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April 16 Doggy Times Trick Of The Week!Yeah! It's back! Finally a new trick! It's been a real long time since my last trick of the week post. This weeks trick is fun and functional. It's called....
GO FIND THE REMOTE!
This trick involves having your dog finding your lost remote, picking it up in his mouth, bringing it to you, and dropping it into your hand! This is a great trick to impress visitors with, and very useful if you are constantly looking for your remote. Some dogs may be able to do this better than others, especially retrievers, but any dog can do it with time, patience, and practice.
Difficulty: 4 (1 is easiest and 5 is hardest)
Things Needed: A remote, a clicker, and rewards (treat or favorite toys).
Step 1. Hand your dog the remote and click and treat him for taking it and holding it.
Step 2. Back away a step or two and click and treat him for carrying it to you.
Step 3. Put the remote on the couch or coffee table and tell your dog to Take it. Click and treat him for picking it up in his mouth.
Step 4. Send him into the living room at greater distances and click and treat him when he finds the remote.
Step 5. Call him to you as he gets the hang of this and click and treat him for holding it until you reach out to take it.
Step 6. Replace Take It with the command Remote by offering the new cue right before the old cue "Take It."
Remember, be patient and practice often. Some dogs may pick up on this faster than others. If you have problems with getting your dog to take it in his mouth, then first work on getting him to do that. Don't click and reward him for chewing it, just for holding it. You may want to start out with an old remote first so he won't destroy the one you normally use until he learns to just hold it.
See the blog about clicker training to learn more about this method of training. You can find it by scrolling down, or by clicking on the Dog Training link in the category section.
Also, remember that dog training should be fun for you and your pooch. Do not attempt to train your dog if you are feeling aggrivated, frustrated, or angry. Dogs do not understand these emotions as we do, and you may end up confusing or scaring you dog.
Enjoy! Leave any questions or comments below! November 13 Doggy Trick Of The Week
Well, it's been awhile since I've added a new trick, so I think it's about time. This trick is called: Pass the Cookie Please! This trick is really cute and fun to watch. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought this would be a great trick because it has your dogs sharing food. You will need two dogs for this trick. It involves one dog sitting infront of the other with a cookie balanced on his nose. On command the dog will lift his head and fling the cookie over his head to the dog sitting behind him. The dog sitting behind him will catch and eat the cookie for his reward.
Difficulty: 4 (1 is easiest and 5 is hardest)
Things Needed: You will need a flat cookie, a clicker, and some patients. Two dogs are also required.
First you need to practice with the first dog and teach him how to balance the cookie on his nose. To do this you will need to hold your dog's muzzle still and click and treat him for allowing you to do this. Once he can do that, then move on to placing a dog biscuit on the flat part of the top of his muzzle and click and treat him for holding his head still. This may be difficult for your dog to do, after all, he'll have a biscuit on his muzzle calling out to him. So praise him heavily for staying still. Use the stay command and frequent clicks and treats to help your dog learn to balance the cookie on his nose. Once he has this down pat, you can click after a certain number of seconds and release him to flip the cookie off his nose. When he can do this reliably, teach him not to go after the dropped cookie by making him stay. Click and treat him for complying.
Timing of the click is crucial to teach your dog that the toss of his head is what you are looking for. Most dogs will toss their heads back to get the cookie off their nose. Some may even flip it and catch it if you practice enough. It is very important that you allow your dog to develope his own style by practicing frequently.
Ok, so now your dog can balance a cookie on his nose and flip it on command. It is now time to add the second dog to the mix. Practice having the second dog catch the cookie after the first dog tosses it. This may require lots of practice to get the timing and coordination just right. The commands will be Hold it, Stay, and then Okay, which will cause the dog holding the cookie to toss the cookie, which will be caught by the dog behind him. Make sure to click and treat the first dog for not pursuing the tossed cookie.
When you work with two dogs, a helper will be helpful to reinforce one of the dogs to wait for his or her turn. You may want to stagger the behaviors so that the dogs perform them one after the other.
Good luck! Remember to be patient with your pooches and practice often. Also, feel free to adapt your techniques to your dogs personalities. Happy Thanksgiving!
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