Welcome to my blog - a diary about living with donkeys, notes about care, my training sessions and the absolute pleasure of donkey companionship.

I continue to be amazed and enchanted by donkeys, since I got my first two in May, 2002. I'm not sure why! I mean, why not llamas or pot bellied pigs for instance? For awhile I thought maybe it was because of some connection to an ancient time, a past life, a wandering through desert lands ... maybe I knew a donkey way back, maybe the donkey and I shared some amazing experiences ...?

Well, I have given up on trying to unravel those fantasies and now am just happy to have fallen down this rabbit hole where my whole life has been redefined somehow by the presence of donkeys.

But, like any life-changing experience, it hasn't always been easy! I've been kicked, bitten, knocked over, jerked around, bullied and intimidated sometimes. Stepped on... did I mention "stepped on?" Other times I have been charmed and amused, delighted and totally absorbed, my heart almost breaking with love and compassion for these critters.

My mother used to ask, sweetly "why donkeys?" She was always amused (of course I never mentioned being kicked, bitten or stepped on!)

I won't tell you that donkeys are the perfect family pet, like so many web sites want you to think. They live a long time, they get sick, they have "issues" ... maybe, depending on whether or not they were raised lovingly, with respect and care, or abused, neglected and misunderstood as many donkeys are.

But, my oh my, donkeys are charming! Maybe it's the ears, I don't know. My donkeys and I have embarked on a lifelong friendship. This blog is a way for me to write about this journey.

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Monday, October 31, 2011

Lead training with Siog

Today was absolutely gorgeous, cool and sunny.  Siog and I headed up the road and she walked willingly but her new "thing" is to pull her head away to the right.  If you don't have a donkey's head in your control, you are not IN control!  While this may be no big deal while walking with a mini, it's a VERY big deal with a larger animal!

So I have been asking Siog for a lateral flextion in her neck by sliding my left hand up the lead, gently towards the snap and asking her to soften and when she does I click and treat.  This has been going on for awhile now though on our walks and she still pulls away.  I don't want to create an unwanted training "loop" - this means that I might be inadvertently training Siog to pull her neck away from me while walking, then soften towards me and then get rewarded.  She might interpret this as "first I pull away, then I soften, then I get a treat!"

So today I tried something new and it worked!  I chose a tire tread line on the road and walked on it, keeping my own steps in a straight line.  I held Siog's lead rope, giving her some length and keeping my two hands together at my stomach.  I did not ask her to soften but just kept walking in a straight line.

Siog would pull away to the right and the lead rope would become taught but I just kept on going.  Then she got the idea to release the pressure on her lead by softening towards me and - eureka! ...  she got clicked and treated!

I had to make sure I stayed vigilant and rewarded her every single time she released the pressure on her own and came towards me - I tried not to look at her and kept a steady pace, even while rewarding her.
No big deal that you're doing the right thing, eh?

It was so interesting!  An animal will learn faster if they put 2 + 2 together rather than you doing it for them and this was a great example.  It took very little time for Siog to realize that if she released the pressure on her lead by moving towards me, she would get rewarded!  I didn't have to do a thing except be kind, keep going and reward her when she earned it!
Posted by at 9:20 PM
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