The answer is...train him just like a full size dog. The truth is, the 1/2 pint puppy doesn't know that he is small at all. Manny is small for his present age. The vet has checked him out and he is in great health. He is just small. He is not the 'runt' and he doesn't suffer at all with his size. He is extremely attentive but not hyper. I like that. When he wants to play, I take him outside and get the "wing" on the string. Yesterday, he chased it a lot and had a blast. The 'wing' is one of my old gloves. When Manny chases it, he gets confident that he is going to catch it. As he tires, he instictively stops and 'points'. That worked very well yesterday. Today, I changed things. I changed the glove to a gray colored rabbit ear looking piece of fabric that was once a part of a dog toy. But...I sneaked in something special. I added pheasant scent to this new "wing". It was amazing when I brought it out. Manny saw the different 'wing' but when he got a good nose of it, he exploded with 'birdiness'. It was VERY different behavior with his nose sniffing around where I dragged the 'wing'. Once I started the chasing routine, he stopped and faux-pointed in almost no time. It seemed like he 'knew' it was a bird and he performed the way he should. It was a very promising thing to observe. I believe he will be a nice addition to the Scooby and Bubba team next year. I have to remind myself...one day at a time. After all, he is not perfect. There is this little problem with Manny wanting to 'recycle' his own poop. I gotta figure that thing out real quick....so does Manny.
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