In This Chapter
- Showing emotion and acting silly
- Performing balancing tricks
- Playing housekeeper
- Preparing for the showdown at sunset
Acting Emotional
Some people argue that dogs don’t
have emotions — people who obviously have never owned a dog. I know when my dog
is happy, and you know when your dog is, too. There’s a hearty tail wag and fun
in her eyes. I can also tell when my dog’s having a bad day. Her tail is
lifeless; her head hangs down; she makes a feeble attempt to lick me — poor
dear!
Though you and I can predict how
our dogs will feel in different situations, this section is not about
predictions. It’s about teaching your dog mood tricks to fool people’s
perceptions. For example, say my friend’s having a bad day and I instruct my
dog Hope to act sad. When Hope lowers her head and looks up with that soulful
expression, I know I’ve made my friend’s day!
When your dog can act out each
mood with style, you’re really on your way to pleasing audiences everywhere.
But don’t tell your audience it’s all an act . . . perception is reality, and
what they don’t know won’t hurt them!
In Chapter Minding
Manners and Trying Out Some Tricks, I tell you how to
get your dog to show happiness by wagging her tail on cue. In this section, you
discover how to help your dog act out other emotions: sadness, embarrassment,
or disgust. For each mood I suggest a hand signal. This discreet direction
encourages your dog to focus on you and enables you to direct your dog without
saying a word!
Showing sadness
For this “Sad” trick, your dog
lies down, places her head or nose between her paws, and looks up at you with a
sad and soulful expression. Of course, I’m not suggesting you actually make
your dog sad! It’s just a trick.
First, be mindful of when your
dog’s doing this naturally. Perhaps it’s more an expression of exhaustion — I
can always count on this behavior after a long walk. Using the clicker or other
food inductions, praise your dog whenever she assumes this position. Once your
dog catches on to the fact that you like this head-down posture, put a cue word
on it like “Tired” or “Head down.” Remember, if you’re using the clicker
method, you must follow each click with a food reward.
Two other methods are useful in
helping your dog learn this trick. Deciding which method to choose really
depends on the dog you have. Try out each method, and see which one your dog
jives with. I call the choices “Gentle Hold and Stay” and “Lure Lassies.”
“Gentle Hold and Stay”: Using a pressure point
If your dog’s a real mush pie,
she’ll let you manipulate her head gently into position during the “Sad” trick:
1. Get your dog into a “Down,”
and position her head on the floor between her paws.
To encourage this position, pressure your dog very gently behind her ears, which serve as pressure points for the head-down position (see Figure 10-1). Never force your dog into any position. Once her chin touches the floor, instruct “Stay.” Check out Chapter Encouraging Self-Control before You Launch into Lessons for the scoop on the “Down” and “Stay” commands.
2. Click (if you’re using a
clicker), reward, and praise a three-second “Stay.”
3. Slowly increase the “Down”
time until she can hold herself in this position for ten seconds.
4. Introduce a word or phrase
such as, “Are you depressed?” or “Are you sad?”
Have your dog respond by lying down and putting her head between her paws. What a heart-stopper!
The signal for “Gentle Hold and
Stay” is to clasp your hands together under your chin.
Figure 10-1: Use pressure points
for a gentle “Hold and Stay.”
“Lure Lassies”: Using a treat
If your dog has no interest in
sitting still and truly resists having you manipulate her head, you need to be
more creative in your approach to teaching her the “Sad” trick:
1. Get your dog into a “Down”
and tell her to “Stay.”
See Chapter Encouraging Self-Control before You Launch into Lessons for the “Down” and “Stay” commands.
2. Hold her favorite treat
between your thumb, index, and middle fingers so that she can smell it but not
eat it.
3. Lure her head down between
her paws by using the treat, and then instruct “Stay” once her head is resting
on the floor.
At first, you may have to settle for a nose to the ground.
4. Hold your hand still for
three seconds, then release (good click moment if you’re following that
methodology — click and reward as you release your dog with “Okay”) and praise.
5. Slowly increase the time
until your dog can be still for at least 15 seconds.
6. Introduce your catchphrase
(“Are you depressed?” or “Are you sad?”) while you’re practicing the trick.
7. Once your dog follows your
verbal prompts, add a signal. Rest your chin on the back of your outstretched
hand.
Gradually stand up, treat in
hand, and give her the reward the moment after you release her with “Okay.” Got
that? Now tell her to “Stay” and begin stepping away. Reward her the instant
after you release her from her pose.
Even though you’re removing the
treat, praise her for a job well done.
Tip
When using food as a lure, cage it securely in your fingers and don’t release it until after you release your dog with the command “Okay!” (See Chapter Prepping for Training — Mentally and Physically for more on “Okay.”)
“Sneezy”: Acting offended or annoyed
You can have your dog pretend to
be annoyed or offended about something by having her let out a sneeze or snort.
I call this the “Sneezy” trick.
Of course, the first way to teach
this command is to praise your dog when she’s sneezing naturally. Anytime your
dog sneezes, make a fuss — “Good girl!” It may take ten sneezes for her to
catch on to what you’re so happy about, but once she does, you can start using
a cue word to encourage her to do it on command, “Ahhh-choo!” or “Sneeze!”
You can also encourage the
behavior and reward it. Do this:
1. Go to your dog and tell her
to “Sit.”
2. Blow into her nose gently
from a distance of about 2 or 3 feet.
Doing so should encourage her to sneeze.
3. When your dog sneezes,
pinch your nose with two fingers and say “Ahhh-choo!”
You may want to teach your dog to
sneeze on cue for a couple of other reasons. The next time you have guests
over, you can ask your dog, “Who’s your favorite dwarf?” If you’re a theatrical
sort, you can get your dog to sneeze with you for the fun of it. A sneeze-off!
The hand signal for “Sneezy” is
to bow your head and gently pinch your nose with index finger and thumb. Try to
get her to sneeze using only the hand signal.
Looking embarrassed or disgusted
I’ve saved my toughest mood for
last. But oh, how endearing to see your dog hide her face behind her paw in
embarrassment. Or, you can associate this trick with the emotion of disgust by
having her simply scratch her nose in disgust. Eventually your dog will respond
to a hand signal only, and you can
Getting your dog to do this trick
takes patience and repetition. First, catch her in the act as often as
possible. Anytime your dog voluntarily scratches her nose, praise her
enthusiastically. If you’ve got a clicker handy, use it only if you can click
while she’s got her paw on her face. Poorly timed, the clicker can teach a dog
to stop scratching her nose!
To practice these exercises, work
with your dog when she’s calm and cooperative. If she has too much energy,
she’ll quickly get frustrated and quit.
First, you must practice your
“Paw” command (see Chapter Engaging
Favorites). Then you’re ready to begin:
1. Take your dog into a quiet
area and tell her to “Sit.”
2. Practice a few “Paw”
commands.
3. Hold a treat down low and
on the opposite side of the paw your dog has been giving you.
If your dog has been giving you her right paw, hold the treat to her left side.
4. When her paw and nose meet,
mark the moment with a clicker or a “Yes!” and reward and praise.
Tip
You may need to gently hold the skin below her neck to brace her head into position as her paw comes up. If your dog lies down, place your hand along her ribcage to prevent it.
5. Stop the instant she makes
a contact and give her a healthy helping of treats (known as a “jackpot”)
and/or reward the session generously with a favorite game.
Avoid overdoing this trick. It’s
not a common behavior like sitting or lying down, and your dog will grow
frustrated with it if it’s repeated excessively. Short sessions ensure fun!
The hand signal for embarrassed
or disgusted is to cuff the side of your nose.
If your dog is clueless with the
preceding procedure, you’ll need to get more ingenious with your training
techniques by using what’s called the induced training method.
To teach this trick using this
method, have your treat rewards and your clicker handy:
1. Take your dog into a quiet
area and instruct “Sit.”
2. Stick a piece of cloth tape
— or clip a clothespin lightly — to the side of your dog’s nose.
Warning!
Use only cloth tape, and stick it on lightly. You don’t want to hurt your dog by pulling out her hair along with the tape.
3. When she lifts her paw to
knock off the tape or clothespin, click/praise and reward.
Initially, reward your dog for any attempts to remove the tape or clothespin with her paw. Gradually reinforce only full-fledged face-pawing as you shape the behavior to what you’re looking for.
4. When your dog catches on to
the game, start to introduce a command such as “Hide your face,” and blatantly
scratch the side of your nose as a hand signal.
Now you’re ready for showtime.
Practice this trick in increasingly distracting areas before inviting an
audience to witness your brilliant pal at work.
Being Zany
Are you wondering how your dog
could be any zanier? Well, there’s zany . . . and then there’s zany on cue. If
your dog is energetic and fun-loving or you can see real benefit in having her
spin a few circles on a towel to wipe off her muddy feet, then these tricks are
the ones for you. If your dog is a real looney-tune during greetings and other activities,
these tricks are a perfect displacement for her unbridled enthusiasm!
“Chase your tail”
A dog chasing her tail is a funny
thing to watch, and no one can argue that she has truly mastered the art of
having fun with herself. Whether your dog’s a natural for this routine or not,
it’s not a hard trick to teach.
If your dog chases her tail
naturally, praise her while it’s happening. Use the clicker method or other
positive reinforcements like food or toys to let your dog know you think the
behavior is cool.
Take a biscuit, hold it level
with your dog’s nose and command “Chase your tail” as you slowly rotate the
treat around her body. I said slowly! Start slow; that’s an order! Reward
half-spins initially, then full spins, then two, three, four spins, and so on.
The hand signal for “Chase your
tail” is to hold your index finger up and swirl it in a circle. Accentuate your
hand signal, and soon you’ll be sending your dog silent cues — no words needed!
This trick is great if you want
your dog to wipe her feet. Just command “Chase your tail” while she’s standing
on a doormat!
Around the legs: “Crazy Eights”
The “Crazy Eights” trick is fun
for you to teach and fun for dogs of all shapes and sizes to learn. What could
possibly be better than that?
1. Starting from the “Heel”
position, take a giant step forward with your right foot only, and hold that
position.
2. Point between your legs and
use a treat to encourage your dog to come “Through.”
3. When your dog has perfected
“Through,” use the treat to lead your dog once around your legs in a figure
eight pattern, ending up back in the “Heel” position.
Obviously, you’ll have to rely solely on the lure of the treat; using a leash to lead your dog would leave you both hopelessly tangled!
4. Repeat Steps 1–3 until
you’re sure your dog knows the trick well.
If your dog is having trouble, do
one part at a time: First through the middle, then around the right leg —
reward. Then through the middle again — reward, and so on. Practice this until
she does it very well. Then you’re ready to proceed as follows:
1. Put all of the parts
together by doing the same routine, but walk forward extremely slowly.
2. Each time your dog circles
a leg, move the opposite leg forward.
3. If she doesn’t get
confused, pick up the pace; if she is confused, keep working on Step 2 until
you’ve perfected that.
After some practice, she’ll be
tripping you and bringing the crowds to tears with laughter.
Getting Ready for Bedtime
While these tricks set up a
perfect nighttime ritual, “Say your prayers” and “Go to sleep” can be used
anywhere, anytime! “Go to sleep” is a more politically correct term for the
trick “Play dead” or “Bang, bang.” Call it what you will, both of these are
pure crowd pleasers and your dog will have fun learning them too!
“Say your prayers”
Having your dog say her prayers
is a dear little trick. The goal is to get your dog to place her paws on any
object and lower her head reverently. Are you laughing? I’m serious!
1. Sit your dog squarely in
front of you and show her a treat. You should sit, too.
2. Lift her paws gently onto
your lap.
3. Hold the treat between her
paws and under your legs so that she has to drop her head between her paws to
reach for it.
4. Tell her “Stay” as you let
her lick the treat. Say “Okay” as you give her the treat, and praise her.
5. After you sense that she
has caught on to this sequence and can hold her head still for 10 seconds,
begin to use the phrase “Say your prayers.”
6. Practice having her rest
her paws on other things, such as a bed or chair. Offer the treat over the back
of a chair, for instance, always using “Say your prayers.”
“Go to sleep”
When I was growing up, the
command given for this trick was “Play dead.” To me the whole dead thing seems
a little depressing; I prefer “Go to sleep” — so much more peaceful.
When focusing on this trick,
reinforce your dog with praise each time you see her lying on her side
naturally. After a day or so, add a word cue like “Sleep” when you catch your
dog resting on her side, and praise your dog just because she’s wonderful.
Teaching this trick isn’t too
difficult if your dog has mastered the “Down” and “Stay” commands that I cover
in Chapter Encouraging
Self-Control before You Launch into Lessons. Get your dog to show she’s dogtired with these steps:
1. Instruct “Down,” kneel
beside your dog, and gently roll her on her side.
2. Rub your dog’s belly until
she’s calm, and praise her.
3. After a few days of this,
your dog should be comfortable rolling onto her side. Start giving the command
“Sleep–Stay.”
“Stay” should be familiar; if not, review Chapter Encouraging Self-Control before You Launch into Lessons. If she lifts her head, lovingly rest it back on the floor and command “Stay.” Initially have her stay two to ten seconds, varying it each time but rewarding her enthusiastically!
4. Extend the “Sleep–Stay”
time until your dog is up to 30 seconds.
5. Now it’s time to command
your dog from an upright posture. Give the command from a standing position,
bend to help your dog into position, stand back up, pause, and release.
Once you’re able to stand, vary the time you pause before releasing and praising your dog.
It may take a week or two for your dog to catch on, but soon she’ll “Go to sleep” at the simplest suggestion.
6. When your dog cooperates,
introduce the trick command, “Go to sleep.”
The hand signal for “Go to sleep”
is to place your palms together and raise them to the side of your face in a
sleepy-time position.
Balancing Acts
Balancing tricks take a bit of
coordination, but they’re very impressive. In this section, you teach your dog
how to balance a treat on her nose, flip it into the air, and catch it in her
mouth. You also encourage your dog to practice her posture by balancing a book
on her head. With these tricks, your dog will be a hit wherever she goes,
whether she’s joining the circus or preparing to make a good impression in
polite society.
Flipping and catching a treat off the nose: The seal
In this trick, you teach your dog
to balance a treat on her nose, then flip it up and catch it. Sound hard? Maybe
you’ve seen seals do this with a fish. And surely your pup is smarter than a
seal!
You need to break this trick into
two parts: the balance, and the flip and catch.
Stage 1: Balancing the treat
The first part trains your dog to
keep her nose still:
1. Line up treats on a nearby
table.
2. Put your dog on a
“Sit–Stay.”
4. Repeat Step 3 five times.
Take a break, and pick up training again later that day or the next day.
5. Repeat Steps 1–3 above, but
place a treat on your dog’s nose while you steady it, reminding “Stay.”
6. After five seconds, say
“Okay,” and remove the treat that’s on her nose.
7. Reward her with a different
treat, so she doesn’t become obsessed with the treat that’s on her nose.
8. Repeat this exercise four
times, then stop for the day.
Practice this balancing act until
your dog is proficient at balancing the treat on her nose for at least 15
seconds with no nose-holding required.
Stage 2: Flip and catch
Teach the flip and catch only
after perfecting the balance.
1. Balance a treat on your
dog’s nose, and then introduce the next concept (the flip) by saying “Okay” as
you slide the treat from your dog’s nose to her mouth.
After a day or two you should notice that your dog tries to flip the treat herself. Praise her only if her flip follows your “Okay.”
If she flips prematurely, say “Ep, ep,” and practice the balance alone a few times before continuing.
Tip
To help your dog learn to wait for your “Okay” before flipping the treat, vary the balance time before sliding the treat into her mouth.
2. Balance the treat on her
nose and command “Stay.”
3. Walk back 3 feet and pause.
Vary the length of your pauses as you practice.
4. Say “Okay” for the catch
and make a big fuss when she does, praising your dog with lots of love.
Balancing books for good posture: Eliza Doolittle
Stage 1: Standing still
Here’s a quick refresher course,
in case your dog has forgotten the art of standing still.
1. Kneel down on the floor
next to your dog.
2. Place your right hand, palm
out, under your dog’s buckle collar.
3. Slide your left hand under
your dog’s belly.
4. Command “Stand–Stay” as you
gently prop your dog into a standing position.
5. Relax your right hand and
slide your left to rest on your dog’s thigh.
6. Pause, count to five, and
release with “Okay.”
7. Slowly increase the time to
one minute.
8. Now repeat Steps 2–7 but
from a standing rather than kneeling position.
9. Begin to let go with your
left hand; then let go with your right, as you steady your dog with calm “Stay”
commands and a relaxed posture.
The hand signal for “Stand” is a
level hand, arm extended, palm down.
Once your dog catches on, you’ll
find a million uses for this command: wiping muddy paws, brushing, drying off,
or imitating Eliza Doolittle.
Stage 2: Slowing down
Slowing down is another little
trick that I’m sure you can think of a million uses for. Plus, your dog can’t
possibly balance a book on her head and fly across the room at the same time.
To get started, you need two
people: one to lead the dog forward and one to hold her back.
1. Position yourself in front
of your dog with treats and your partner behind your dog, holding a leash
attached to your dog’s buckle collar.
2. Using your “Stay” signal,
command “Stand–Stay.”
If your dog moves, reposition her calmly and quietly.
3. To signal your dog to move
forward, slowly close your fingers, move your hand forward, and say “Slowly.”
4. After each step, reward
your dog with a treat as your assistant pulls gently back to stop the dog from
taking more than one step at a time.
Repeat this until your dog begins to slow after each step on her own, no tug necessary.
5. Now see if you can do it
without a partner, using “Shhh” if your dog gets too excited.
Try doing this part of the trick
from a distance: Leave your dog in a “Stand–Stay” and stand 3 feet in front of
her. Command and signal “Slowly,” and praise your dog for moving with caution.
Stage 3: Balancing the book
This next step is a big one. If
your dog’s not ready for it, slow up yourself.
Consider the type of book you
use. Paperbacks sag and don’t balance well. Avoid books with jackets or glossy
covers — too slippery. A bare, hardcover book works best. Also, use a book that
doesn’t weigh too much and that suits the size of your dog; your Chihuahua may
only be able to handle a book of postage stamps.
To help your dog learn to balance
a book on her head, do the following:
1. Gently place the book on
the dog’s head, centering the book so that it rests evenly.
2. Steady her head by gently
holding her muzzle with your right hand, giving the “Stay” signal with your
left hand in front of her nose, and repeating “Stay.”
3. Calmly remove the book, and
reward your dog generously.
Gently hold your dog’s nose as you proceed to get her comfortable with the book-on-the-head routine. Work up from 2 seconds to 30 seconds, which is likely to take a week or more.
4. When your dog begins to
learn the routine, lift your right hand off her muzzle ever so slightly as you
leave the “Stay” signal in place and remind “Stay.”
5. Slowly increase the time
your dog can balance the book without your help and the distance you can move
from her.
Is your dog letting the book
slide? Either you’re going too fast or your dog is following you with her eyes
as you step away. Help her keep her focus steady by holding the hand signal for
“Stay” steady at nose level, then moving it slightly up or down if she needs
re-centering.
Stage 4: Putting it all together
If I had to pick the toughest
trick in the book, this would be it. So drum roll, please. Here goes:
1. Standing close to your dog,
place her in a “Stand” position and tell her to “Stay.”
2. Place the book on her head,
remind “Stay,” and step away 2 feet.
3. Keeping your “Stay” signal
level with your dog’s nose, command “Slowly” and give the hand signal.
4. Immediately remove the book
after one step, click, and reward.
Take a breather and stop at this point. Good job. Pick up practice the next day.
5. Work on this step for a few
days to build your dog’s confidence. Progress to two steps, and then three, four,
five, and so on.
6. Now send me a picture of
your dog imitating Eliza Doolittle for the next printing of this book.
Playing Housekeeper
If your dog has her fetching and
retrieval skills down, you can get her to play the role of maid or trash
collector. Fortunately, unlike your spouse or the kids, your dog won’t think
you’re a nag when you ask her to pick up the laundry and take care of the
trash. Your dog will view these chores as one big game and rush to get started.
To do these tricks, your dog
should understand how to respond to target discs (from Chapter Prepping
for Training — Mentally and Physically), how to carry
objects (Chapter Go
Fetch! Finding and Retrieving Tricks), and the “Give” and “Take it” commands (Chapter Go
Fetch! Finding and Retrieving Tricks).
Before you get started
In Chapter Prepping
for Training — Mentally and Physically, I introduce you to
targeting. Before you can master the tricks here, you need to teach your dog
how to deliver to a target:
1. Place an 81⁄2-x-11-inch
piece of white paper in the middle of the floor.
The paper represents the “target.”
2. Stand next to the paper,
and encourage your dog to retrieve and “Give” you the object by signaling with
an open palm.
3. Next, teach her to drop the
item on the target itself. Lower your open palm to the target and say
“Deliver–Give.” Gradually remove your palm and simply point to the target as
you say “Deliver.”
4. Command “Deliver–Target” as
your dog stands over the paper. At first, reinforce all decent retrieves, but
then address only the ones that land on the paper by praising “Good–Target!”
5. When your dog is reliably
dropping the object on the paper when you say “Target,” gradually move farther
from the paper as you continue to train.
6. Gradually trim the target
paper size until it’s a palm-sized square.
Now the target paper can be used
to instruct your dog anywhere. You can carry it with you and place it anywhere
you want your dog to drop something. Pretty cool!
Completing each step of target
training can take a few weeks. Don’t sweat it — at times you may feel like
you’re hitting a brick wall, and then suddenly your dog will put it all
together.
Collecting the laundry
The idea of this trick is that
when you say “Laundry roundup,” your dog will go to each room, collect the
dirty clothes, and put them in the basket. Miraculous!
If your dog is a laundry thief,
you may be skeptical, but hear me out. Laundry bandits are often the top
candidates for this task. After all, they’re already interested. All you need
to do is redirect their efforts.
Stage 1: Picking up laundry and delivering it to a target
Start this trick by teaching your
dog a few new vocabulary words. Get together with a few pieces of clean laundry
and a low-sided laundry basket. Proceed as follows:
1. Place the basket on the
floor of a small room (bathroom or hallway). Click/praise your dog each time
she sniffs or approaches the basket. Command “Basket” as you reward her
interest.
Continue to reinforce/command “Basket” until your dog will approach the basket on cue.
Now you’re ready to teach your dog to pick up laundry and go to the basket.
2. Take out a dirty sock and
encourage your dog to pick it up.
Either click each time your dog shows interest in the sock, or use your fetching command from Chapter Go Fetch! Finding and Retrieving Tricks: “Take it.”
3. Introduce other apparel as
you add the word “Laundry” to your cue command: “Take it–Laundry.”
4. Now get your dog to deliver
the sock to the target (see the preceding section).
5. Advance to trying this with
multiple socks; they should be lumped in a pile on top of the target paper.
Stage 2: Putting laundry in a basket
Once you’ve mastered picking up
the laundry and delivering it to a target, you can advance to having your dog
put the laundry in a basket. Here’s how to make that association:
1. Go back to your small room
with both the sock and the basket.
2. Place the target paper in
the basket, and show your dog the target and how to get to it (large dogs can
just reach their head over; small dogs may have to jump on a box or climb a
ramp).
3. Say “Take it–Laundry” as
you offer your dog a sock. As she holds it, direct her to the basket using the
command “Target–Roundup.”
4. Reinforce any behavior in
the direction of the basket, even if the drop is a little off.
Continue to practice three more
deliveries. Any more might end in frustration — either yours or hers!
Remember
The first few training sessions should reward any basket attempts.
5. Once your dog is making the
connection between the sock and the basket, reward/praise only successful
deliveries.
If your dog is still confused, try encouraging her by luring her head over the basket with a treat or toy, or by clapping your hands over the basket.
The first time your dog makes a
successful delivery, celebrate. Quit the lesson and go have some fun. Great
job!
Stage 3: Picking up and delivering laundry throughout the house
You should progressively
reinforce only successful deliveries. Once that’s accomplished, you’re ready to
start cleaning up your home:
1. Go into a familiar room. Place
the sock on the floor and instruct, “Take it–Laundry” as you point to the sock.
Then say, “Target – Roundup” as you encourage your dog to follow through with
the delivery.
Tip
If your dog hesitates or seems confused, you may need more practice in the small, quiet room.
At this point you should be able to fade off the familiar cue words “Take it” and “Target,” relying on “Laundry–Roundup” to get your dog going.
2. Slowly increase the number
of laundry items by spreading two, and then three, pieces around the room. Send
your dog with the command “Laundry” each time. Be sure to click and praise each
retrieval.
3. Position the laundry basket
3 feet away from you. Prompt your dog toward the basket by saying “Laundry.”
When she understands your direction, say “Roundup.”
You may help your dog a little by pointing to the basket.
4. Stand across the room from
the basket and send your dog, pointing at the basket and saying, “Laundry” and
“Roundup.”
5. Gradually progress to more
pieces of laundry in the same room — then aim for a house-wide roundup!
Do you have a small dog? Too
small, in fact, to place her head over the roundup basket? Cut a hole large
enough for your dog to slip her head through in the side of a plastic basket.
Tip
If you have a big house and rooms and rooms of dirty clothes, you can send your dog out on clothes patrol: Start introducing her to the concept one room at a time with an identical basket in each room. Eventually one basket can be placed on each floor. Start your progression in the rooms closest to the roundup basket and work your way up.
Picking up the trash
Once your dog knows how to pick
something up and put it in a basket, the possibilities for turning her into a
top-notch housekeeper really expand. Picking up the trash is a natural. The
goal here is that when you say “Trash it,” your dog will pick up whatever trash
she sees and put it in a trash can.
Is this another request that
leaves you speechless? Has your dog spent most of her life pulling trash out of
the bin, rather than putting things in it? Once your pal has learned to
retrieve properly, you can trust her around anything, including the garbage.
Tip
Trash bins are often light and flimsy. You can weigh yours down with several books or rocks in the bottom so that it doesn’t tip over and frighten your dog.
For props, you need a trash bin
with a flip-top that’s sized for your dog. The top of the bin should be 4
inches lower than her chin, so either get a small bin or a booster box for your
dog. You also need some trash that’s safe for her to practice on — never ask
your dog to mouth sharp edges or rancid food items.
As with all complex tricks, I
break this one down and teach it in stages.
Stage 1: Getting to know the trash can and learning to open it
Start by introducing your dog to
the trash can. Place it in a small room. Click/praise and reward any interest.
When your dog catches on, start saying “Target–Trash,” combining the new
command with the old.
1. Encourage your dog’s
interest in the trash can by rubbing some butter or peanut butter along the
inside edge of the lid.
2. When your dog makes contact
with the trash can, click, say “Trash,” and reward.
3. Now for lid training. Take
the lid and hold it front of your dog. Click/praise and reward a nose touch.
Add the words “Touch–Trash” as your dog grows friendly with the concept.
4. Put the lid on the can, and
encourage your dog’s interaction by instructing “Touch–Trash.” Encourage and
reward any interactions with the lid.
5. Gradually phase out
rewarding all interactions and only focus on the ones that involve an upward
flip of the lid.
Stage 2: Delivering trash to a target
Now for some trash. Start with an
easy-to-handle item like an old animal crackers box or, for your small fry, an
empty gum package.
First practice delivering to the
target as I describe earlier in the chapter. Next place the target on the lid.
Reinforce initial retrieves, then place the target in the can. At first, remove
the lid to ensure success, then challenge your dog by putting the lid back on.
Repeat “Target–Trash it” as your dog works to get the trash to the target.
Stage 3: Placing garbage in the can
Now comes the hard part: getting
your dog to place the garbage into the can.
1. Start at the can, leaving
the flip-lid off. Place the garbage into your dog’s mouth and say “Trash it,”
leaning over the garbage with your head and using your clicker or saying “Yes!”
to reward her first attempts.
Your dog will probably look confused. Gently help her place her head over the trash bin (just like you do with the laundry basket trick). If you find she’s hopeless and frustrated after a few tries, just be patient.
2. Click/reward every attempt
initially, then fade off and reinforce only those drops that are on target.
3. Place items of trash around
the room and send your dog out for them one at a time, pointing to each object
and saying “Trash it.”
Stage 4: Opening the lid to drop in garbage
Finish this trick by getting your
dog to push the lid open and drop the garbage in.
1. Sprinkle some trash around
the room (don’t worry — your pal will take care of it!).
2. Stand next to the trash
bin, this time with the flip-lid on.
3. Point to each piece of
garbage and instruct your dog to “Trash it.”
Help her out initially, rewarding
each entry. You know she’ll catch on eventually.
Remember
Never move on to the next step of a trick before your dog has completely mastered the previous step. If you try to rush ahead before your dog is ready, you’ll both just end up frustrated and unhappy.
Tip
A fun variation on this theme is picking up toys. Follow the preceding steps, substituting toys for trash and the toy box for the trash can.
The Action Hero: Evading the Bad Guys
Action movies often show the hero
ducking, crawling, and peering around corners. In this section, your dog does a
few evasive maneuvers — crawling across the floor, running for cover, and
making sure the coast is clear. It all ends with a big showdown at the O.K.
Corral.
Crawl, baby, crawl: The snake
In this trick, your dog crawls
across the floor on her belly — perfect for when your action hero needs to
sneak around out of sight. This trick always amazes me, and it’s fairly easy to
teach. Your dog must be proficient in “Down;” see Chapter Encouraging
Self-Control before You Launch into Lessons if you need to
brush up on this basic skill.
1. Find a low object like a
coffee table. Gather up your treats and a clicker, if you’re using one.
2. Give your dog the “Down”
command.
3. Hold a treat under the
table and in front of your dog’s nose. Bring it forward slowly so she has to
stretch. The second she stretches her body out, click/praise and reward.
The first few days you should reinforce one crawl step at a time.
4. Wiggle your hand forward as
if it were a mouse in the grass, gradually increasing the distance your dog
crawls before you reward her.
5. When your dog crawls out
from under the coffee table, be prepared for her to stand up.
Kneeling at her right side, hold your left hand above her shoulders and pressure them slightly before you reward her. (If you’re using clicker training, only click for crawling behavior. If your dog pops up, no click. Pretty soon she’ll catch on: Want a click? Keep crawling!) Slowly increase the distance your dog must crawl before you reward her.
6. Gradually, progress from
giving your command as you kneel close to the ground to giving the command
while standing upright.
Tricks look coolest when the commands are given from an upright position!
If your dog’s having trouble
keeping her belly planted on the floor, lay your right hand across her shoulder
blades and apply the least amount of pressure possible.
Think you’re hot stuff? Try this
crawl routine.
1. Place your dog in a
“Down–Stay” and stand 3 feet in front of her. Instead of calling her, kneel
down and say “Crawl.”
2. Release her with “Okay” the
moment she gets to you, and celebrate.
Job well done! Now you can work at getting her to crawl to you from across the room. Good luck! Once she gets the crawl, stretching it out (literally) is fun.
Running for cover
“Run for Cover” is a two-part
trick, but trust me: It’s so endearing that once you and your dog put it all
together, she’ll be using it whenever she wants attention. First, teach your
dog to crawl under an object. Use a treat to lead your dog under the object you
want her to go under (I use a table covered with a drooping tablecloth). Each
time you lead or lure your dog with a favorite treat or toy, command
“Hide–Under.” Practice this exercise five times a session, anywhere from one to
three sessions per day.
Now send her under the table with
“Under” and command “Stay.” Release her with “Okay” and a great big hug.
Gradually increase the amount of time before the release.
Now it’s time for peekaboo!
1. After sending your dog
“Under” and instructing “Stay,” say “Peekaboo” as you use a treat to lure just
your dog’s nose out from under the table.
2. Click/praise and reward the
instant your dog’s nose appears.
If she has her whole head out, lure her head back saying “Under” as you start again.
Although it may take a week or
two of repeating this exercise to master the perfect “Peekaboo,” once learned,
it’s never forgotten.
Bang! Shoot-out at the O.K. Corral
First, get your dog to sit up by
using the “Ask nicely” command, adding a command such as “Put ’em up.” Make the
shape of a gun with your thumb and index finger and point it at her. Practice
that quite a few times.
The way to teach a new command
for an old trick is to first link them, then phase out the old command. So when
your dog starts this trick, you need to give her the commands “Ask nicely–Put
’em up.” Emphasize the new hand signal, and slowly eliminate the “Ask nicely”
command.
Once your dog is sitting up, it’s
time for the “Go to sleep” command. Link it with “Bang” as you “pull the
trigger” on your hand gun. If she has trouble, gently help her over to her
side. Often the dog gets so excited that she falls down anyway. Practice the
two steps together several times, rewarding for each improvement and phasing
out “Go to sleep.”
Now, put it all together:
1. Put your dog in a
“Sit–Stay.”
2. Stand 3 feet away and
command “Put ’em up” as you take aim.
3. Pause a few seconds and say
“Bang.”
Mission accomplished! Now practice at progressively farther distances.
As outlined, this trick would be
considered politically incorrect. You can always insert new words for the same
actions to change the flavor of the routine. For example instead of “Put ’em
up” you could say “Did you wash your paws?” and then “Go to Sleep,” rather than
“Bang, you’re dead.” So instead of sending your 3-year-old to bed with
nightmares, you’ll be encouraging her to wash up before bedtime!
by Sarah Hodgson
0 comments:
Post a Comment