Frustration with clicker training

Phoebe teaches me something new every day. I'm just not smart enough to figure it out, most days!

Today I was working with her picking up a metal dumbbell. She will grasp it in her teeth about 90% of the time, but usually won't move the dumbbell. Or else she'll grasp it and simultaneously paw it. I have been C/T for clacking the dumbbell with her teeth. Today I decided to raise the criteria and have her move the dumbbell slightly. All I'm looking for is a little lift on either end of the dumbbell. We got "stuck." She wouldn't even clack the dumbbell with her teeth. So frustrating! I didn't want to end on a bad note, but I couldn't get her to go back to the dumbbell. She tried pawing it, moving it around with her paw, and finally she gave up and lay down, watching me expectantly. I know she's thinking "You're an idiot, I did what you wanted and you forgot to give me a treat!"

Finally I got her back to the dumbbell with a lot of encouragement, and when she lifted it up I jackpotted her. Whee! She did a couple more dumbbell lifts, and I ended with her wanting more.

Later I was working on having her jump over a stick, roughly 4 inches off the ground, with me standing at the end of the stick. For whatever reason, she'd jump to my right hand cleanly to get the treat, but every time she'd jump to my left hand, she'd clip the bar with her back foot. Almost every single time! I couldn't give her a treat for clipping the bar, and she didn't seem to realize she hit it. She started to think she'd just get treated for going one way. Major frustration!

I pulled out 2 children's chairs, roughly 12" across and 12" high when placed on their sides, and I used that as my "bar" for her to jump across. She had no problem with that, jumping easily from side to side!

Lesson: If it isn't working, try something else!