Clicker training and "wow, did he really just do that?" Buddy

[Linda and Murphy]

I am currently fostering an eight month old male lab puppy because he showed up on my back porch during a thunderstorm. The next day my friend saved him from "swimming with the alligators" by putting him in my courtyard. Amazingly, he was microchipped. Unfortunately, the registered owner denied he is her dog. He will get a better home.

I have been working with him, training him to sit, down, walk on a leash in hopes that he will be more adoptable. He seems very eager to learn, but he is a lab. He has chewed up most of the stuffed animals,
a few benches, a hose, clothes, towels, and anything else. He has inched his way inside the house.
I make sure that he has something appropriate to chew and he is well supervised inside.
The timing for the clicker training is perfect. Murphy is familiar with the clicker and for him it was reinforcing what he knew. "Buddy" figured it out pretty quickly.

Murphy is a tad jealous of the new puppy and all the cool things he gets to chew. (nevermind, that Murphy wasn't interested before...) Murphy stole Buddy's rawhide treat and hid it in his kennel.
About an hour later, I started working with the "foot on the mouse pad" with Murphy. I was using high value treats. After the 2nd click, Buddy was in the middle of everything, wanting the treats.
Murphy went to his kennel, got the rawhide and tossed it into the next room. Buddy barreled in there to get it, thrilled.
Murphy then went to the mouse pad and put both feet on pad.
"Okay...I got rid of him. Now give me the good stuff"

Buddy stayed busy with the rawhide and Murphy got his treats.

Has anyone else's Doodle done something similar?

[Charles Rocheville]

That is funny, it is surprising to me daily of all the thought and reasoning that goes thru their heads. My lab pup chewed everything he could get his teeth into, then at 9 months quit. I mean no more at all. I am still trying to sell a three legged desk though, interested?

[Denise, Winnie, and AngelAbby]

What a cute story... these doods are soooo smart!