Now I would have said I always tried to use positive training - but I obviously have not been using it enough or for the things I want to change.
I think I have not been very imaginative in my use of it.
Take this fro example - Honey is nightmare to groom. She turns into a vicious, teeth-baring, nose wrinkling beast. MY hands end up covered in bruises from nips, so much so that I had resorted in wearing gardening gloves. We did use treats when grooming her - but more of distractor instead of a reenforcer (although they probably were reenforcing the nasty behaviour).
LAst night her ears really needed groomed,so I thought I would taclkle this. I armed myself with my combs that I use to comb her ears and a pocket full of treats. I actually decided to do this very casually with her on my knee on the sofa.
I gently combed her (not her ears At first) - ofcourse she was having none of it. After just one stroke and before she could react, I popped her a treat - gradually I moved to her ears. She wasn't happy, but before she could snap each time I gave her a treat. Then I was able to lengthen the time between treats - giving her one just before I could see her getting prockly again. By the end of it she was sitting quite happily, with occasional treats - and no snapping. It took a long time and a lot of treats, but it was great.
As soon as we had finished we followed up iwth a game with MR Stripes ,then she went and stole some chocolate orange :: - which was not part of the plan, but was really the fault of the child who left it within paws reach
I feel really confident now that I can change things and i feel much closer to Honey as well.
i think she is a really bright little cookie - and I have been selling her short
