THE METHOD I'M USING

This, of-course, is really an extension of the "Sit" procedure... and the most difficult bit! It is one thing to teach a llama to DO something, it is quite another thing to ask him to do NOTHING. Well, really, how do you do nothing?
My method to date ( and I'm always changing it ) is to ask the animal to sit down , then to add the cue "Stay" right from the beginning, since the required behaviour, staying, is already there. My hand is flattened and raised above his nose. A reward is given for staying for just a second or two initially and then the llama is gradually, very gradually, required to stay longer and longer before the click is given. The command is repeated at intervals and a reward always follows a click. This is a very gradual process indeed. I have learned that it is fraught with distraction problems: a bird flies over, a child runs past, or a horse in the next field neighs... and up leaps the llama.

If you can add anything to my work or have any questions or comments, please e-mail me.

HOW WE'RE DOING

The story so far: All five boys KNOW "Sit-Stay" and will stay put for awhile, so long as it isn't in a situation where they are unrelaxed. Then their natural, flight-animal instinct cuts in.

Dec 7th 2008

RECENT NOTES ON PROGRESS

With Oscar and Toby I return to this exercise time and time again, in all sorts of situations. The duration is getting better but with both boys there is confusion between sit-staying (neck erect) and playing-dead (neck along the ground). Unfortunately, because the hand signal for sit-staying is, apparently, stronger than the verbal one, once the chin is on the ground they cannot see the sit-stay hand signal!! I am resorting to physically lifting the chins up, which is not what I want.

It is pleasing that I can walk around both boys and they'll keep in the correct position.

Oscar "Sitting

 

 

 

 

 

V

( This is a very old video taken ar the time I was working a lot with David)

ideo of David Sit-Staying