My Mule is too Smart for Me

Louie has become a trick training junkie as have I thanks to the MulesOnly trainers challenge. Anyway, this morning I went out to feed and spend my usual few minutes working with Louie and Marie. I've been concentrating a lot lately on polishing off Louie's bowing. And he's been doing nicely. Well, this morning he seemed eager to work with me but was a bit fussy about doing a good bow. I've been getting him to just put his head down with nose to the ground and putting one knee to the ground. If he puts his head between his legs, he tends to try standing on his head.

Anyway, he fussed and pawed and made quite a few partial attempts and seemed to be thinking awful hard about the whole thing. I was a bit mystified at all the fussing and thinking. I know he understands what I'm asking as he's done it quite a few times. Suddenly, he goes down on one knee, hesitates, not even looking at me for a treat and then proceeds to lay completely down!!!! He is then laying down and looking up at me just a pleased as can be with himself! He completely caught me off guard! I wasn't sure what to do. Laying down is something I want to teach him but it's not what I asked him to do. BUT, I sure didn't want him to think he did something wrong by laying down. ???????? So, for lack of any better idea on the spur of the moment, I praised the heck out of him, gave him a good scratching and gave him a treat.

So, now I guess I have to get him to differentiate between bowing and laying down and figure out appropriate cues working from what I am already using. ........ :-) I just hate it when my mule is one step ahead of me! LOLOL. It make me wonder who is training who.......though I have a good guess ........LOLOL.