Guess which hand

[Hobbes]

The thread about teaching your boxer high five as opposed to shake got me thinking of some other things we taught Napoleon with our hands. We taught him the "guess which hand" game.

We take a small treat and show it to him. We then put our hands behind our back and switch the treat up among our left or right hand. We then put both hands out and tell Napoleon guess.

He gets this thinking look on his face and looks at both hands and eventually paws at one of your hands. Sometimes he gets it right, sometimes he doesn't get it right. When he doesn't get it right, we repeat until he does get it right or we feel bad about him not getting the treat and give it to him anyway (how can you say no to that face).

But you can definitely see the wheels turning in his head when he's thinking about which hand to pick.

 

[pufff]

I can feel his puzzlement!

 

[Jan]

I think you are making a mistake in switching the treat back and forth between your hands. You are expecting his scent discrimination to be too advanced. Starting with clean hands, I would pick up the treat with one hand and then ask him to choose. When he always gets it right, then you can try switching it back and forth.

Good luck!

 

[Hobbes]

I think you are making a mistake in switching the treat back and forth between your hands. You are expecting his scent discrimination to be too advanced. Starting with clean hands, I would pick up the treat with one hand and then ask him to choose. When he always gets it right, then you can try switching it back and forth.

Good luck!

Good idea, I think we'll try that. I hadn't thought of him possibly smelling the treat on my hand instead of in my hand.

 

[Roge]

That sounds like fun,I must try it,

 

[srennie]

We play this game but with paper cups on the floor. I put the treat under one cup, move them around and they have to find it. They usually end up just tipping them all over to find it but it's just a game.

I teach 'shake' with my hand held horizontal, 'high five' is when my hand is held vertical. I also teach 'other hand' which means do what you just did but with the other paw.

 

[Hobbes]

We play this game but with paper cups on the floor. I put the treat under one cup, move them around and they have to find it. They usually end up just tipping them all over to find it but it's just a game.

I teach 'shake' with my hand held horizontal, 'high five' is when my hand is held vertical. I also teach 'other hand' which means do what you just did but with the other paw.

We try to get Napoleon to do shake and high fives with his right hand, but he is a total lefty. Everything, shake, high five he does with his left paw. We also do "two paws." I'll hold my 2 fingers down in a V, like an upside down peace sign and he'll give you his two front paws, normally on the couch or on your thigh as he holds himself up like that.