We Moved The Dogs Upstairs
To make them more accessible to me now that Jim has taken a second job.
The problem is Baby and Wonder do not agree with their crates being stacked on top of Ninga and Boz’s crates. They are both trying to claim Ninga’s crate. Each time they all come in, they both dive into her crate while their crates are sitting there open. I am intensively using treats with them during this transition to try to keep things smooth, no make that to try to -make- things become smooth. LOL Baby will come out and load up into her crate for the treats, but Wonder, not so much.
He is dead set that he has the right to claim this crate and I will abide by his decision. I of course am dead set that he will use the crate I tell him to use. Thus we are at a deadlock.
I tell him to load up, he goes into the wrong crate. Sure I could close it and force upon him no other choice, but then he is not choosing to obey me. Plus he knows which crate is his. He is trying to assert his will about which one he -wants-.
Time and again I say load up, he goes in her crate. Over and over and over. No treats in the world are going to convince him that he should choose obedience to me over the crate he wants. Pure positive reinforcement falls flat on its face when the dog flat out wants something else more.
Now to decide how to proceed. How do you make a dog decide it wants to do something it doesn’t want to do? LOL