Toby is doing quite well. Learning is not as fast as with "cruel" equipment (choke chains and pinch collars), but it is working! We still have a way to go. Since I am having difficulty with him charging ahead as soon as he gets his treat, his teacher had me take only one step, mark (which means to say "yes" or use a clicker. I am NOT a clicker person. ha!), then treat. It worked VERY well. Of course this cannot go on forever, but it is a great step forward in the right direction (pun intended).
In this lesson, the new skill his teacher taught/tricked him into, was to walk past a closed bag of treats multiple times without him trying to get it. As a reward for being a good boy each time, he got a handful of the treats out of the bag! The final exercise was for a handful of treats to be on the sidewalk. And he walked past them!!! When I took the leash, he performed perfectly for me as well! :)
We did this exercise at home last night inside the house. But I didn't start with the bag; I started with a handful of treats on the floor. That was a bit too much to expect. ha! Though, the second time we did it, he was successful in completing the exercise!!! Woo Hoo!!!
His teacher thinks he is both very smart and a handsome boy. Both are true!! She also frequently comments on how well bonded he is with me. Like me wanting to be a princess, he is fitting into princely shoes.
