Since you mentioned my interaction experiements, here are a couple of suggestions to begin. When she starts staying out to observe you make petting motions on the glass (here again, regular, repetitive timing helps). Once she accepts the action without fleeing (and she may come to you), you can start working with her in the tank. Pick a "petting corner" and do not use any other place for the experiements and do not chase her in any way. Put your hand in the tank and slowly make the same gestures with your fingers. She should come to investigate and eventually (not long with hummelincki) touch. Allow her to touch but when she sucks down on your finger or hand and tries to pull, resist. If she does not free your hand (she likely will the first few times and may touch and run initially), lightly touch the back of her arm with a free finger or with your free hand. For whatever reason, touching the top of the arm should cause her to immediately release you (as she is learning, later she will allow even this kind of touch). Oddly enough, all my octos are less sensitive about a touch on the mantle than on the back of an arm.
As you start with your hand inside the tank, observe what she does when she runs away and come up with something more or less natural but distinct that can be a signal for hands-out-of tank. This is very important. The action needs to be distinct and you must me consistent. With Beldar, we use all arms off the glass. SueNami has to swim through the tube to the other side (SueNami understands hand out of tank but still does not allow petting). You will be amazed on how quickly they understand this and will test you over and over so close adherence is a must. They will also learn the play corner and the fun part starts when they test you. The day Beldar "got it" she played "make the lady sit" for two full hours and you could not help but feel she was having fun making me get up and down (I have to use a small ladder to put my hand in her tank). The link for Beldar provides a first hand description of that experience and a repetition of my method. Once Ziva does not grab and accepts touch, she MAY stop interacting this way for a week or so. Just keep offering by wiggling your fingers in the play corner and she will eventually come and then be consistent there after. My experience with this "forgetting" has been common with all that I have successfully trained and I think there is something a bit unusual about octo memory. When she resumes playing, you will not start over, she will fully remember the rules and likely play daily with an occassional day she will not want to play. Additionally, she should repond anytime she is out, not just at the routine time you use to initiate the interaction.
