Teaching tricks is such fun! And the joy of it is that the way your dog does the trick is how it should be - for him.
There’s no Obedience Competition judge lopping half a mark here and half a mark there, because when he does a Sit Pretty your dog waves his paws around, or dangles one of them.
It’s just pure fun - for both of you. And if he’s dangling a paw, how cute is that?
And these “dog tricks” can also be incredibly useful. My dogs help me unload the washing machine, and can reach right in to get the garments that stick themselves to the back of the drum. They regularly fetch my shoes or my jumper for me, pick up anything I drop, help me take off the duvet cover on laundry day, pull off my socks - and any other game I offer them.
I’m perfectly capable of doing all these “Assistance Dog” tasks for myself - it’s just fun to involve the dogs.
And they love it!
So what’s the trick to teaching a dog trick?
Many people go at this backwards. They think of the finished result they want, and start at the end. “Pick it up!” they say, or “Roll over!”, and their dog looks at them in puzzlement, having no idea what they’re wanting.
So what you want to do is turn this round and start at the beginning - the beginning that makes sense for your dog.
Getting him to CHOOSE to do what you want is the very best way, but sometimes a little luring doesn’t go amiss.
But the main thing is that apart from enthusiastic encouragement, keep your mouth shut!
Here’s the secret: You only add the vocal cue - your chosen words - to describe what your dog is doing, when he’s confidently and happily doing it.
Gradually he’ll associate the sounds coming from your mouth with the action he’s making at the time.
That’s the way round it goes!
Emptying the washing machine
And you need to work out the steps towards your trick in advance. If you want your dog to empty the washing machine for you, she’ll need to have a good, gentle, retrieve. Ripping up all the clothes in her excitement is no good!
So you’ll start with getting that gentle retrieve. Here’s where you can get a step-by-step system for both a play retrieve and a controlled formal retrieve: Fetch It! Teach you
Once you’ve got a lovely retrieve to hand, of whatever delicate item you want - tv remote, car keys, jumper … then you can simply add your vocal cue and transfer the exercise to the washing machine.
So there’s no mystery here - it’s a step-by-step process that your dog will understand and enjoy.
And who knows, one day you may be glad of a helper in your home!
