Friday, September 19, 2008

Bocephus Opens Drawer for Tug !!

Over last weekend Bocephus had his first introduction to a fly-ball tournament. His first run he performed really well. The second run didn't go as well. Bocephus had figured out that at the tournament when he tugs we would immediately put him in his kennel so he decided he wouldn't come back and tug. The ref "Elizabeth" came up to me during the run and explained what was happening. She gave me a great idea of how to make Bocephus fall in love with the tug. She said that I should find a toy and put in drawer where Bocephus could see the toy being put away. She made some rules very clear. First whenever you get the tug out the drawer "you have to go crazy start running around like a mad man make it very fun". Do it for only 2min every night. Second is she said whenever you put the tug away make sure Bocephus knows where you put it away(let him watch you placing the tug in drawer and closing it) She said before you know it he will be clawing off the drawer to get to fun. We tried this with his lucky little bone that he was given over the weekend during the fly-ball tournament. It worked great for the first time on Wednesday we took Bocephus off leash a during a few full runs... he had a few little run offs but not like before. After he ruined the little bone I decided to make an ugly tug out of random things that Bocephus loves to tug with and just like the Elizabeth promised you could see the little monster in action... opening the drawer and getting the new tug out to play with. ( we have now found a new hiding spot for the tug out of his little reach)