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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Jul 29, 2011 11:51:51 GMT -5
List to TrainSit ( X ) Lie Down ( X ) Accept Contact ( X ) Carry Rider ( X ) Turn ( ) Faster ( ) Slower ( ) Stop ( ) Accept Name ( ) Up ( X ) Alternate training list, currently taking priorityStay ( X ) Come ( ) Follow ( ) It looked like she was the first one in the training meadow. There were rumours that she had the first ever adult Fiero in this world too. Well, first meant that she could pick out the best area, and she had. A large section of the meadow, dotted with trees, and a lake directly in the middle of it. She had roped off the area too, and hoped that that would keep others out. She didn't like distractions while training her horses, and since she treated Fieros not that much different than horses, she suspected that she wouldn't like distractions while training them either. Sweetheart had easily followed Kyrarea out here, or, more precisely, she had followed the smell of meat from her backpack. She didn't know why they were here, or really care. All she knew was that she was getting to spend time with her alpha. What they did with that time didn't matter to her. (3) (Words: 158)
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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Jul 29, 2011 12:27:09 GMT -5
Kyrarea consulted her hastily made list. The first, and only, thing she wanted to do with Sweetheart right now was ride her. She had written up a list of what she thought she would need to teach her so she could do that. Well, sit and lie down weren't exactly needed, but it would be nice if she could just climb on her back while she was lying down rather than have to jump up on her like she would with a horse. Horses didn't lie down much, so it was next to impossible to teach them to do that. Wolves though... she knew that you could teach a dog to lie down, so Sweetheart shouldn't be that difficult.
She was getting ahead of herself though. First up was sit. She turned to the huge wolf-like creature. Sweetheart watched her curiously, head tilted to one side. She was still very new to being an adult, and thinking beyond the present. She wondered what Kyrarea was doing, why she was being so quiet and serious.
"Sit." Kyrarea said clearly, reaching up to push on Sweetheart's back. She had heard that this was how you trained dogs to sit, so it made sense that it would work for Fieros. She hadn't expected the reaction though.
Sweetheart's eyes widened at the contact and the slight pressure, and she jumped a little and backed away.
Kyrarea sighed. Maybe sit wasn't what should be taught first. From her reaction, it would have to be Accept Contact. She almost liked the Fiero better as a pup right then, she had been far less skittish then.
(3.1) (Words: 269) (Sit: began and abandoned)
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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Jul 29, 2011 13:05:40 GMT -5
Well, if she had to teach accept contact first, she had to teach it first. It wasn't really that much of a setback after all. It would have had to be taught before she could get up on Sweetheart's back anyways. "It's alright girl." She said "I'm not going to do that again." The words were something she would say to any skittish horse. Wolf had told her that Fieros could understand spoken words, but she didn't believe it. "How about a nice brushing instead?"
Sweetheart listened to the words, confused. She wasn't going to do it again? Then why had she done it in the first place? In her fright at the girl pushing on her, she hadn't even heard the word sit. If she had, she may have understood more that this was Kyrarea's attempts at training her.
While Sweetheart was trying to puzzle out the why of it, Kyrarea had set her backpack on the ground underneath a tree and had withdrawn a large brush, of the kind used to brush horses, but with longer bristles since a Fiero's fur was longer. She walked over to Sweetheart and raised the brush, judging the Fiero's reaction to it, which was simply to look at it, before running it gently through the fur on her side.
(3.2) (Words: 217) (Accept Contact: Began)
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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Jul 29, 2011 13:13:40 GMT -5
The feeling was odd, but not unpleasant, sort of like the feeling she got when she scratched an itch with her claws, and she allowed it, but was still confused. What was this all about? Why had Kyrarea dragged her all the way out here to scratch her back with the strange thing in her hand?
Happy at her success, Kyrarea continued to brush Sweetheart's back in long, gentle strokes, pausing every now and then to work on a knot. Compared to her reaction at the push on her back, Sweetheart was behaving remarkably well for a creature with no training prior to this.
"Good girl!" She praised and stopped the brushing for a small bit to pull a big ziplock bag of meat out of her backpack. She took out a small square and held it in her flat palm, offering it to Sweetheart as a reward for reacting so well to the training so far.
Sweetheart's eyes widened at the unexpected treat, and she carefully took it from the girl's hand, making sure not to accidentally bite her. She still wasn't quite sure what they were here for, but the meat and scratching were certainly nice.
(3.3) (Words: 198) (Accept Contact: Continued)
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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Jul 29, 2011 13:24:33 GMT -5
Kyrarea closed the bag and put the rest of the meat back into the backpack, but kept the zipper undone on it, so she could reach it easily when it was needed. She picked up the brush again and continued her grooming, but only on her back and side. Fieros, it seemed, tolerated the same places being brushed as a horse did. The worst was always the head and legs on horses, and Kyrarea knew that most dogs didn't like their feet being touched. The weren't there yet though, not by a long shot. She was going to get Sweetheart used to the feeling of the brush, and then replace it with her hands at a later point.
She paused in her brushing, laying the brush on her back, just before her tail, and then walked around behind her. She didn't expect her to kick, but she also didn't expect her to follow her around, until her head was facing her, which was what happened. She didn't seem to want her out of her sight, which was odd.
"Sweetheart." Kyrarea said and shook her head. "You have to get used to me girl, I'm not that scary, am I?" She walked around to the same side she had been on before, and tried the same thing, only this time reaching over her so the brush was resting on her other side before walking around behind her.
This time Sweetheart didn't turn her whole body to follow her, just whipped her head around to the other side when Kyrarea got there, and continued to watch her as she brushed that side. She did seem more relaxed though, which was good.
(3.4) (Words: 279) (Accept Contact: Continued)
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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Jul 31, 2011 7:39:14 GMT -5
Carefully, Kyrarea brushed that side too, working out all the knots and scraping away the dirt. It was a calming activity, and one that she was well used to, and she allowed her mind to wander as she worked. What would Sweetheart be like after she had had some training? The thought of her galloping through a field bareback, with her hands buried in the soft fur, Sweetheart's paws making hardly any sound unlike a horse's hooves, was very appealing to her. She knew that she would have to learn just as much as Sweetheart in order to ride her. Fieros moved much differently than horses, and she would have to get used to Sweetheart's stride and a thousand other things. Would she respond to horse commands? Without thinking, she worked the brush lower, until she was brushing not Sweetheart's side, but her belly.
Sweetheart jumped when the brush hit a ticklish spot, and took a few steps forward, away from Kyrarea. She had been enjoying the brushing up till then, but that had felt weird, and she hadn't liked it.
Kyrarea shook her head, mentally berating herself for not paying closer attention. She had been planning to brush her neck and tail first before moving on to the belly, where the fur grew a bit shorter and Sweetheart could feel the brush more. No matter though, it was just a small set back, and without thinking, Kyrarea gave Sweetheart a quick pat and then moved the brush back to her side.
(4) Words: 252) (Accept Contact: Continued)
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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Jul 31, 2011 7:52:19 GMT -5
The pat felt weird too, but not as bad as the brush on her belly had, and it was swiftly followed by more of the brushing on her side, so she allowed it. Sweetheart was still very confused though. Her alpha was... grooming her? It seemed sort of like it but this was a very odd way to groom, with some sort of tool and not paws or a tongue. And what was the purpose? Before they had left the storage, she had said she was going to train her, but what kind of training was this? It did feel very good though, she had to admit that.
Kyrarea carefully worked the brush toward Sweetheart's head, until she was brushing her neck. She didn't expect any negative reactions to that, and didn't receive any. The neck was much like the back, after all, just a bit closer to the head. If she had started with the neck though, she might have gotten a small reaction since it was so close to the head.
So far, so good though. Sweetheart seemed to be very mild mannered, with a flight instead of fight instinct that Kyrarea was grateful for. She seemed to be quite tolerant of new things too. In fact, she was just as Wolf had described her to be. Kyrarea hadn't been sure, with all the energy she had had as a pup.
She moved down to the tail, careful to brush it slowly, judging the reaction of Sweetheart. The Fiero took one step forward about halfway down, but didn't move after that. When Kyrarea got to the tip, she put the brush down and got out another square of meat. "You're doing great so far girl." She praised and offered the cube to Sweetheart as a reward.
(4.1) (Words: 298) (Accept Contact: Continued)
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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Jul 31, 2011 8:11:17 GMT -5
Sweetheart tilted her head at Kyrarea. Doing great? Why? For allowing her to groom her? It seemed odd to Sweetheart that her alpha would be praising her for this, but she seemed happy about it, so she didn't question it too deeply. And besides, she was offering more meat. Just as gently as before, Sweetheart took the meat from the palm of her hand.
So they had the sides, back, tail and neck done. Where to go next? The head was going to be last, Kyrarea knew that, and the legs likely before that, so that left the chest and belly. Which one first? The chest was thick with fur like the sides, but in her experience, creatures usually protested having there brushed more than the belly. Or... she could see if Kyrarea would accept pats on the side now, and save the chest and belly with the brush for later...
Yes, she decided. That is what she would do. Cautiously, she placed a hand on Sweetheart's shoulder, feeling the warm fur and the way that it moved slightly when she breathed. Again, Sweetheart wasn't at all sure what her alpha was doing, but it didn't feel bad. Maybe not as nice as the brush, but not bad.
Kyrarea gently massaged the shoulder, working in small circles, and was delighted when Sweetheart leaned into it. She seemed to have gotten over her fear of her touching her, or maybe it had never been there to begin with. She had only jumped when she had pushed on her after all. Still, to be safe, Kyrarea was going to make sure that she accepted her touch on every inch of her before moving on, and a bit of pressure as well. If she had reacted that way to a light push, how would she have reacted if Kyrarea had just climbed on to her back?
She likely would have thrown her off, is what she likely would have done, and Kyrarea wanted to avoid that, so she would keep working on this, maybe even a little more than was necessary.
(4.2) (Words: 348) (Accept Contact: Continued)
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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Aug 14, 2011 1:37:01 GMT -5
Small, soft circles. Yes. A massage was certainly the way to get Sweetheart used to her hands. "There girl." Kyrarea murmured, not really paying attention to what she was saying. "Just relax, I bet that feels good, huh?" She had her eyes focused on Sweetheart's shoulder, and so didn't notice when Sweetheart replied to her question by nodding her head. "There's a good girl, I'm not so scary, right?"
She moved from the shoulder to the back, still moving in soft, gentle circles, and trying not to fall over when Sweetheart leaned against her. She may be very gentle for a Fiero, but man was she heavy. The leaning made it so the pressure Kyrarea had on Sweetheart was greater though, so she wasn't going to complain right now. Besides, she was used to getting stubborn horses to turn around or slow down, so the weight wasn't too bad, just a bit unexpected. Fieros weighed more than horses, all muscles, with that thick fur...
By this time Kyrarea was about halfway down Sweetheart's back, still working in those slow, steady circles. She took her hand away to reach down for a treat, and Sweetheart whimpered. Kyrarea laughed. "Don't worry girl, I'm going to continue. I just want to give you something for being so good." She offered a square of meat the same as she had before, in her flat palm, and again, Sweetheart carefully took it.
(4.3) (Words: 237) (Accept Contact: Continued)
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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Aug 15, 2011 2:18:04 GMT -5
"There's my good girl." Kyrarea said, giving her a pat on the neck that she took surprisingly well, not even moving away from the contact. "We're going to be the best, you and me. I'll take you to all the shows and we'll blow away the competition." She had a sudden urge to hug the huge wolf, but thought, under the circumstances, that wouldn't be too wise right now. That was what she was working toward though, being able to pat Sweetheart or check her paws for thorns or anything like that without her spooking or snapping, not that Sweetheart snapped anyways.
She found, to her surprise, that she genuinely liked the huge canine, even though she was so used to horses which, besides their size, were the complete opposite. She let Sweetheart hunt, of course, because Fieros were carnivores, and as such couldn't go without fresh meat, (although Wolf had told her once that it hadn't always been that way for them) but often tried not to think about it, and was grateful that she did it away from her storage, where she couldn't see the bloody carcasses.
It was likely because she was so gentle, so trusting and loyal. She let her mind wander again as she began massaging her again, marvelling at how quickly she had gotten used to her touch. She had had a skittish foal once, the darn thing hadn't trusted her for six months, and even after that, it would only let her ride her, and kicked at anyone else that came near it.
She worked her hands over the exact same areas that she had with the brush as she continued to think, well, besides the tail, because it would be just odd to massage something's tail. She did stroke it though, and then went all over Sweetheart's neck, sides, back and tail again, with light strokes this time, feeling her beautiful multicoloured fur sliding through her fingers.
Sweetheart remained still the entire time, except for leaning into the massages, and even a bit into the petting at the end. She had figured out what Kyrarea was trying to do, and though she was a bit confused that Kyrarea hadn't just told her, she had to admit that it did make sense. Getting used to Kyrarea's touch helped her to get used to her new alpha, and she had to admit, the petting did feel good.
(4.4) (Words: 403) (Accept Contact: Continued)
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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Aug 23, 2011 5:37:54 GMT -5
This was actually going far better than Kyrarea had thought it would from the reaction Sweetheart had had when Kyrarea had tried to teach her to sit. She had expected to have to work for a very long time indeed on this skill. True to Wolf's words though, Sweetheart was as gentle as an old mare that belonged to a child.
"There's my good girl." Kyrarea said as she reached up to scratch behind an ear. The brush was no longer needed now, and truthfully likely would have been more hindrance than help in this situation. The bristles were long and strong, and would have hurt all the parts left besides the belly and chest, and if she would accept the contact of Kyrarea's hands there, then a brush would be no problem.
The hand suddenly reaching toward her face unnerved Sweetheart, but before she could react Kyrarea had already began scratching, and Sweetheart decided that she didn't mind it one bit.
(5) (Words: 162) (Accept Contact: Continued)
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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Aug 23, 2011 5:50:21 GMT -5
Sweetheart leaned into the scratching and wagged her tail. She was at ease around her alpha now, but understood that Kyrarea wanted to make sure. She stood very still as the scratching continued, moving slowly like the massage had. It moved down, until it was in the area of her cheeks. Still very enjoyable. It moved back up then, across the top of her head to her other ear, with Kyrarea stepping in front of her to achieve it.
Not using a brush had been a very good idea. Though there were brushes made for short haired dogs that could also be used on places where the fur was shorter on long haired dogs, scratching with her nails was likely what Sweetheart wanted more. Kyrarea knew she did. She traced the stripes on an ear with a finger, while scratching behind it with the other hand, marvelling at how bright the pink fur was. Fieros seemed to have different genetics than any animal she knew.
For one, their colours stayed the same from birth to death, not fading with old age or changing with the seasons. And the colours! Like tropical fish, that was all she could compare some of them to. But they seemed to be able to be any colour or combination of colours known, with the strangest markings. She had been told that the colour and pattern possibilities may just be endless, ranging all the way from a perfect copy of a fox's coat to Fieros that looked like the sun setting over the water, or a rainbow!
By now, she had worked her way down to the other cheek. Just a few more spots on the head left to check. She worked her way lower, under the chin, and changed her scratching into rubbing. If Sweetheart were a cat, she would have purred in happiness. As it was, she wagged her tail harder and gave a great sigh of contentment to show Kyrarea how much she was enjoying this "training".
(5.1) (Words: 334) (Accept Contact: Continued)
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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Aug 23, 2011 6:02:18 GMT -5
"You know, I can't believe I almost didn't come here." Kyrarea shook her head as she continued rubbing, a smile slowly forming on her face. "You are, without a doubt, the coolest animal I've ever owned." She took her hand away to get another square of meat out. "Go on, you've really earned this one." She said, offering the meat.
By now Sweetheart had gotten used to the odd way Kyrarea offered her food, and had realized that it was a reward for doing well at training. She took it gently, of course.
Now for one of the harder parts. This likely wasn't strictly needed, but Kyrarea was curious all the same. She started out with the ears, but with strokes instead of scratches or rubs, quickly working her way down to the cheeks, and then back under the chin. So far, so good. She went back to the top of the head, and then began working her way down, between her eyes. As she had expected, Sweetheart pulled back from the contact, afraid that Kyrarea might accidentally poke her in the eye.
"Easy girl." She said. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." She put her palm up and waited. After a few seconds, Sweetheart stepped forward again, allowing her to stroke the length of her muzzle between her eyes."There we go, that's the head done." She said, reaching for another square of meat. She found herself talking more to Sweetheart than she did to her horses, maybe because Sweetheart was such a good listener.
(5.2) (Words: 258) (Accept Contact: Continued)
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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Aug 23, 2011 6:11:06 GMT -5
Sweetheart took the meat, of course, but she was starting to get bored. Couldn't her alpha see that she would accept her touch easily and anywhere? Even between the eyes. At least there weren't many places left now.
Chest, belly, legs and paws, Kyrarea thought with relief. They were almost done, then they could get down to the real training. She moved her hand down to Sweetheart's chin and then stroked down, feeling the fluffy, soft fur of her chest under her fingers. It was hard to believe that not too long ago, Sweetheart had flinched away from her hand on her back. She worked to hand down further, and under her front legs, adding the second one as she moved on to her belly. Sweetheart stayed perfectly still expect for a tail wag as she gave her a belly rub. So close to being done now, but Kyrarea knew that she couldn't rush it. The legs and feet were the hardest part.
(5.3) (Words: 163) (Accept Contact: Continued)
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Post by Wolf_Rainbowtail on Aug 23, 2011 7:12:45 GMT -5
After another treat, Kyrarea thought that she was ready. Legs and feet, that was all that was left. Well, that and a quick petting all over, just to make sure. She started by putting a hand on her front left shoulder, and then slowly began working her way down.
This was odd to Sweetheart. Not exactly uncomfortable, but she was experiencing a strong urge to pull away from the contact. Why did Kyrarea have to touch her there? She made a small, unhappy whimper and awkwardly hoped on three legs a little, moving the rest of her limbs away from the girl, but keeping the leg she was touching still.
This was a very strange reaction indeed, and Kyrarea stilled her hand, now just above Sweetheart's knee. "We're almost done girl, I promise. You're such a good girl, just a little bit longer and we can move on to something more fun."
Sweetheart sighed, but relaxed her muscles and brought the rest of her legs back to where they were before in another of those awkward, three legged hops.
(5.4) (Words: 179) (Accept Contact: Continued)
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