I need a trick!

[ladawn]

Hey all, I have Daisy in this click a trick class (using clicker training to teach tricks). As our "final exam" the pup must perform a trick not taught in class, but by us. I'm racking my brain trying to think of something cute and different. Please give me suggestions. In class we have learned: roll over, back up, crawl, wave, spin, high five and bow (which I cannot get Daisy to do for the life of me). This week we started learning how to use "targets and target sticks--apparently used in agility training. I tried to teach bang your dead but it isnt working (or mroe likely, I'm not doing it right). Anyway, please fire away. When you give me your trick, please tell me how to teach it (with or without the clicker).:D

[Burnsway]

How high up is the light switch in the class? You could train turning the light off on command and back on, on another command.

[Burnsway]

Another one I like goes hand in hand with roll over. I call it cover up! Have him lay on a blanket and say COVER UP!!! Hopefully if taught right, (we aren't quite their) they grab the corner of blanket and roll over and blanket goes over them.

Another one I like is ringing the bell when they have to go out and go potty but that would be hard to demonstrate in class if he doesn't have to go potty.....:D

Open and close the door: This one Psyche learned on her own and we had to retrain not to do it....LOL!!! Same with opening her treat door and the fridge.....

[ladawn]

I'm curious about how to teach "open the door". I figure once we learn how to use the target, we can teach "close the door". Those are good suggestions, particularly the light switch.

[Carolina]

There are a lot of tricks in the book "The Power of Positive training" by Pat Miller, it is about clicker training.

Some of the ones she describes in her book are: spin and twirl, shake, high five, doin' the wave (bye-bye), ring a bell (you have to use targeting on this one), sitting pretty (with the front paws in the air), weave (passing between your legs, not easy with a rottie but possible :) ), score (kinda doggie soccer), say prayers (put paws on sofa, or your legs, and put snout between paws), possum (on their back with the belly up), roll over, cross paws like a lady (or gentelman), crawl on the belly.

You have already done some of this.. I could recomend "say prayers", "sitting pretty" or "spin and twirl"
If you want the explanation of one of this, post here or PM me and I'll send you the procedure :D

Good luck with your trick :D

Carolina :)

[Knucklesmom]

I found this one on a thread here and taught to Knuckles pretty easily. Teach your dog to lay on his side when you say "dead dog". Then, once the dog learns to respond to "dead dog", ask your dog, "Would you rather be a live cat or a dead dog?" Hopefully, your dog will lay down on his side, like a dead dog! It's pretty cute!

[pride-and-joy]

I taught the "bow" which I named "Say Prayers or Pray" by marking the natural position Jake does when he gets out of his crate and stretches.

I just started clicking, treating, and saying, "Jake...Pray!" when he did his morning stretch as he emerged from the crate.

Now he's the most religious Rottweiler you ever met! He solicits "pray" bows for everything! LOL.

[mferg]

This one's a little different: I managed to teach my GSD to stop panting on "Shh" so I could go to sleep. He'd close his mouth and "pant" through his nose. He'd break down and open his mouth after a few minutes, but it was just long enough for me to fall asleep. I can't give you a step by step method for training that one. Just speculation as it occurred by accident/repetition, really.

[mferg]

Oh, a couple others I heard about: Wag your tail/stop your tail, and "divert your gaze". The first one would be a tad difficult with the Rottie. A friend told me about a dog that had a really intense look (GSD) that intimidated people. The owners taught him to "divert his gaze" to ease tension. I don't know so much about the trick being cool, but I love the name.

[ladawn]

thanks guys. We started working on "sitting pretty" last night. I'd love to do "say your prayers". I'll let you all know how it goes

[TrinityRun]

Originally posted by ladawn
Hey all, I have Daisy in this click a trick class (using clicker training to teach tricks). As our "final exam" the pup must perform a trick not taught in class, but by us. I'm racking my brain trying to think of something cute and different. Please give me suggestions. In class we have learned: roll over, back up, crawl, wave, spin, high five and bow (which I cannot get Daisy to do for the life of me). This week we started learning how to use "targets and target sticks--apparently used in agility training. I tried to teach bang your dead but it isnt working (or mroe likely, I'm not doing it right). Anyway, please fire away. When you give me your trick, please tell me how to teach it (with or without the clicker).:D

Teach Daisy to pull a Daisy out of a bag and bring it to your instructor.

:D

I can smell success!

[Skip]

On vacuuming days, Rocky goes around the house, picks up his toys, and puts each one back in his toybox. Fun for him (treat at the end) and beneficial for me.

[Carolina]

How is the new trick comming? just wondering :D

Carolina :)

[ladawn]

Sitting pretty is working the best so far. I think we'll have it time for the final class. It's fun teachign her new tricks.

[Jamie & Odin]

Speaking of, I just bought a book titled "Dog Tricks: Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities For Your Dog" By Captain Arthur J. Haggerty and Carol Lea Benjamin.

Everything from the old standbys of "shake" and "play dead" to jumping rope, carrying a basket of cookies to offer your guests, and bringing a chair!