I need some hints on how to be successful in teaching my dog to use the bar bell. He just looks at it and does not want to touch it.

The bar bell or dumb bell is required for his next class. I have been told that I needed to start early, but this is going really slow. I am calm, patient, and very sweet and understanding. Once I had it on the floor, and our other dog came in, picked it up, and pranced around the house with it. Blaze does not want to pick it up.

I keep explaining to him that he will be so ashamed if he does not learn how to pick it up, but he won't listen. We have worked on this for two weeks, twice a day. Finally today he almost opened his mouth. I put it in, he backed up and wanted his treat.

What have any of you done to get this to work?

I won't use a clicker. It is not allowed in our dog school, and to me it is like popping gum. It is not my style.

Thanks

Sammy