Skittles goes "you know where" today!

[LordTriggs]

with the harness just take some time with it, maybe get some tips from wrench? He seems to have done an amazing job with Salty

of course you can always use a carry cage for some outside time in the meanwhile before that harness is successfully on him!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

It says on the MSBS website (where I got the harness, its the Aviator one), that it comes with a leash and an instructional DVD.

I was searching YouTube for videos and found one in particular that I think will work with Skittles. This person has a sun and used treats to get him used to the harness by showing it to him and letting him adjust to it being "present" then when trying to get the sun to get near it, he used treats. He'd put a treat between the sun and the harness so at first they had to go near it to get the treat, then they had to hold onto it and then get on it and so on. It was all a step by step process done over time. I believe this will work cause thats how I got Skittles target trained. I wanted to teach him to fly to my finger (cause he'd always fly to my shoulder, but I always 'tapped' on my shoulder for that).

Granted my finger is MUCH different than a harness, but a treat is a treat and since he is going on a diet and the treats are decreasing, now is the perfect time to use treats for harness training. I'd just like to avoid having to keep him in a travel cage on walks if at all possible. I think he'd enjoy it more if he were on my shoulder or in my shirt, vs in that cage- but if the harness doesn't work, that'll be my only other choice.

Once I get him used to it, I'll still need to use it regularly during the winter so he stays familiar with it, even though I won't be able to go outside with him. I also searched the forums here for tips and found several posts with some good ones.

Skittles REALLY doesn't like his travel cage BUT he doesn't fight me when I put him in it. He goes in without resistance BUT then bugs me to come back out (his manipulative kissy noises, lol).

When I took him to the vet this week, he didn't want the vet near him, so he climbed inside my shirt and hid over my shoulder. When the vet walked in, she could see the big lump on my shoulder and she said "he's hiding?" and I chuckled. I went to grab him to get him to come out and he climbed around back, but I was able to grab him and he did NOT bite me ONCE!

He is actually incredibly obedient when it comes to biting. He usually gets what he wants (when its appropriate), so when he bites me, I don't give him what he wants. He knows biting will not work and will in fact mean he doesn't get what he wants.


Just to clarify, when I say he "gets what he wants", I don't mean he's spoiled and always gets his way. lol. I mean that when he wants a bath or juice etc, he goes to certain places which let me know what he wants and he'll usually make a single screech. IF he gets impatient, I ignore it and put him in his cage. I rarely have to do that because he's come to understand the routine.