We started Simba off with "stay". He goes into the bathroom, and immediately gets on his stool without me asking him to. Then I just keep saying stay and giving him treats, slowly making the interval between saying "stay" longer and longer. I think this will take some intensive work to really get him to understand it, just like going to mats did.

Next I have Simba get off the stool, and sit. Then I work on "gimme five" (placing his paw on my palm). We do this maybe four times. The last time, I do not have to touch his paw at all — he touches me palm of his own volition, and earns a jackpot.

We end the session with a couple of kisses.

Next up: Gizmo. We also work on stay. I've discovered my cue for "stay" and "gimme five" is the same, and Gizmo prefers to gimme five. So we work on me just saying "stay".

We move into "gimme five", and do this about five times. Then I stand up, and hold my arm down with my palm facing up — and Gizmo high fives me! He's got it (even if he still won't stretch at all to do it). He earns a jackpot.

He doesn't seem to want to quit training, so I had decided I wanted to teach him fetch next. I get a rattle ball with a feather on top, one of his favorite toys; one that he already likes to carry around by the feather. I roll it toward him. He lifts his paw for a "gimme five", and just looks blankly at me.

I throw the ball, and he does run after it and picks it up. C/T. We do this a few more time, and end the session with a few "gimme fives".

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