Teaching to Cush

[camels]

I started to teach my 7 month old camel to cush yesterday.

I start to lift his front leg up while tapping on another with a stick, while saying "cush, cush".

After a couple short sessions yesterday and one today, he goes down as soon as I start to pick up his front leg. But he does not seem at all to associate the tapping of the stick on his leg with the action.

When he goes down I give him a treat, and then I have him lay there until I raise my stick up and he stands to start over again.


What can I do to make him associate it?

[Cameleer]

Be careful not to have him cush too much or he will become cush happy.
After you have him cush make sure to do a few other things even if it’s just walking him around for 5 or 10 min.
With what you are doing now it shouldn’t be hard to change over to pulling down on the lead rope, tapping his leg and saying cush.

I’m working on a camel training video from this last camel training clinic and hope to have it done in a few weeks. So far it’s looking real good!

[camelclicks]

Hi there,

Tap you camels leg and then give your existing cue, which is the leg lift.... the sequence to teach it is, new cue and then old cue, the new being the tap followed by the old, the leg lift...... Repeat a few of times, and then give the new cue and pause a bit before giving the old cue and see if you camel anticipates before you use the old cue... if he does then give a reward, then repeat this again without the old cue... you may get some pauses in behaviour, till the camel has worked it out, this is ok, this is the "I am thinking behaviour"... Good luck. Happy Cushing

[I love Gobi]

I’m working on a camel training video from this last camel training clinic and hope to have it done in a few weeks. So far it’s looking real good!

I can't wait to see it! Are you going to burn them to a DVD so we can buy one? :elephant :notworthy :applaus :clap

[Cameleer]

Yes they will be on DVD, I'm working on the cover now and here's what it looks like so far.

[I love Gobi]

Stellar work, Roger! Brilliant! :applaus :applaus :applaus

[Donna]

Hey Roger, we are all waiting for your beautiful work, is it soup yet???;) :notworthy

[Donna]

I wasn't able to go to the clinic this year, so I'll get in line quickly to purchase a DVD copy. Do you know yet what they will cost us?