[Kellcinn]

I am wondering if anyone has taught their pup tricks? I taught a dog we had (30 yrs ago) some cute tricks to perform for treats. He was a bicky hound and we made him work for them. The last two dogs were trained for manners and obedience but I didn’t work on tricks.
I think I would like to work on tricks with Izzy if only to keep her busy at times. I would love to see your clever Havs performing, or get some ideas for tricks to work on.

 

[Ricky Ricardo]

I recommend Kikopup on utube for teaching tricks.

 

[krandall]

I am wondering if anyone has taught their pup tricks? I taught a dog we had (30 yrs ago) some cute tricks to perform for treats. He was a bicky hound and we made him work for them. The last two dogs were trained for manners and obedience but I didn’t work on tricks.
I think I would like to work on tricks with Izzy if only to keep her busy at times. I would love to see your clever Havs performing, or get some ideas for tricks to work on.

LOTS of us teach our dogs tricks! Two of mine have trick dog titles. This is Kodi's most impressive trick, I think:

Kodi Match to Sample

If you go onto the AKC website, you will find their Trick Dog Title program, and what tricks are required/suggested for each level. There is a wide variety to choose from. You don't have to do them all, and you can be creative and make your own up too!

 

[Ditto's Mom]

Love watching smart Kodi.

 

[Kellcinn]

I recommend Kikopup on utube for teaching tricks.

I have subscribed to this YouTube channel, so much good info.

 

[ShamaMama]

I've read that Havanese were used as circus dogs because they were such clever learners of tricks. Before I got Shama, I bought a book of 101 Dog Tricks. I haven't actually done much with that book, however. Shama's best trick is "sit pretty." There are probably 20 pictures of her sitting pretty on this forum! I recommend taking a trick class if there is one in your area. Otherwise, definitely the kikopup videos. I was just going to paste the link to the AKC Trick Dog website, and then I noticed that they have VIDEOS to teach you 10 TRICKS! Here's that link!

 

[mudpuppymama]

My dogs do not know a lot of tricks. However, there are two tricks we work on every single day. I actually do not consider them “tricks”. I feel they are essential skills that every dog should have and they are critical because they can save your dogs life. That is STAY and COME. We practice these every single day without fail in the hopes that they will be firmly ingrained should I ever need to use them. Most of the other tricks are “nice to haves” IMO so if training time is limited I think it is good to focus on STAY and COME. There are lots of ways to vary these to avoid boredom. I don’t think you have to worry about practicing STAY and COME too much. However, I am not a dog trainer. This Is just my opinion on two skills I feel are critical.

 

[Ricky Ricardo]

I agree, I would just add the "leave it" command. We practice all three on a daily basis, several times at random intervals. Contrast that to 'tricks' like 'sit pretty' or 'roll over' and similar. They have nothing to do with canine safety but they are so much more fun than the boring but necessary safety commands.

 

[mudpuppymama]

I agree, I would just add the "leave it" command. We practice all three on a daily basis, several times at random intervals. Contrast that to 'tricks' like 'sit pretty' or 'roll over' and similar. They have nothing to do with canine safety but they are so much more fun than the boring but necessary safety commands.

Good point. The “ leave it” command is also a great one. However, I do not think that “stay” and “come” have to be boring. For example, one thing I do is invoke the “crate” command and tell them to “stay” in their crate. Then I go hide in the house and call “come”. The dogs absolutely love this game. It is not boring. They are learning “crate”, “stay” and “come”. In addition they are using their nose, brain and getting some exercise.

 

[krandall]

I would add:

"Get back" - Away from the door or just out of my way when I'm carrying packages through the door.

"Wait" - Anywhere, anytime! Stop what you are doing and wait for me to give you further instructions.

And this is a lot more advanced, but can be a life saver if you've called a dog to you and then a car comes speeding down the road....

"Drop on recall" - The dog drops to the ground out of a full run and stays down until you give them permission to continue to you. This is pretty in the obedience ring, but its PURPOSE is safety, and it has saved many dogs' lives. Both Kodi and Panda have this down pat. Pixel does not, but for that reason, Pixel is never off leash in any setting where it would be called into practice.

And lest anyone think my dogs are perfect, I will remind you all that in the presence of horse manure, Kodi interprets "Leave it!" as "Eat FASTER!!!" You win some, you lose some!

 

[JaJa]

Good point. The “ leave it” command is also a great one. However, I do not think that “stay” and “come” have to be boring. For example, one thing I do is invoke the “crate” command and tell them to “stay” in their crate. Then I go hide in the house and call “come”. The dogs absolutely love this game. It is not boring. They are learning “crate”, “stay” and “come”. In addition they are using their nose, brain and getting some exercise.

That's what I do as well over and over, every night. You're right though, it doesn't have to be boring! One other command that is essential, for me, is release. If they get something (anything) in their mouth before I'm aware, I bark out "release!" they open their jaw and whatever is in there just plops out. Then I say the leave command. I haven't needed to use the command with Cotton or Jodie, but my impish angel from the past did it at 4 months at the dog park. We were never quite sure what it was but it had an odd chemical smell. JoJo got into everything! I finally put a bell on his collar. He was mischievous but just so stinking cute and fun, fun, fun!
Kellcinn, I've just started to expand with Jodie in some fun agility things. It's just for fun to show all my nieces and nephews. I'm hoping to post something short in a few weeks. Don't forget pictures, just regular cute puppy pics. There is no such thing as too many puppy pictures!

 

[Ricky Ricardo]

I don't teach essential commands as games with treat rewards. There is nothing 'wrong' with doing it that way but I have never done it that way. I consider commands like "come, down, stay, leave it, drop it (same as release)" as essential to his safety and not tricks or games and thus "boring". ( I don't use release for "drop it" because "release" is often used in AKC to indicate to a dog that an exercise is over) These commands are rewarded with verbal praise and stroking. "Tricks" (roll over, sit pretty, fist bump, shake, Mambo, and many others) are rewarded with treats plus verbal praise and stroking.

I and RICKY are veterans of AKC Obedience competitions. AKC Obedience competitions focus on safety commands and not on "tricks'. The two of us spent countless hours in private practice AND with a professional trainer learning the "scripted" exercises in competition. Treats are never allowed inside the Obedience competition ring, in fact giving a treat inside the ring will earn a DQ, (disqualification), however a competitor is allowed to give BRIEF verbal praise after a specific exercise BUT ONLY AFTER THE JUDGE SIGNALS THE EXERCISE IS FINISHED. Therefore RICKY (and the AKC) knows that these essential safety commands are a "no nonsense" exercise and must be obeyed without an expectation of any treat or as a "game" that is subject to some casualness. And we were successful in the ring. RICKY has several ribbons and awards to prove his prowess and accomplishments in both AKC Conformation and Obedience.

There are different ways to train a dog depending on your personal goals and objectives. My goals may be different than others. I want RICKY's safety commands to be accomplished and obeyed without question or expectation of a treat. These are essential for his safety. Others may have different goals and objectives. I am not criticizing how others might do obedience training. My comment with regards to safety commands being "boring" should not be taken out of context. Thank you.

 

[krandall]

I don't teach essential commands as games with treat rewards. There is nothing 'wrong' with doing it that way but I have never done it that way. I consider commands like "come, down, stay, leave it, drop it (same as release)" as essential to his safety and not tricks or games and thus "boring". ( I don't use release for "drop it" because "release" is often used in AKC to indicate to a dog that an exercise is over) These commands are rewarded with verbal praise and stroking. "Tricks" (roll over, sit pretty, fist bump, shake, Mambo, and many others) are rewarded with treats plus verbal praise and stroking.

I and RICKY are veterans of AKC Obedience competitions. AKC Obedience competitions focus on safety commands and not on "tricks'. The two of us spent countless hours in private practice AND with a professional trainer learning the "scripted" exercises in competition. Treats are never allowed inside the Obedience competition ring, in fact giving a treat inside the ring will earn a DQ, (disqualification), however a competitor is allowed to give BRIEF verbal praise after a specific exercise BUT ONLY AFTER THE JUDGE SIGNALS THE EXERCISE IS FINISHED. Therefore RICKY (and the AKC) knows that these essential safety commands are a "no nonsense" exercise and must be obeyed without an expectation of any treat or as a "game" that is subject to some casualness. And we were successful in the ring. RICKY has several ribbons and awards to prove his prowess and accomplishments in both AKC Conformation and Obedience.

There are different ways to train a dog depending on your personal goals and objectives. My goals may be different than others. I want RICKY's safety commands to be accomplished and obeyed without question or expectation of a treat. These are essential for his safety. Others may have different goals and objectives. I am not criticizing how others might do obedience training. My comment with regards to safety commands being "boring" should not be taken out of context. Thank you.

Another view on this is that I train at the highest level of AKC obedience and I don’t know ANYBODY who trains at that level and does not use food rewards in training. Not as “bribes” or “lures”... EVER. but as rewards for work well done? Regularly. Absolutely true that you can’t use food in the ring, but you can’t use praise or pats except in very specific places (between exercises, so they no longer have any direct bearing on what the dog did right) and neither can you use any correction in the ring, which som trainers also use. (I do not use correction based training methods, personally).

Also wanted to point out that food in the ring would be an “NQ” “non-qualifying score” not a “DQ”. Disqualification is saved for egregious situations such as biting or or teying. To bite a human in the ring, or biting another dog in group stays. A DQ would be cause for the dog having to leave the grounds immediately, and would not be allowed to enter another AKC event unless cleared though an ALC hearing process. It is a VERY big deal. An “NQ” simply means that you are done with that run and your entry fee for that day was a donation to the club.

 

[mudpuppymama]

The main reason we play hide and seek is because Mia has an absolute blast. She squeals like a pig the entire time! I am hoping that it enforces the stay and come commands also. However, the main goal is FUN!!!

 

[krandall]

The main reason we play hide and seek is because Mia has an absolute blast. She squeals like a pig the entire time! I am hoping that it enforces the stay and come commands also. However, the main goal is FUN!!!

My goal in obedience, rally, agility... whatever training we do, is that my dogs thing that ALL of it is PLAY!! So when they go in the ring with me, they think this is the best fun EVER!!! It doesn't always work, because people get stressed in a show environment, and no matter how hard we try to hide it, that stress travels down to the dog. But the "fun" aspect is all you have once the dog is off leash. And after the first heeling pattern at Novice level EVERYTHING else in obedience is done off leash. So you'd better have developed a good working relationship with your dog because you can't "MAKE" him do ANYTHING.

 

[mudpuppymama]

My goal in obedience, rally, agility... whatever training we do, is that my dogs thing that ALL of it is PLAY!! So when they go in the ring with me, they think this is the best fun EVER!!! It doesn't always work, because people get stressed in a show environment, and no matter how hard we try to hide it, that stress travels down to the dog. But the "fun" aspect is all you have once the dog is off leash. And after the first heeling pattern at Novice level EVERYTHING else in obedience is done off leash. So you'd better have developed a good working relationship with your dog because you can't "MAKE" him do ANYTHING.

i have not done all these types of training but agree that it should be fun. I think dogs enjoy learning and don’t really distinguish between “essential” and “non-essential” tricks! Those are human classifications IMO and the dog doesn’t really care. They just enjoy learning and pleasing their master!