Surprisingly enough teaching Neelix to ride the skaeboard was reletively easy. As soon as I'd bought it he wondered what it was I'd got him and was around it to have a look, so I clicked the clicker and gave him a treat and he went near again; the more excited he got the nearer he got until he touched it, then put a paw on. Once he was putting a paw on, I coaxed him a little and stood him on it and pushed it, and as he was starting to fall off a leg went out to steady him, so I clicked this, until he got used to it, and would propell himself along.
Then along came Kes, with a pulling pedegree of sorts as she was bread to pull rigs, so we thought we'd try her pulling the skateboard which came naturally to her, then we placed Neelix on the skateboard and told him to stay, and he did, with no training at all apart from having to replace him a few times and command him to stay once more. Now he'll stop on for a couple hundred yards on grass without coming off.
Trouble is, he's lazy, he now won't play skateboard himself and if I just get it out for him, he'll just stand on it expecting to be pulled!!!
When we started this trick it all came together quite easily, i.e. we had a dog that would ride a skateboard and one that would pull, but what we hadn't realised until we got on to a rough arena was how well skateboards go when the going gets tough, THEY DON'T. Not only was the ride hard work for Kes but it was also very bumby for Neelix and as Skateboards don't have steering as such we could only really do this trick in a straight line.
We found some suitable childrens tractor trailers on ebay and the problem was solved and it wasn't long until we had two we a dog pulling each and a dog sat in each. This trick then became a little more interesting when I put out some cones to "drive between, but after awhile this became easy so we bought some skateboard ramps to go over with the trailers.
After a few weeks with these we also found we could re-introduce the skateboard and have Neelix going over these ramps on it.
Paul's Performing Pooches |
This Was Easily Taught
On His Own
With Kes
These were taken at the first event doing this trick and only the second time they'd tried it
& The Variations
The very first time out on the trailer
& the first time over the ramp for Chakotay
This is Eddies seond week in the trailer
And first week over the ramps
Now back to Neelix on the ramps
Can I try a different board?
Oops
Now skateboarding with Eddie
Not bad for his first week!
& the first time over the ramp for Chakotay
This is Eddies seond week in the trailer
And first week over the ramps
Now back to Neelix on the ramps
Can I try a different board?
Oops
Now skateboarding with Eddie
Not bad for his first week!