by (Livin' La Vida) Mocha
Welcome back to our leash training session.
Did you get kitty acclimated to her harness? Is she
getting fat from all the treats? Well, let's walk off
those pounds!
4. Acclimate kitty to having a leash
attached to the harness (indoors). When kitty is
comfortable wearing her harness, it's also time to add
the leash. Again, introduce the leash by showing it to
her and clicking her for sniffing it. CLICK! and treat
while you touch her with it, and when you snap it on her
harness. This part should go more quickly than the first
time - by now she has a good understanding of the
training game. Don't try to guide her with the leash. Let
her walk while you hold the end of it, and follow her
around. Occasionally put a tiny bit of pressure on it and
CLICK! and treat her for tolerating the pressure. If she
reacts badly to it you have used too much pressure. Give
her a chance to relax and walk around calmly again, and
then try a featherlight pressure for a fraction of a
second. CLICK! and reward and release the pressure before
she has a chance to get riled up. Gradually increase the
length of time, then the pressure, until gentile tension
on the leash doesn't cause her any stress.
5.
Teach kitty to walk with you while on harness and leash
(indoors). Now we can put it all together, indoors.
With kitty dressed in her harness and leash, practice
your "Let's walk!". The leash is not there to
move her, it's only to prevent her from leaving. If she
does try to leave, don't pull her back to you. Just wait
until she stops pulling and is ready to get back in the
training game. Again, keep the sessions short and be
generous with your CLICKS! and treats, until the two of
you are walking all over the house together.
6.
Teach kitty to walk with you while on harness and leash
(outdoors). Outdoors is a whole new ballgame. Kitty's
favorite treats may pale in comparison to the sights,
sounds, and smells of the real world. Don't expect her
picture-perfect leash walking to transfer immediately
outdoors. Go outside with her on the leash and just let
her look and sniff around. Follow her and let her explore
to her heart's content. Plan on staying outside for
awhile, until she gets over the initial sensory overload.
When she starts to relax, maybe even seems a little
bored, or wants to lie down in a sunspot, just hang out
with her for a little longer. Then, take her back
indoors. Next session she should settle a little more
quickly. When she does, show her the treats. If she steps
towards you CLICK! and treat. Then just like you did when
you first started working with her indoors, CLICK! and
reward her for just a few steps at a time until she is
walking with you easily. Depending on kitty, this might
happen in one session, or it may take several.
7.
Teach kitty to walk with you in heel position while on
harness and leash, indoors and out. You may be content
with the leash walking behavior you have already achieved
and may not have an interest in a more formal heel for
kitty. If so, that's fine. But if you are ready for
another challenge, please read on. Teaching kitty to heel
is really fairly simple once she's walking on a leash.
You are merely going to "shape" her to heel
position. And you can even teach her to sit when you halt
if you want. Shaping is the process of clicking and
rewarding successive approximations of the desired goal
behavior until you have the behavior you want. In this
case let's say kitty walks on a leash with you and ranges
anywhere from right next to you to four feet away at the
end of the leash. The average is about two feet away.
Start by clicking and rewarding her anytime she is within
two feet of you, only on the side you want her to heel
to. Over several sessions you should begin to see her
staying closer to you and spending most of her time on
the correct side. Now raise the criteria. Only CLICK! and
treat if she is within 18 inches, decrease the criteria
to one foot. Add the verbal "HEEL!" cue and
you're ready to roll.
And what about teaching her to sit? You
don't need me anymore! See if you can get her to do it on
your own. Good luck!
lavidamocha@meowmail.com
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