In This Chapter
- Doing tricks that show happiness and affection
- Playing games together
- Teaching paw tricks
- Getting your dog to roll
- Teaching begging tricks
- Encouraging stretches
Like people, every dog has different likes and dislikes, games they enjoy, and routines that they count on. When your training comes from a consistent, patient, and understanding place that takes these canine preferences into consideration, your dog will master tricks and activities quickly and enthusiastically.
Teaching interactive skills is
your first trick. And as you’ll see, it isn’t complicated at all. In this
chapter, you find out some tricks you can teach so your dog uses those barking,
chewing, and jumping instincts in a socially acceptable way, and some simple
tricks and games you can play together.
Before you dive into the dog
tricks in this chapter, keep the following tips in mind:
- Know when to practice. Some games are designed to burn energy. Play these when your dog is full of beans. Other tricks are just for fun; when your dog catches on, she’ll want to practice as much as you.
- Keep the sessions short and sweet — no more than five to ten minutes. Several short lessons are better than one long one. With a positive attitude and the building-block approach, your dog can master these techniques in no time.
- Try a clicker. In Chapter Teaching Your Dog Manners, I discuss the use of a clicker. Although this little hand-held device isn’t mandatory for trick training, it can be useful when teaching complex tricks like the ones in this chapter. The sharp sound paired with a tasty food reward helps your dog know exactly which behavior you’re after.
- Avoid forcing your dog to do certain tricks. Tricks like rolling over and begging are very entertaining, but please don’t force your dog if she’s not into it. Some dogs love to act silly; others don’t or can’t do it without discomfort. How do you know? If your dog naturally rolls around or easily sits back on her haunches, you have the green light! If rolling on the floor is beneath her standards or physical capabilities, don’t force it.
Some Simple Moves: Tricks for a Happy, Loving Dog
One of the fastest ways to get
addicted to trick training is to teach your dog some easy tricks that showcase
that puppy love. And dogs, like people, love to succeed, so the surest way to
get your dog addicted to trick training is to start with a few surefire
winners. Here are a few tricks that everyone can master — people and dogs of
all ages.
Wag Your Tail
If you’re happy and you know it,
wag your tail. Teaching your dog how to wag his tail on command is so easy. If
a tennis ball brings the tail into action, hold up a ball; if food gets the
tail to wag, use that. Catch your dog wagging, praise him for it, and think of
a clever cue word to command each time (like “Wag”). Use your cue word in a
positive, inviting tone and watch your dog come alive.
Now add a hand signal like waving
your right hand back and forth. Start out with a pronounced sweep, and then
phase off until you can make small motions with your index finger.
If you’re in front of a crowd,
you can ask really difficult questions and tell your dog that if he agrees, all
he has to do is wag his tail. It goes like this: “I’m going to ask you a hard
question and if you agree, all you have to do is wag your tail. Ready? Would
you like everyone to give you a hug?” Signal your dog, and voilà — a surefire
crowd pleaser.
Give Me a Hug
Warning!
Give Me a Hug is a breed-selective exercise. If your dog is injured, has dysplasia, or is skeletally challenged (like a Basset, a Bulldog, or a giant breed), avoid this trick. And don’t forget — if your dog refuses, move on.
You can teach this command in
several ways. If your dog loves to wrapher paws around you, you can reinforce
this behavior when it’s happening by using a clicker or you can cue your dog by
luring her and pairing her cooperation with a word like “Hug.” Reward your dog
when she’s in the hug position — this method works best for calm dogs who are
not prone to excessive jumping.
For jumpy dogs, try a more sedate
method. Ignore the behavior when she jumps all over you and then sit with her
and organize it this way:
1. Kneel down on the floor or
sit in a chair and give your dog the “Sit” command.
Check to make sure that your dog is sitting square on the floor, not leaning to either side.
2. Lift your dog’s front paws
gently and place them on your shoulders as you say “Hug.”
Give your dog a thorough pet and/or a reward.
3. Say “Okay” and help her
down.
Do Steps 1 through 3 only three
times per session — stop if your dog becomes too energetic or starts to nip.
Leave the leash on and give a tug on the leash as you say “Shhh!” if your dog
gets too excited while on two paws. Also, try practicing “Hug” when your dog
has less energy.
The silent signal for Give Me a
Hug is to cross your arms over your chest and tap your shoulders with your
fingers. You can demonstrate the signal each time you say “Hug.” Be patient
while teaching this sign language — it may take a while for your dog to make
the connection.
Kisses!
Getting your dog to give you
kisses is a real delight — unless you hate dog kisses. You can teach this trick
quickly by association, simply saying “Kisses” whenever you’re getting a
licking.
If your dog is licking out of
control, make it more of a two-step process:
1. First teach your dog
“Enough” to signal him to stop licking.
Keep a short (8- to 12-inch) leash on your dog and say “Enough” in a pleasant but serious tone. If your dog doesn’t listen, tug the leash as you withdraw your attention.
Remember
When discouraging licking, look away and not at your dog. If you look at your dog, you’re essentially saying, “Do it again!”
2. Teach your dog to lick on
cue.
To teach your dog to lick you, take a frozen stick of butter and rub it on the back of your hand. During a period when your dog is calm, go to him, extend your hand, and command “Kisses” as he licks your hand. When you’ve had enough, just say so — “Enough!”
To teach your dog to give someone
else a kiss, such as the next-door neighbor or a member of your audience, use a
stick of butter during the teaching phase. Ask a few people to help you out,
and rub the backs of their hands with butter before you instruct your dog to
give them a kiss. Have them extend their hands to your dog and say “Kisses” as
you point to the buttered hand. Soon your dog will be seeking out hands to
kiss, butter coated or not. This trick is handy if you have kids over; putting butter
on their hands encourages licks, not jumping.
Tip
When your dog knows the trick, you can add a hand signal: Rub your right index finger on the back of your left hand, as though your finger is your dog’s tongue.
Introducing Interactive Play
Dogs love to play. The more you
can let go and roll with their enthusiasm, the more fun you’ll have. Some
games, like tug of war and wrestling, inspire confrontation, so use the games
in this section instead to increase your fun. Interactive activities like Hide
and Seek and Catch Me can build your bond and inspire respect.
Hide and Seek
Hide and Seek is a great game and
also reinforces that indispensable “Come” command. You need one to four players
and a treat cup, and your dog needs to know his name and the “Come” command.
“Stay” also comes in handy.
Start with this game inside,
one-on-one:
1. While your dog is occupied,
go into an adjoining room with a treat cup; call out his name and shake the
cup.
Use a disposable plastic cup filled halfway with small treats, such as Cheerios.
2. When you hear him running,
say “Come” clearly.
Praise him, offer a treat, and let him return to whatever he was doing, putting the treat cup away — or he may never leave your side.
3. Increase the level of
difficulty by calling him from two rooms away.
You should still be in sight, not hard to find.
4. After a couple of days of
hiding in plain sight around the house and calling from room to room, go into
the adjoining room and hide behind a chair.
After your dog catches on to this game, you can increase the difficulty of your hiding places and add another teammate. Eventually, your two-legged geniuses can play a game to see who gets found first and who gets found last. Gradually phase off using your treat cups.
Where’s Sally? The name game
Teaching your dog everyone’s name
couldn’t be easier. Pick one person at a time and have the person sit across
the room with a treat cup. Instruct your dog to find that person by name. For
example, say “Where’s Sally?” and have Sally shake the cup the moment she hears
her name. Progressively ask Sally to distance herself from you, having her in
various rooms of the house so your dog will always be curious to find her
location.
After your dog is eager to track
Sally (and her treat cup), reintroduce her nearby — but phase off using treats.
Sally can call and encourage your dog with praise instead. Soon just her name
will inspire enthusiasm.
The Shell Game
Dogs love to be included in the
Shell Game. Whether you’re sitting at home or on an adventure, you can use
shells, cups, or even sand piles to hide your dog’s treat or toy under one of
three stacks. After you shift the stacks about, ask your dog, “Where’s your
bone?” or “Where’s your toy?” If your dog’s confused, pretend to sniff each
pile — he’ll copy your example and find the bone or toy soon enough.
Catch Me
Games that encourage your dog to
focus on and follow you are a real prize when it comes to training and having
fun. These games also reinforce the extinction of bad habits, such as nipping
and jumping.
To play Catch Me, a variation of the children’s game Red Light, Green Light, you need one or two players and a dog toy. Your dog needs to know “Sit,” “Wait,” “Down,” “Stay,” “Okay,” and “No.”
1. Turn and face your dog from
about 3 to 6 feet away; say “Catch me” and then turn and run.
2. After a few feet, pop back
to face your dog and command “Wait!”
3. Treat your dog when she
stops; then say “Okay, catch me,” and run again.
4. Now that she’ll stop, try
another quick command like “Sit” or “Down,” luring your dog into position if
she’s confused by the excitement.
5. Follow each stationary
command with “Okay, catch me” to continue the game.
6. When you’re through, tell
your dog “Okay” and give her a favorite toy.
Keep the game short, just one or two minutes.
Warning!
Some dogs get too excited or overwhelmed by this game. If yours isn’t cooperating, try a different game. If she goes wild, racing in a big circle playing hard to get, guess what — this isn’t the game for you.
Don’t high-energy games encourage
mouthing and jumping? If it escalates the dog’s bad behavior uncontrollably,
leave it out. If your dog enjoys the game and you can curb naughtiness with a
sharp “No,” then go for it. Catch Me is a fun activity and sharpens your dog’s
impulses, teaching her to follow — but not jump or nip at you.
Digging for China
Have you considered hiring your
dog out to the local excavating company? The prerequisite, of course, is to
teach him to dig on command. Equip yourself with a clicker, garden gloves, and
treats, and then follow these directions to play Digging for China:
1. Find a private area in your
yard to teach your dog to dig; bury some treats 1 inch under the ground to
pique his interest.
2. Start blissfully digging
yourself, unearthing the treats as you go and handing them to your dog.
3. Reward your dog for joining
in, saying “Go dig!”
4. Now try hiding a few treats
or a toy before bringing your dog to his digging spot; then give the command
“Go dig.”
Like an archeologist discovering treasures, he’ll unearth them with obvious delight.
You may be worried that without
your approval, your dog will unearth your shrubbery and carpets. However,
although there’s no guarantee, most dogs
Playing with the Plain Ol’ Paw
Nothing like starting with a
classic: Giving a paw. Some dogs are naturally predisposed to giving a paw, so
much so that you’re probably wondering how to teach “No paw” (see the sidebar
“Getting dogs to keep their paws to themselves”).
After your dog masters “Paw,” you
can really start being creative, teaching her to wave, give high fives, and
turn out the lights. But everyone’s got to get started somewhere — after you
master the basic “Paw,” the sky’s the limit.
Doing the basic Paw
To teach the basic “Paw,” first
get your dog (on a leash if he’s antsy) and some favorite treats, and go into a
quiet room. Then do the following:
1. Kneel or sit in front of
your dog.
2. Command “Sit,” positioning
your dog’s hindquarters if necessary, and offer praise.
3. You can try two methods at
this point:
- Physical: Using a thumb, press your dog’s shoulder muscle gently until his front leg lifts. Then lay your hand under his foot pad as you say “Paw.”
- Treat-based: Hold a treat in a closed hand a couple of inches in front of your dog’s foot. When he paws it, open your hand to reward him. With each repetition of this step, gradually raise your hand to your dog’s elbow. Now add the Paw step. Keep the treat in your other hand, as you extend your closed hand. As he hits your hand, say “Paw” and gently grasp his paw with an opened palm. Treat him the moment your palm connects to his paw.
Is he catching on? If not, help him complete the Paw by pressing his shoulder blade gently. Praise him warmly, whether he caught on or needed your help.
The hand signal for Paw is to
stretch out your hand, as if to shake hands.
Paw variations: Shaking things up
Shaking paws is great, but you
can easily teach a few variations that will delight you, your pup, and any onlookers.
In this section, you find some new cue words and variations on the basic Paw.
Say Thank You
Hold out your hand as if to shake
hands. At first, say, “Paw — Thank you.” Fairly soon she’ll respond to both
your signal and your new directional cue. Praise your dog for placing her paw
in your hand and give her a treat.
Now get a human pal to help you
out. As your human pal extends a hand, command “Paw — Say thank you” and
encourage your dog to offer her paw to your friend. Now you’re ready to spread
your dog’s good manners everywhere.
The hand signal for Say Thank You
is the same as for the Paw trick — extend your hand to the dog with your palm
up.
Wave
A dog who knows how to wave hello
and goodbye — miraculous, you say? Actually, it’s not hard to teach at all.
Here’s how:
1. Place your dog in a
sit-stay and show her that you have a treat in your left hand.
2. Standing in front of her,
say, “Paw” and signal with your right hand (as if you were going to shake
hands).
3. As she lifts her paw, wave
your signal hand and say “Paw — Wave” as you reward her with the treat.
4. Repeat this, slowly weaning
off the initial Paw signal in place of a wave signal, simply waving to your dog
while saying, “Wave hello” or “Wave bye-bye!”
Other One
As your dog gets into the Paw
trick, you may notice that he favors eitherhis left or right paw. To prevent
having a one-dimensional dog, teach the cue Other One. Here’s how:
1. Say “Paw” and lovingly
praise your dog when he raises his paw.
2. Extend your hand to the
other paw and say, “Other one,” using the treat-on-on-the-floor trick or
shoulder press to inspire hiscooperation.
Hold the treat in a closed hand a couple of inches in front of your dog’s foot until he paws it, or press the shoulder muscle gently with your thumb until he lifts his paw, as described earlier in the section “Doing the basic Paw.”
3. If your dog lifts his
favored paw, use a sound such as “Nope” and repeat your original request while
you put pressure on the shoulder muscle of the other leg.
When your dog lifts the other paw, praise, treat, and give him a big hug (if your dog likes that sort of thing).
The hand signal for Other One is
to stretch out your hand to the specified paw.
Right Paw, Left Paw
By using Other One to get your
dog to pay attention to which hand you extend, you can pull off a trick that
makes it seem as if your dog can tell her right paw from her left, the little
genius!
While in a quiet room, decide
which paw your dog gives most frequently. For this example, say it’s the right
paw. Exaggerate the Paw hand signal as you hold your right hand to her right
side and say, “Right paw.” Praise and offer a treat. Have your dog do this
right three times in a row so she gets plenty of positive reinforcement. If by
chance your dog swaps and offers a left paw, say “Nope” and wait to reward
until she offers the right paw.
Now for the other paw. Exaggerate
your hand signal toward the left side and say “Left paw.” Your dog will
probably try the right paw. If she does, say “Nope — Other One.” Show her
physically if you have to. Practice three lefts, and then stop.
The next time you go to practice,
start with “Right paw,” accentuating your signal. Help your dog out if you
must. Do three rights; then three lefts, accentuating the left signal. Soon
your dog will catch on, and you can mix it up: two rights, two lefts, two
rights, one left, one right, and so on. Vary the pattern each time and keep
these mind-puzzler sessions short. As your dog becomes clued in to your body
language, you can exaggerate the hand signal less and less.
Celebrating success: High Five and Go for Ten
Getting your dog to give you five
— or ten — is easy to teach, and dogs love it. Afterward, you’ll both have
something to celebrate. Here’s how these tricks work:
- High Five: To teach High Five, simply hold your hand palm out at the same height you normally do when you say, “Paw.” If the command High Five gets a puzzled look, then say, “Paw” to request the action and say, “High Five” as the dog’s paw makes contact with your hand. Drop the Paw command when your dog makes the connection. Slowly lift your hand higher to accentuate the High Five.
Tip
When asking for the High Five, stay within your dog’s height capabilities. If you hold your hand too high, your dog will leap up to try to please you, but you don’t want to encourage jumping. High Five is a three-paws-on-the-floor trick.
- Go for Ten: This trick involves two hands and two paws. When saying “Go for ten,” keep your hands at about the level of your dog’s head. Any higher will encourage jumping. At first your dog may only reach up to hit you with one paw . . . after all, that’s what he’s used to. Reaching up will encourage him to stretch up and bring his other paw off the floor — at this point, tuck your free hand under his paw and praise him the moment both paws connect with your hands.
Remember
Some dogs simply can’t sit up on their hind legs. You know if your dog can’t do Go for Ten. So what? You love him anyway.
Hit It! Targeting paw tricks with lights, doors, and music
After your dog knows how to Paw,
you can teach her to target an object and then use the object’s placement to
help her learn to play music, close doors, and work the light fixtures . . .
before you know it, your dog will be saving you a bundle in electric bills.
Hit It
After your dog knows Paw (see the
earlier section, “Doing the basic Paw”), establish a target object, such as a
container lid or business card. Then do the following to teach your dog to
strike it with his paw:
1. Present the target object
in the palm of your hand and command “Paw.”
2. The moment your dog hits
the object, say, “Hit It”; give your dog a treat (or click and treat) and offer
praise.
3. Phase off holding the
object flat in your hand, holding it at the same level but pinched between your
thumb and forefinger.
Repeat this until you’re able to hold the object out and your dog will paw it when directed with the Hit It command.
Your next goal is to place the
object in various locations to encourage your dog to do things like turn out
the lights and close doors. This section includes three tricks that do just
that.
Close It
After your dog learns how to Hit
It, you can parlay that one behavior into a whole host of cool, helpful, and
unique tricks, such as closing the cabinet, turning out the lights, and playing
the piano! Though these tricks might sound like magic, it all boils down to the
placement of the target object.
When teaching your dog to close
cabinets and doors, she may be initially startled by the sound the door makes
as it shuts. Before asking her to tidy up for you, place her in a Sit-Stay next
to the hinge and give her a treat as you open and shut the door gently. She
will soon get used to the sound of its opening and shutting.
At first, hold the target object
near a cabinet door at what would be a normal Paw level for your dog — about
her elbow. Do a couple Paws (see the earlier section, “Doing the basic Paw”),
holding your hand near the door. Next, encourage her to paw the object by
saying “Hit it.” If she has a light touch, encourage her to really whack the
object by egging her on and withholding the reward until she does.
Next, tape the object to the
outside of the opened cabinet door. Kneel close to your dog and point to the
object. Reward each attempt to strike the door with her paw. After two days,
withhold the reward until a successful closing.
Over the course of four days,
gradually start combining the new command with the familiar cue: Hit It — Close
It. Phase out the Hit It command so Close It will mean just that.
Lights
Teaching your dog to turn out the
lights requires blending the Hit It command with a jumping sequence. If your
dog is tall and agile enough to reach the switch, he’ll be more than happy to
oblige you.
To begin, get a light switch like
the ones on your wall. Use your target object to teach your dog to Paw It and
to get comfortable with its feel. Tape the target object above the fixture and
hold the fixture in your hand initially.
At first, hold the switch at a
normal Paw level — about your dog’s elbow — and pair the command Hit It with
“Lights” as you encourage his cooperation with praise and rewards. This will
seem awkward at first for your dog, who isn’t used to things moving when he
paws them. Use your praise to encourage him and rewards to emphasize the moment
his paw connects with the switch.
Separately teach your dog to jump
up on the wall by the switch. Pat the wall and teach Up, guiding your dog there
with a treat if necessary. At first, all your dog needs to do to earn a reward
is jump up and stand against the wall.
Gradually lift your practice
switch higher and higher until it’s at the height of the real switch. Each
time, prompt your dog with the command Hit It — Lights. At first, reward and
praise your dog if he touches the switch. After four days of practice, reward
him only if he activates the switch. When he’s got it down pat, phase off the
Hit It command and emphasize Lights.
Now that you’ve connected the
dots, try this trick in the real world. Move to other switches in your home,
using the pretend switch step if your dog acts confused.
Piano
All you need to teach your dog to
play the piano is a keyboard, a target object, and the Paw command. Here’s how
it works:
1. Teach your dog to paw a target
object.
See the earlier section, “Hit it: Targeting paw tricks with lights, doors, and music.”
2. Place the keyboard on the
ground and place your target object on it.
3. Pair the command Hit It
with “Piano.”
4. Move the object to various
spots on the piano.
The hand signal for this trick is
to pretend your fingers are tapping an imaginary keyboard.
Getting dogs to keep their paws to themselves
Is your dog too paw-expressive? It happens to the
best of them. If your dog constantly paws, you have two options: Ignore her,
or use a mild correction. Ignoring is self-explanatory; you may simply walk
away. If that doesn’t work, try one of the following corrections:
- Keep a short tab (a very short loop of
leash) on your dog and snap it downward while
saying, “Not now.” (You can buy a short lead — 8
to 12 inches — at a pet supply store.)
- Say “No” and command “Sit.”
Remember that dogs usually paw because they want
something: a treat, a toy, or attention. Avoid giving in to your dog’s
pestering. You’re just teaching her that it works. Wait for more mannerly
behavior, such as sitting quietly or lying down, before you give your dog
what she wants.
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Roll Over
Dogs who are as comfortable on
their backs as they are on their paws really groove with Roll Over. How will
you know whether your dog qualifies? He’ll roll anywhere, anytime, and often of
his own volition. He’ll sleep on his back. He’ll scratch his back by rolling on
the carpet. He’ll come in with a grass-stained coat from rolling in the yard.
Although teaching Roll Over
requires some patience, it demonstrates the importance of sequencing —
breaking the sum of a trick into parts and then linking the parts to perform
the trick.
Before you begin, bring your dog
into a quiet room and place treats on a nearby table. Find your clicker if
you’re using one. Here are the three training sequences:
1. First sequence: Call your dog to you and put him in a Down-Stay. Kneel next to your dog and scratch his belly until he lies on one side. As he does so, say, “Roll”; then reward and praise him. Repeat this sequence 10 to 20 times until your dog responds comfortably to this direction.
2. Second sequence: Repeat the preceding steps. Then take a treat and circle it from under your dog’s chin to just behind his ear. As his head twists to follow the treat, his body will rock to the side. Say, “Roll,” offer a treat, and praise him. Repeat this sequence 10 to 20 times until your dog responds quickly.
3. Final sequence: Repeat the preceding steps. Now circle the treat slowly backward over the back of your dog’s head as you say, “Roll Over.”
Tip
When your dog is first learning to roll over, he may need some help. Guide him over by gently pushing his top front leg to the other side as you say the command.
Click (or say “Yes!”) and give your dog a treat whenever he does a full roll, whether you helped your dog or not.
As soon as your dog gets the full
roll sequence, practice a few times and then quit on a high note.
Roll Over with a hand signal
When your dog is comfortable
rolling over, you can teach a simple hand signal to prompt this trick:
1. Continue to kneel next to her when commanding “Roll Over,” but lean backward in the direction you want her to roll.
2. Hold your index finger parallel to the floor, and draw small circles in the air as you give your verbal command.
3. Help your dog initially if she seems confused, praising her as you assist and jumping up with her to end the trick.
4. As soon as she responds to the cue without your help, stand up and give the command and the hand signal, always accentuating your hand signal.
Tip
Your end goal is to direct your dog from a standing position. Gradually move up from a kneeling position to a one-kneed bend to eventually standing up, as you overaccentuate your hand signal.
After your dog seems able to
follow the command, you can teach her to keep on rolling or to jump up after
the first roll. Using enthusiastic body language, you can easily communicate
when you want your dog to jump up. Toss your arms in the air and jump like a
bunny when you’re encouraging your dog to leap up.
If you want your dog to continue
rolling, lean in the direction she’s rolling and exaggerate your signal
initially.
Pump your clenched fist in an
enthusiastic hooray to signal your finishing roll!
Roll Over from a distance
1. Place your dog in a
Down-Stay and stand back 3 feet.
2. Use your hand signal,
leaning your body in the direction you’re sending your dog, as you command
“Roll Over.”
If your dog looks confused, go to him calmly and help out, getting back into your starting position as he finishes the trick.
When he performs on his own, give him a jackpot — a whole fistful — of treats and end with a fun game.
3. Back up 2 feet at a time
during your subsequent practice sessions, until your dog will roll over at a
reasonable distance from you.
Visualization helps you teach a
trick, so create a picture in your mind of your dog performing the trick
flawlessly. Can dogs read minds? Who can prove they can’t?
Ain’t Too Proud to Beg
“Beg,” “Ask nicely,” “Put up your
paws” — take your pick of a verbal command — they all mean the same thing!
Getting your dog to sit up on her back legs (or haunches) is a real
charmer. Some dogs come by this trick fairly easily. Others aren’t as
coordinated and need help up. Either way, this section explains how to teach
your dog to beg.
The naturals: Teaching the art of begging
Some dogs are born beggars. Your
dog may have even discovered the begging trick by himself during one of his
more-successful ploys to get attention. If your dog is a natural beggar, praise
him each time he offers you the begging behavior. Soon you’ll have a smart
aleck on your hands who sits up at every opportunity, and you’ll have no
trouble getting him to beg on cue.
Here’s how to teach the begging
trick:
1. Command “Sit” and make sure
that the dog is sitting squarely (not leaning to either side).
Tip
If your dog is relatively coordinated but often gets a little too excited about food rewards —he’s jumping, turning inside out, and basically unable to sit still — make him part of the “Corner Crew”: Start the dog out in a corner of the room to help him feel more secure. Tuck his back end toward the wall. The walls on either side help limit and guide his movements. If he’s super-excited, practice when his energy is lower, such as late in the evening or after a good romp.
2. Take a treat and hold it an
inch above his nose.
3. As he stretches to sniff
the treat, bring it back slowly between his ears as you command, “Ask Nicely.”
The dog should rise up to follow the path of the treat.
4. Click (or say “Yes!”) and
reward the dog’s split-second attempt to sit up.
After he catches on, hold out on rewarding treats for performances that are more balanced.
Tip
The hand signal for this trick is to move your palm upward, facing the sky. Start your hand at your hip and move it to your chest level.
Bowser bracers: Begging for a little help
If your dog is not that, uh,
coordinated, you need to be a more active participant in the learning phase of
begging. Try this approach:
1. Sit your dog squarely (not
leaning to either side) and instruct “Stay.”
Stand directly behind her tail with your heels together and your toes out to either side of her spine.
2. Hold a treat above her nose
and bring it upward and back toward her ear.
3. Give the command “Ask
nicely,” and as your dog begins to rise, brace her back with your legs for
support.
4. Click (or say “Yes!”) and
reward the slightest lift.
Gradually hold out for routines that are more balanced (though still supported).
5. When you see that she can
balance well with your help, try supporting the dog with just your knees.
Eventually, she’ll perfect a steady balance while supported by your knees.
6. Withdraw your support in
increments until you’re just standing there cheering your pal on.
Fairly soon, you can begin to step away. See how she shines!
Expanding Your Repertoire with Stretching Tricks
Stretching is a simple trick to
teach because you can reinforce it simply by catching your dog in the act. Of
course, you can build on the simple stretch technique in this section and get
your dog to even take a bow after he’s done performing.
Super stretching
Certain tricks don’t involve more
than catching your dog acting normally and attaching a cue word to the
behavior. The Stretch trick is one of these. To teach your dog the “Stretch”
command, just follow these easy steps:
1. Watch your dog as she wakes up, is excited in play, or is preparing to rest.
2. Use the command word “Stretch” as she stretches forward.
3. Praise and reward her enthusiastically.
Taking a Bow
Of course, no performance is
complete without a bow. To teach your dog to bow, utilize all three of the
following approaches. Soon all of them will meld together and your dog will be
dazzling his audience to the very end of the act.
- Caught in the act: Whenever you catch your dog stretching his front paws with his bum in the air, command “Bow” as you flip twirl your arm out for a signal. Praise enthusiastically.
Or if your dog’s feeling spunky and playful and crouches on his front legs with his bottom in the air, take a bow as you command “Bow.” Praise enthusiastically and reward him with his favorite game.
- Jury-rigged: Take your dog aside into a quiet room with some favorite treats and a clicker if you have one. Hold his belly up as you hold the treat to the ground, just in front of his paws, and command “Bow.” Slowly fade off the belly hold, simply using the cue word Bow.
- Smush face: In a quiet room, take a treat and hold it against your dog’s nose. Press the treat gently back and downward, thus encouraging your dog to bend forward on his elbows to get the reward. As he does, say “Bow” and reward him!
Tip
Other cues words besides Bow fit the stretching behavior just as well. Your dog can learn multiple words for the same behavior. Just make sure that you start with one command cue before adding others, and always use the same hand signal.by Eve Adamson, Richard G. Beauchamp, Margaret H. Bonham, Stanley Coren, Miriam Fields-Babineau, Sarah Hodgson, Connie Isbell, Susan McCullough, Gina Spadafori, Jack and Wendy Volhard, Chris Walkowicz, M. Christine Zink, DVM, PhD
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