Alpaca Clicker Training--Picking up a Halter

Some alpacas just don't seem to have any interest or proclivity to pick up things, while others are constantly using their lips for all sorts of dexterous moves. My alpaca Gypsy, aka "Gyps the Lips", picks up hats, frisbees, halters, turns on lights, plays with a variety of toys with is manipulative lips. Canela, on the other hand, has never shown any inclination to use his lips for anything other than eating. So, I decided to clicker train Canela to pick up his halter. In three lessons, he started picking it up.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• clicker
• training
• alpacas
• Gypsy
• and
• Canela
• Nina
• Faust
• Homer
• Alaska
• Inspiration
• Ridge
• Preserve
• halter

[aknina51]

@zxzllamazxz Thanks for that reminder of Jim's. I went back and fixed my mistake of clicking when he just touched the halter. He picked it up after that every time he went to the halter. Big improvement. We have started clicker school and the boys are loving it. They remember most of what I taught them last year. I am impressed with Canela. I think I will have him weaving through the poles without my pointing the way soon. He weaved half of them just on cue. He may outdo Gypsy!

[aknina51]

@semisweetgracie Thanks. We have a good relationship as these are my pets. I work with them everyday. Now that winter is here and we cannot take long walks, we do clicker training most every day. They really love the clicker training. It is a game to them.

[semisweetgracie]

I love how calm and relaxed you are with the alpacas- it's almost like you're one of them! Laid-back and easygoing.

[aknina51]

When Canela has this mastered, I will work on having him give me the halter. I think with Gypsy it is time to move him to the next level of putting the halter a bit away from us and having him bring it to me. Yes, I know what you click is what you get. In this video, I see I clicked Canela a couple of times for just touching it. That may have confused him.

[zxzllamazxz]

That's great Canela and Gypsy. Particularly Gypsy. Are you planning to extend this exercise into actual retrieving in due course? It will be interesting to see whether or not yours are like mine: Banksy has trouble seeing anything beyond twelve feet..unless it is moving. Keep it up Nina..and don't forget (to quote Jim Logan) "what you click is what you get". ! !