Indoor activities & Tricks

[my2rotties]

For the sake of my sanity, I have decided to use our large undeveloped basement for training Diva monster. Of course because we store all of our boxes of tile down there, I have a rather large job of moving it all, to make a decent training area.

I figured I can tap some of Diva's over abundent energy, into some productive training sessions. Winter is quickly drawing upon us too, and I cannot imagine myself standing outside in sub zero temperatures, trying to do training excercises.

What are some really good things I can do with Diva in my basement? What kinds of things do you do, if you practice inside?

Also, I really want a book on how to train Diva to learn different scents, and how to pick them out. I do not know the formal names of these things, since all I have ever done is agility (Diva already likes to do this indoors!), and basic obedience. Will this kind of training give her enough "work" so she will stop shredding papers, and trying to tear my house down?

I do know now what it is like to have a true working dog, and although I make the time to take her out for around three hours a day, it is just not enough for her. She chews up five or six mile hikes, and spits them out like they are nothing. We come home, and she is still menacing me.

Also, what kinds of tricks can I teach her. I don't mean the humiliating tricks that people with a little "Foo Foo" do together, but some really cool Rottie type tricks? I had posted about the military finishes, and this is the first thing that we are going to learn together. I can't wait until I get this basement cleared out.

Thanks for any info...

Diana & Diva

[my2rotties]

SchIVRotts,

Is there any good books available to be able to teach a Rottie such wonderful feats? I have never thought to teach my older Rotties these tricks, but Diva would be a good canidate for things like this.

I almost have the training area done, but I have a couple of trips to the dump to make, before everything is ready for us. It is amazing what things you have stored away that will never serve any purpose to us.

She LOVES the basement as it is, and it is a fun place for her to be. She always finds something interesting down there, that she brings upstairs to share with everybody. She found Sheena's old stash of toys and carcasses. I really had no idea the stuff was down there. Where it was hidden, only Diva and Sheena will ever know...

Please do let me know what kind of books there are out there for teaching tricks.

[Judi W]

Yeah, hey, don't knock those foofoo tricks! There is nothing so disarming as a big dog doing parlor tricks. This is particularly important when you want to introduce her to people who might be a bit afraid. Wins them over every time.

I vote for the fetch anything and everything. That is what is used for the scent discrimination. A fun thing is the seek back where you drop something while heeling (preferably around a corner or out-of-sight) and then send the dog back to find it and fetch. The dogs think this is great fun. Get a good retrieve down for a while before starting the scent work or you both will become frustrated. Scent work takes beaucoup patience.

Lots of good trick books available. Haggerty and Benjamin have one. I also recommend books written for children as they tend to break things down to their simplist and most motivational forms.

Have fun!

[SchIVRotts]

I don't have any books on trick training, although I've heard of the ones Judy mentions. On Egroups there is a Trick Dog list, run by Captain Haggerty. Go to:
http://www.egroups.com/groups/trickdog

to subscribe. There are lots of good people there who are very good at explaining how to train tricks. One lady on there even did a couple of videos, the Take a Bow, Wow! videos, which are very good.

I use clicker training almost exclusively (also positive reinforcement) and I find it very easy to shape and refine tricks using a clicker. However, you can also do it very well using lure/reward training.

[SchIVRotts]

Anything a 'foo-foo' dog can do, a Rottie can do with more style and class. Fun things to teach in the house:

1. Sit
2. Down
3. Wave
4. Gimme five
5. Spin
6. Crawl
7. Go to sleep
8. Sooo Big! (Dog stands on hind feet)
9. Take a Bow
10. Roll over
11. Fetch (anything)
12. Go find (anything)
13. Anything else you can think of that the dog can physically do

All *tricks*, which include sits, downs, walk nicely on a leash, etc, are useful. They exercise the dog's mind, which results in calmer behavior, and a dog less likely to find it's own entertainment.

[Bud8]

I would not have thought of a couple of those. Thanks for the suggestions!

[my2rotties]

I think the funniest part of some of these tricks, is the klutz that will be doing them. Nevermind the teacher...

I can't imagine Diva standing on her hind legs, and not falling over. I guess people won't be afraid of a dog that tips over, or falls on her face.

She gets so hyper, just the thought of her not wiggling all over the place while we try these tricks out is entertaining all by itself. Too bad people would not think running up walls is cool (I sure don't), since she seems to think she can do this while in hyper mode.

------------------
Diana Primiterra
http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Yard/8867/index.html
--------------------------------------------
Although I would like our world to change
It helps me to appreciate
Those nights and those dreams
But, my friend, I'd sacrifice all those nights
If I could make the Earth and my dreams the same.
--------
Creed

[LisaS]

once she learns the retrieve, you can teach her the names of objects to retreive - or using a laser pointer, teach her to bring you whatever object you target with the pointer.
Teach her to tap (with a paw) or touch(with her nose) whatever object you target or point to ... this is then the basis for things like "close the door"
Teach her to walk backwards in a straight line.
teach her "follow" and move around you in all directions by following your hand/finger

[This message has been edited by LisaS (edited September 05, 2000).]

[RSQRottweiler]

Originally posted by SchIVRotts:
Anything a 'foo-foo' dog can do, a Rottie can do with more style and class.

How true. Gretchen's favorite trick is "gimme 4," only in her case it's "gimme 3" since she had to have one of her toes removed. I'll alternate it between "gimme 3" and "gimme 4" so that people think she can count. Her other tricks are "cover/say you're sorry" where she puts her paw over her muzzle, "BANG" where she drops to the floor, crawl, speak, and whisper. We're working on balancing the treat on her nose right now. . .she's pretty good at it, but she sometimes licks her lips and makes the treat fall before I tell her "okay."

Audrey

[LisaS]

there is a book called Fun_nosework_with_dogs available from www.dogwise.com and probably other places. This has lots of games and skills to develop the dogs scenting and scent discrimination abilities. It is not teaching scent discrimination like the AKC utility exercise, but I think the foundations from this book would set you up to do anything you want with nose work.
For just one example, you teach to retrieve a damp paper towel scented with ever more dilute concetrations of something like peppermint oil, from amongst a group of unscented damp paper towels.
We've not begun the lessons yet since our retrieve is anything but stable, but the exercises look fun and I'm looking forward to it.