this post was submitted on 23 Oct 2023
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We had these with our jack russells for years: basic things like outside, walk, car ride, etc. It took a while for my jacks to pick up the idea but after about 3 or 4 months they would start pressing the outside button without interaction from me. I would let them outside and give them rewards. Success!
But oh no. Now the dogs think it's a treat button. I hear the outside button go off, I walk into the kitchen and then they run directly to where the treats are and wait. So that's an annoyance.
They started to figure out that they couldn't just push the button and get a treat. They had to push the button and THEN go outside to get a treat. So they would push the button, go out of the back door and stand on the patio then come back in and run up for treats.
Then the buttons get scootered around on the floor. I'm in the kitchen making dinner and I bump into one of the buttons and OUTSIDE blasts crackily from the speaker. Now all the dogs come running to the back door because they think it's treat time. And don't bump into one of the middle of the night when you're trying to get a snack out of the fridge for yourself, you'll hear all the dogs run downstairs because hey it's treat time again!
I think it's a fun game to be able to communicate with your dog in such a way but I probably won't buy them again. We ended up just buying one of those little hotel bells to put on the floor. When he wanted to go outside he would ding the bell, which was good enough.
i only ever used the treat button for treats.... training was (who am i kidding, is) a lot of repetitive use of the buttons by YOU.
for example the outside button... every single time you take them out you have to hit the button. YOU have to hit the button. you can tell them, or at at some point the 5w lightbulb in their head goes off and they start hitting the button for when they want outside.
there was a big epiphany for me when i realized (watching the videos) that i had to utilize the buttons as much as the dog does.
Annnd the first buttons i bought seemed stupidly limited to their physical location (downstairs, what if i cant hear it?!). So, i waited to put any real investment until they had a bluetooth equipped system. the buttons are smaller, easier to manage and its tied to an app that can be blasted over the home stereo, and on everyones phones.
my next button will be 'later'.... this one seems daunting