Short video of my camel cushing

[camels]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uL-x6EPboOw

Cush! Cush! Cush!

[camelsinfrance]

What a gorgeous camel! Interested to know what methodology you used in her training!
WELL DONE YOU!

[camels]

Thank you.

Basically since he was very little I would lift a leg up to get him to lay down, after that I would use less and less pressure. Touching him with a stick, then my hand, then I would let go entirely and point to the ground, then I stopped pointing.

All the times I did this, I would say "cush, cush, cush." Now he lays down with a few repetitions of the word.

Sometimes after he goes down and stays there, I'd give him a treat, but not always. Just a good pat.

[Gamal]

ok -a silly beginner question.

I've read lots about training a camel to cush - but what command is given to get them up??? I think having them get up on command is just as important as getting them down!

Lots I have read tells how to get them down but does not give information on on the commands to get them up.

[Donna]

NO such thing as a silly question!!!!:rofl Most camels will get up VERY easily! Some (like one of mine) gets up so fast you can't even get your leg over their hump before they hike you into the air!!! But seriously, they should be taught to stay down until you give them the command to "go UP", as we teach them here. The reason you don't see allot of chat about that command...camels who have been taught to cush, love to get up! (like a kid who can come out of a corner when he's been sent there for time out);)

[Gamal]

NO such thing as a silly question!!!!:rofl

There isn't???

Ok - how about this one: How many humps does a two humped camel have?

:confused: :rofl

Seriously - thanks for the info! I've trained lots of horses (and dogs --- I love training) and look forward to owning / training a camel very much :) I'll make sure my camel knows to not get up until I tell her to (like schooling a horse when he thought it was funny to take a step away from the mounting block as soon as I got a foot in the stirrup)

I read something about tying up a foot / hobbling when you want to leave the camel for awhile and prevent them from getting up?

When I was in Egypt and Jordan I only rode for a short time and did not get a real chance to handle the camels (most of my time in the Mideast was in Israel - I just did a Cairo tour and a Petra tour where I rode the camels for a short time. If it hadn't been so hot (109 F / 46 C) I was going to go for a day camel ride in Israel. The camel pic I am using as my avatar is the one I rode in Egypt

[camels]

They can still get up hobbled, its sort of funny though.

I taught mine to get up when I say, "up, up, up, up". I acted very excited and started to walk away. Since he always wants to follow me, he associated the "up, up" with time to stand. At the same time I would wave a stick in the air, and now I can just wave my arm with no command.

He stays down until I do this probably 95% of the time, but sometimes he'll be ansy.