them to learn. The dog’s bum hits the ground; click-food. Now Petite Peu sits whenever she is around us. The promise of food works every time.
I was contemplating of incorporating the clicker training in my disciplining of Mieka as well. If it works for dogs, it will surely work for kids as well? Rather catch them doing positive things, than focusing on disciplining the negative…

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The dog

First tooth

Great joy! The first tooth has arrived at ten months! Mieka was taking a bite from Dries’s ice-cream when he said he felt something last night. It feels like an accomplishment, although it is something in baby’s development that we have no control over. Congratulations! Very cute! The first of firsts!
Photo: Mieka this morning, hitting the xylophone!

I have been checking Margot’s blog about her “successful” sleep training, but the inactivity makes me wonder? I hope she got it nailed, but I have a nasty suspicion that it is not as easy as that. Or else I am jealous as hell! I have had a couple of bad nights as well, with Mieka not falling off the breast as usual into a deep sleep, but battling when I put her into her bed. With hindsight, the blocked nose and most recent sleep battles most probably were linked to the first tooth.
The breast feeding is still going well, and while it is the easiest and best for the baby, I will continue. My goal is to reach the one year mark, and that is within two months already. When she is awake, it is a battle to keep her interest focused on drinking, because she wants to look everywhere, and starts to slide down to “walk”. I have to wear a necklace each day to keep her occupied. Sometimes she turns her head while she is still latched very tightly, and that is something I try to avoid! Ouch!
Petite Peu, the little bit of a dog, has been banned to stay outside. We have failed completely in our house training. She thinks she is supposed to pee and poop in the house. And she chooses the best spots, such as our bedroom carpet, or even a cushion on the floor, to make her mark! We have had enough! Two babies are too much to handle at this stage! I hope it does not signal potty training difficulties in the future?