Dahlia learns her first "trick"

[crysania4]

So far all I've really taught Dahlia are the standard obedience things, the really important ones: like sit, down, stay, wait, and come. But I'm always jealous of people's dogs who knows silly tricks. So last night I decided to start teaching Dahlia to give me her paw on cue. And already she's doing it. She's still in that offer up the behavior all the time in the hopes of getting a treat, but she's also doing it on command. It's adorable and I'm so thrilled she learned it that fast.

Now I just have to figure out what else I can teach her.

Comments

[jeannekins.livejournal.com]

chase knows sit pretty, wave (which is a combo of sit pretty and shake or high-5), high 10, kisses, say bye/hi/'night (which basically run over to someone and give a kiss), crawl, and roll-over. he also know back/back up, which is more of a command than a trick. i was working on teaching him to weave between my legs, but i haven't had time lately... so there are some ideas for you. most of them are pretty easy ad the dogs pick them up pretty quick - especially if they're food motivated.

[crysania4.livejournal.com]

Dahlia is a HUGE food hound. I've thought about doing the sit pretty one and crawl. She does sort of know "back up" just because I say that every time she's in my way facing me and then I walk forward and she has to back up. I'll have to work on really putting that on command.

[jeannekins.livejournal.com]

that's pretty much how chase learned it. he's always in the way when putting on our shoes and such, so it comes n really handy. i'm also working on teaching him right and left. once i get 2 jumps for my yard, i'll really get into it more, i think. i use it when we're walking, but he doesn't seem to really get it yet.

[shinoakkitenshi.livejournal.com]

i always enjoy roll over, or play dead.

[crysania4.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to do roll over with little success. lol She just lays on her side most of the time.

[shinoakkitenshi.livejournal.com]

hmmm maybe you can "assist" her by pushing her the rest of the way over then giving her the treat when she's done with the trick.

[crysania4.livejournal.com]

Tried that...she just looks at me like I'm nuts. LOL I'm going to try with better treats at some point, but first I have to proof the latest command!

[shinoakkitenshi.livejournal.com]

lol. well i know my dogs and my mom's dogs go nuts for the chicken jerky treats from like Waggin Train or something. Maybe she'll perform for those,

[petulant.livejournal.com]

I think you're already a member of dogsintraining, right? Why not try the tricks miss_teacher set out for the monthly challenges next? There's always tons of advice and examples in the comments!

[crysania4.livejournal.com]

Yeah I am...some of those are seriously complicated for me. I'm learning as I go along here. lol

[petulant.livejournal.com]

I know! I hear you. I've been doing this for years and this is the first dog, foster or owned (and besides smaller breeds), that I've been able to teach "sit pretty/ask nicely" to. I had no idea that they had to build up their core muscles before being able to do it properly! I just thought I wasn't using the right technique to teach it and would give up. Now that's the one he offers the most.

But be careful about her giving her paw and rewarding it too highly - she'll offer up the behavior at the most obnoxious of times, like during shows or something! haha
But if you want to start slow and she knows shake/paw, move on to high five or other similar stuff with her paws.
"Kisses" is a pretty easy one to teach, too. You can either tap your face and tell her to mark it or touch or what not if you clicker train, or make it super easy by putting a bit of peanut butter on your face, hand, wherever.

[crysania4.livejournal.com]

Dahlia already gives her paw all the time, pre-command teaching or anything. She LOVES to put her paws on people. I still think it's one of the thing that saved her life at the shelter. She sits on the ground, puts one paw on you, balances herself, and then puts the other on you too. Adorable.

How do you build up their core muscles (I was wondering about that -- it seems like they'd have to be pretty strong to sit like that!). Is it just through "sitting pretty" for increasingly longer times?

I really need to start with clicker training. We've never used them, though I have a couple. I think that would really help but I've been too lazy to load it and too uncoordinated to use it. LOL

[petulant.livejournal.com]

Aww, that's how my last one was. Darce is more, erm, violent with his paw-giving, which is why I said to be careful. hahaha! But if she'll lean both paws on your lap, you can teach "saying your prayers" to her. Hold something yummy between her paws so her head goes down there. Praise and treat, then hold out for longer periods of time. That's a really cute one and I bet Dahlia is calm enough for it.
But really, I think you should see what Millan has to say on the subject. I believe putting her paws on you is a sign of dominance. You better watch out with her! :P

I just practiced sitting pretty (I say "ask nicely") for two-three times a day for about five minutes, always ending on something he knew really well so he didn't get frustrated. Now he can hold it for a good ehhh, three-five seconds. That doesn't seem like long, but he's getting better all the time and I just ask for it more and more. He also started off by slapping my hand with his paw (because we play "which hand?" with treats) but now knows what I'm asking with the hand signal.
That's how I did it, anyway. Maybe there are more efficient ways you could check out on youtube? I think it's just like when we build our abs, though - practice, practice, practice.

You should! I just recently started (well, beginning of this year) and it's seriously been awesome. And I'm not usually one to jump on one bandwagon or another - I kind of pick and choose from each - but it's been great. It's helped tremendously with his leash reactivity, which I know is something you're working on, too.
Anyway, get one with a wrist strap (I have one like this (http://www.clickertraining.com/store/?item=traininggear)) and it helps a lot. I have my leash in one hand, my clicker around my other wrist, and treats in my pocket - I always wear a hoodie or some kind of shirt with pockets when I'm training because I get clumsy with a pouch. I don't have one that dispenses the treats for me, because I'd probably drop all of them at once!

[jenandbronze.livejournal.com]

I know there is a web site where you can see all the different tricks you can teach your dog. I can't remember where I saw it, but it was on a positive training site. I is probably www.clickersolutions.com I am guessing it is there *grin*

[crysania4.livejournal.com]

I really need to do this clicker thing. I keep swearing I'm going to and then just...don't. LOL So my next goal is going to be to charge up the clicker and use it with some of her basic commands to really show her how it works.

[jenandbronze.livejournal.com]

If she already knows the basic commands, it is best to not charge the clicker that way. Doing targeting to your hands as touch is how I started to charge the clicker with the dogs I've worked on it with them when they already knew sit, down, etc; however, if you want to the improve it even more, it may be a way to go to sharpen it up. Good luck! I can't wait to hear alla bout it.

[crysania4.livejournal.com]

Well, I'll charge the clicker with the standard "click-treat, click-treat" ad nauseum thing, not by asking her to do anything. That's how I was always told to charge it...just to get her to associate the click with the coming reward. Then I can try to perfect her known commands and move on from there once she's really set with the click-treat aspect.

[designed4living.livejournal.com]

Lucy (healer/collie/mutt) knows the following:

Sing (a aroooroooroo sound)
Speak (a bark)
Shake a paw
Waive
Be sad
roll over
bow
and she KIND Of knows how to play dead.

LOL

They were all really easy to teach...

[crysania4.livejournal.com]

I haven't bothered to teach Dahlia any tricks. I feel so behind. LOL I can't do speak/sing. She never makes noise! She's the quietest dog I've ever met. Even a knock at the door doesn't bring out a bark. The only thing that brings out a bark or two is frustration over not getting to greet another dog or an ATV flying by.

I want to teach the paw over the nose thing and put it to the command of "Dahlia, what do you think of Cesar?" LOL

[harro-der.livejournal.com]

Since D likes to use her paws, I'd think beg/sit pretty would be easy to teach, work her up from just rising up to the position to holding it. It was the first (and easiest) thing I taught Arya because of her predisposition to use her paws. From there, you can shape it into a wave very easily!

Arya won't "speak" either, we've tried for years with several different methods and she just flat out refuses to speak on command!