"Good Boy"

These are the encouraging words that derod and I speak to gabe when he does something right/ correctly. It started from day one and it seems that he has come to understand the nature of the usage of the phrase, and has perhaps helped him in his learning process i.e. the repetition of correct action leading to "good boy" has generally guided him.

Suck suck
This was the first instruction that gabe was given and it was repeated to him many times a day for the first couple of months. Babies tend to fall asleep when they are nursing and gabe was a major one at that so you can imagine me going on and on with the instruction and when he "obeys" it, comes the encouragement "good boy". Surprisingly, I found that in less than two weeks, he had come to respond immediately to the "suck suck" instruction.

Up!
I make up many silly songs and tunes and one of them is sung when I change his clothes and require him to lift his upper torso for the top to go across his back. This began once the confinement lady left after the first month, and from a four line song, the routine indicator has shrunk to a one-word instruction (which I shall call it "up!" here) which he responds to since the fourth month, when he was able to lift his head. Prior to this, I'll be the one lifting him up la. The first time he contributed went like: sleeve through one arm, "up!", he lifted head, "good boy!", me pull him up to let shirt go behind back, etc. The repetition works. Today, he lifts both head and shoulders off the mat in assistance.

"Let Go"
I find this the most amazing of them all. Although he doesn't obey this all the time, and for quite a few other times you have to repeat and repeat and perhaps play a mini tug of war with gabe over the item, most other times he will loose his grip, open his palm and let go of the item at hand. Of course, you must praise him once it's done.

"洗嘴巴了"

After being wrapped up in his diaper cloth in preparation for his morning bath, I'll clean gabe's mouth with a piece of cotton wool dipped in cool boiled water. I'll tell him "洗嘴巴了" and round about the fourth or fifth month, he'll watch me wrap the cotton around my finger and opened his mouth voluntarily, without me needing to gently squeeze his cheeks to open it.
"Good boy" completes the sign to him that the action should be repeated.

"Shake Hands"
This is the latest of his tricks. Haha... machiam dog performing tricks. But yes, he can respond to the instruction "shake hands"!!! However, you must catch him while he has full attention on you, and add the visual element of the outstretched palm and make sure he sees it. I've been repeating this through the day to drill it into him and hope that the "good boy" will seal it in. Let's wait and see!