Posing for Pictures

My Clik-Stik

Dog Blog Post #98: I had a Flash of Brilliance a week or so ago. I know, that sounds like bragging - and it is. But as I only have such flashes every decade or two, I'm hoping you'll let it slide.

What was my moment?

I bought a Clik-Stik.

Ok, I know what you are thinking. Consumerism is hardly brilliance, and you would be right...

EXCEPT...

Look down at the little green ball... down at the ball...

I didn't really buy it for the reason it was being sold.

You see, I love taking pictures of my boys (and no, I don't think any of them are particularly brilliant... the pictures, that is. I think the boys are quite brilliant, but they came that way and there is little for me to take credit for on that front.)

Back to the Clik-Stik.

The topic of clickers and clicking came in the Training Levels Group a few weeks back (yeah, I know, a real shocker) and someone mentioned that it actually worked and held up well. I had seen it in our local pet store, was mighty suspicious of its durability, was really happy with my I-Click (and I still am), so up until then I had passed it by.

But then I had my Flash of Brilliance.

Look over Mom's head at the little green ball...

It was about the time I was trying to take Yet Another Posed Picture of my boys, and I was doing the usual juggling act with treats in one hand, a clicker in another, a squeaker in the third...

Excuse me?

... and therein lay the problem, the solution for which constitutes my Flash of Brilliance.

You see, as I was idling thinking about the Clik-Stik it dawned on me that I might be able to teach the boys to stare at the little green ball on the end.

Look right at the little green ball... right at the ball...

(Aside to makers of the Clik-Stik: I don't think dogs can actually see green very well. Next time, try yellow or blue - or perhaps even a checkerboard of both.)

And so I bought it, and sure enough, with practically no effort, I was able to teach the dogs to not touch the ball on the end (the intended purpose) but rather stay put and just look at it.

It was amazing.

I tried it out for the first time (non-training) on the Artist photo for the Training Challenge post (notice the boys looking off in the distance) then played around with it some more tonight.

Look left at the the little green ball... left at the ball...

See them looking away from me... away from the camera. Yup, just out of sight is the little green ball at the end of my Clik-Stik.

Amazing.

Don't you just love when a Flash of Brilliance actually works?

(Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with the Clik-Stik, other than being a very customer.)