| Typist: Bethany When considering what kind of training game fun to have for this months Positive Pet Training Blog Hop 101 Things To Do With A Box challenge, I realized that cat Amelia and I have never played any cardboard box training games. The dogs and I have a lot of fun with boxes. They particularly like using boxes for practicing paws up tricks and playing scent games. Amelia likes to chew apart cardboard boxes so it had never before occurred to me that she and I could play cat training games with one. Trying out new things is exactly what the 101 Things To Do With A Box game and the Positive Pet Training Blog Hop are about, so Amelia and I spent some clicker training time with a box. Like most training games with any pets, dogs, cats, parrots, etc, Amelia started the first session by offering her best/favorite trick, a simple "sit." I watched her patiently and as soon as she looked at the box, I clicked and treated. |  Amelia tries the training game 101 Things To Do With A Box.  Click! |
Always the smart and curious kitty, Amelia caught on to the game quickly, receiving clicks and treats for sniffing the box. I soon upped my expectations and required her to be out of her sit for a click. The next step in our first training session was a bit of shuffling of both trainer an cat so she didn't just think she was supposed to touch her nose to only one corner of the box. When I changed my position in the room, Amelia went back to offering a sit but it didn't take long for her to go back to paying attention to the box. Just before I was about to end our first session, Amelia put her front paws on the box. I was so excited and gave her a super treat jackpot. I apologize for not having a photo of that moment but sometimes the training and the bonding with the pets is more important than pictures.* Sometimes.
 Where are we going? |  Offering a sit. |
 Click! |  Treat. |
I'm not certain where Amelia and I will go with our 101 Things To Do With A Box training games. One hope would be that having positive training fun with boxes could mean that Amelia will be less likely to destructively chew every cardboard thing she can get her teeth into. Imagining a life where all the packages we receive don't need to be immediately opened or locked in a closet makes me very happy indeed. Of course, having cat with a few more tricks to show off is certainly always fun plus Amelia appreciates any and all mental stimulation she can absorb. The more positive pet training fun we have around here, the better.
*My apologies for the quality of some of the photos in this post but sometimes authenticity is more important than perfection. These photos were taken by a stuffed into the corner Jason during Amelia's first 101 Things To Do With A Box training session.
What kind of 101 Things To Do With A Box training fun have you or do you plan to have?
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| The Positive Pet Training Blog Hop is hosted by Cascadian Nomads, Dachshund Nola & Tenacious Little Terrier. Our theme this month is 101 Things To Do With A Box but any and all posts with a positive reinforcement training theme are welcome. Our Linky is open all week so we hope you'll join us. The next hop begins November 3rd and the theme is rear end awareness. |  |
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