I am trying to train Toro to get used to the harness. I do not know if it would work as he is already 14 months. I put Bujang in the harness when he was 6 months and so young enough to try anything. I thought if he can get used to this simple harness, we could go for short walks along the corridor and then downstairs.He was quiet when I put the harness on him but he had a hard time with it. He started to walk backwards like Michael J in his moon-walking days. After 10 minutes, I thought I would play with him, just to see if he would run after Da Bird. He tried short leaps but was afraid of flying through the air and then he did short runs. I could see that he wanted to do the usual chases but he was not used to being confined like this.
He was in the harness for 20 minutes. I have to do this gradually I think. Later, I would put his harness again for the same amount of time and gradually increase the length of time and frequency he is in it. I hope he would get used to it after a month and then he can walk in the park, like Bujang. This would mean that I have to alternate the days I bring them to the park..but that will be another story, totally dependent on how well Toro takes to the harness.
When he was out of the harness, I continued to play with him and true to form, he leapt up and did turns and swirls. I guess he was just happy to be able to do that :))
Toro is clever. I am sure he will get the hang of it soon. By then you can bring both Bujang and Toro for walks. Whah! So style.
ReplyDeleteI tried the harness on my General Yuan Yuan when she was 4 months old. She struggled to wriggle out immediately. BB was no better. She just froze and crouched on the floor, refusing to move at all. Now the harness is gathering dust in the drawer. Haiz...
ReplyDeleteBujang was a little unhappy with it at first but I insisted and now he's walking in the park. :) Toro was like BB to begin with. He refused to budge at first but I enticed him with some bream flakes and made him creep a few inches at a time for them. Then he played with Da Bird on the 2nd try. Last night, I put him in the harness and brought him along the corridor and put him a few feet away from the grills and Bujang(who was inside the house) So he had to creep towards the 2 rascals, who were looking at him from inside :) We spent 5 minutes. Then I removed the harness and gave him a treat and took Bujang for a corridor walk with Toro looking on. I hope as with everything else, he would take Bujang's lead :)
ReplyDeleteOhh, I can picture Toro walking backwards, my Becksie did the same thing when I put her on a harness few months back!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the pictures & video of Bujang walking in the park. Very nice! :D Was he ever afraid to go outside before that? I can't persuade mine to just step out of the main door.
Dear mini-meow
ReplyDeleteBujang began life very afraid of many things but not the outside :) He was always curious to know what lies just outside the gates and he would try to jump out of the spaces in my old grills. I actually had to cover half of my grills with mesh so he couldn't get out :) So he was quite pleased to walk along the corridor. I always had a harder time trying to get him home even from the very beginning. Now I just carry him back to his carrier when I have to go home from the park, much to his displeasure. :))
No worries! I was trained to walk with my harness at 2 years old! I think Toro looks lovely in his striking blue harness ;)
ReplyDeleteHey Timmy
ReplyDeleteThanks for telling me that. Toro ran away today when he saw the blue harness. But I told him he has to get used to it if he wants to walk in the park with his brother Bujang. He wanted nothing to do with that..haha. I told him if you can learn at 2 years, he should be able to do it at 14 months! He looked at me and sniffed a little. :))