New thoughts for your dog

We don’t stand still in life, and neither does our dog!

We change all the time. We’re not the same person we were 5 years ago, 10 years ago, 20 years ago.

And your dog is not the same dog who ventured into your life all those years or months ago!

He’s changed too. You’ve grown together. You understand each other. You’ve developed a cosy routine that works for you.

Does this routine work just as well for your dog?

But just as you learned to read and didn’t stop there - you went on to read thousands of books, millions of words - your dog may have learnt to sit. But it needn’t stop there!

Continually stretching your dog’s mind is what will keep him fit and well right into old age.

While diet, healthcare, and exercise, are important - it’s the mental stimulation that will keep your dog young, engaged, and happy all his life!

So how about having a re-think?

Perhaps it’s time to re-assess where you are with your dog.

🐾 When did you last teach him a new thing?

🐾 When did you introduce a new game into your lives together?

🐾 When did you last become adventurous with what you feed him?

🐾 When did you go on a new walk?

🐾 How about a different outing, a new cafe visit?

You had such fun together when your dog was new!

Be sure to keep the fun alive so he doesn’t become part of the furniture.

Want to learn some new tricks? Start here with our free Workshop! And have FUN with your dog!

How to teach your dog useful tricks

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!

Want to teach your dog tricks? Start here!

Dog tricks! They’re such fun - for you and your dog. 

And one of the main components of many things you’d like your dog to do is to pick things up.

So Pick up, Hold, Bring it to me, are so important - along with Catch, Fetch, and a formal retrieve.

You may have some learning to undo

If your dog has always been admonished for picking things up around the house and garden and on walks, you’re going to have to start from scratch teaching her that now you want her to pick them up!

Give her time to understand that the rules have changed.

You’ll need to teach your dog to hold with a soft mouth. So begin with things she can’t damage before graduating to your tv remote - which definitely would not appreciate being crunched enthusiastically or slobbered on!

Some dogs will squash soft and squishy things. So to encourage them to H-O-L-D gently, with a still mouth, you may find a firm, uncrunchable, tube good to start with. The sort of thing you come to in the centre of a roll of bags.

It needs to have some grip - so not shiny smooth plastic - and not mind getting wet.

As you can see from this picture, EVEN a sighthound can perform a cracking retrieve! (Can’t tell you how many times I was told that as Cricket is a Whippet she’d never be able to fetch. What’s a rabbit, if not a retrieve object?!)

Here’s how to get started!

Here’s an excerpt from Fetch It! Teach your Brilliant Family Dog to catch, fetch, retrieve, find, and bring things back! to get you going, and discovering that it really isn’t that difficult to turn your bored dog into an eager retriever!

Ready, get set, play!

The essence of this method is that it’s fun! It’s a game! So get your dog playing with you first. If she’ll tug, do that. If she’ll run after toys, do that - whether she brings them back or not. And if toys are not de rigueur yet, just run about and play chase and dodge with her. You want to get her heart rate up a bit so she doesn’t fall asleep when you want to work with her.

1. Where you start this is important. Skip the busy kitchen or distracting garden. The best place to start is the study, spare bedroom, or bathroom or any other small room which is free of distraction.

2. Kneel on the floor if you are able. This stops you looming over your dog, which many find very intimidating. Or you can sit so the dog is just in front of you.

3. Animate your chosen toy - at ground level. You want to simulate a rat or rabbit moving fast, then stopping to twitch its whiskers, then darting forward again. A kind of figure of eight movement on the floor around you will work. Watch your dog - he’ll suddenly plug into this movement as his instincts wake up. Then he’ll start to chase it.

4. He may start by pouncing on it, and using his feet to stop it. Keep it moving, jerking it away as he gets close, until he realises he can use his mouth for this. Let him catch it! And mark with a YES.

5. And immediately reward him with a treat to his nostrils, removing the toy as he releases it (you were still holding on to it!)

6. Repeat, repeat, repeat, till you are actually both holding the article for a moment before you ask for a release. This is your first session and will probably take you about three minutes. STOP! Don’t be tempted to carry on till your dog gets bored and loses interest! Remember we’re teaching, not testing. Put the toy away and have another go later.

What happens next? Ooh, you’ll have to nip over to Amazon and get the book! It goes into huge detail on catching, fetching, retrieving, tugging, how to start your assistance dog work, and even how to teach scentwork searches!

With plenty of reviews, it’s proving popular with people who want to have more fun with their dog. And it’s the basis of so many tricks, both fun and very useful.

Now, who’s going to fetch the car keys, pick up the post, and unload the washing machine for you?

Do you like to learn via video lessons? Check out the Brilliant Family Dog Academy where we get you going with some great tricks!

Have you taught your dog any dog tricks?

I well remember a couple who came to puppy class with their pup. They were very controlling and expected far too much of their youngster. When I told them in Week 1 that they’d be learning some tricks later in the course, everyone in the room was excited and enthusiastic - except for this pair.

They looked stony-faced and said, “We do not want our dog to do tricks.”

How sad!

What they completely failed to realise was that it’s all tricks for the dog! All of it!

SIT is a trick. DOWN is a trick. WALK BESIDE ME is a trick.

What we tend to label “tricks” are usually the things that aren’t necessary for daily life with your dog - but hugely enhance your relationship, and are FUN!

So SIT is a trick to your dog. And SIT PRETTY is just an extension of that trick. The big difference is how people respond to the dog. And if your dog can give you a Sit Pretty (Sit up and beg) on cue, this is guaranteed to produce smiles all round - including from your dog!

Hidden benefits

Now there are a lot of hidden benefits to these tricks.

Sit Pretty requires some body conditioning to achieve, and is particularly useful to teach correctly to long dogs and heavy dogs. It strengthens their back muscles and their balance, thus helping to avoid injuries.

Don’t forget that catching and retrieving is a useful and enjoyable trick to exercise your dog - and yourself!

And if your dog is focussing on waving his paws in the air for you, he can’t be stealing the cake, barking at the other dog, or losing interest in you and running off.

Add to this the fact that you can adapt the trick to the dog’s body shape and ability. So one dog will hold the paws up over her head, while another will dangle them prettily in front of her. It’s all a question of what works for you and your particular dog.

Here Rollo demonstrates he can even do it when sitting in a pond!

And you can make a start teaching your dog some tricks in the Brilliant Family Dog Academy! You’ll find the program introduced in this free Workshop.

Have a look at Trick Dog Champion Coco enjoying his performance here. And yes - look at that waving tail! He loves his tricks. And we use a lot of them daily.

Useful tricks!

Add to this the fact that many “tricks” are Assistance Dogs’ bread and butter. It’s not just for amusement, but is genuinely helpful.

Changing a duvet cover is hugely eased with a dog gently hanging on to the cover while you pull out the duvet.

And dragging the bedclothes off a teenager then jumping on them for a game is a great way to dig them out of their beds!

Picking up socks, pulling socks of your feet, fetching your shoes or jumper, loading and unloading the washing machine, collecting up the food bowls, tidying up their toys, handing you a tea-towel or the oven gloves when you need them - all very useful tricks.

How sad that that little dog at class was going to be denied this fun!

Dog Tricks! Fun for all of us

Coco Poodle has an announcement for you! 

He now has to be greeted with a touch of the cap and a bend of the knee. . . .

He has become TDCh Coco NTD ITD ATD ETD!

That’s to say he’s qualified as a Trick Dog Champion! The other alphabet (for he nearly has as many letters after his name as I do!) are Novice Trick Dog, Intermediate Trick Dog, Advanced Trick Dog, Expert Trick Dog.

I’m proud of my little poodle! He has always been a challenge with his hair-trigger responses and his reactivity, but those are part of who he is, and a contributing factor to how he learned so many tricks so fast.

He had to perform over 50 tricks to satisfy the examiners. Some of them we’ve been doing for years, and some were learnt specially for the occasion.

Here are a couple of old favourites: Sit Pretty and Take a Bow

Tricks are FUN!

I firmly believe everyone should teach their dog some tricks. That’s why they’re included in my Brilliant Family Dog Academy.

And remember, it’s all “tricks” to them! Sit is a trick, Wait is a trick, Stand still to have your harness put on is a trick, Picking up my dropped glove is a trick - but how useful!

So teaching a few tricks can contribute greatly to the harmony of your life with your dog. And you’ll certainly impress the socks off your visitors when you can mount a little performance of your tricks routine - always ending with Take a bow, of course!

People who see you having to managing your reactive dog on walks, will be delighted if your dog can give you a Sit Pretty, or a Paw Wave as you move off. You’ll become the star attraction of the neighbourhood, rather than its scourge!

And working in the non-pressured environment of teaching a trick - as long as you are endlessly patient - can do wonders for your own relationship with your dog. The trick can always be adapted to what you want: there’s no hard-and-fast rule of what a trick is. If it’s just for your pleasure, rather than competition, you do your thing!

And just look at the level of attention and anticipation you can get when you’re working with your dog. The whole enterprise should be such fun that your dog is a keen and willing learner!

Some tricks will suit your dog more than others. If your dog hates going on his back, then skip Roll over. If he’s always up on his back legs, then Dance and Up High are good options. A strong and fit young dog can even do “Press-ups” by going from Sit to Sit Pretty to Up High (stand tall) and back.

Some tricks can be “captured” - that is to say, you catch your dog doing a cute thing and put a vocal cue on it so it becomes a trick he can perform. Others you’ll need to build up slowly, stage by stage, till you get the completed sequence. Like Stacking beakers in the video below. First you teach your dog to pick things up, then to drop them, then where to drop them … and so on. Again, a useful trick, as either Lacy or Coco will stack the four bowls for me after they’ve all had dinner. 

Start ‘em young!

You can start teaching your puppy as soon as he comes through the door. It doesn’t matter what you teach, as long as you teach something. They’re like sponges for learning in these early weeks, and you want to make the connections in their brain that enable them to carry on learning all their lives.

Here’s Coco learning Paws up at 9 weeks. It happens to be a very useful trick, especially for a small dog. When I pick up Coco’s harness, he puts his paws up on my leg so I can fit it on without having to bend down and get it tangled up in his legs.

Here’s a video to show you some of the tricks Coco did to earn his title. You can see here how “they also serve who only stand and wait”!

Tell me - is learning how to teach your dog tricks something you’d like to do? Comment below, or email me direct here.

The magical connection of your hand-touch

This article first appeared on 2houndsdesign.com and is reprinted here with permission.

Holding hands is our way of showing affection to our loved ones. Our hands should always build trust - you never want to see a child or a pet flinching away from a hand!

I’d like to show you a quick and easy way to instil confidence in your dog - while getting her to fit in with what you want.

It’s the Hand-touch.

And you can use it to ask your dog’s permission to handle her, to put on her harness, to fall in beside you when you’re walking, to teach her tricks, to bring you the thing she’s carrying - once you have the hand-touch in your toolbox you’ll find ever more uses for it!

How to teach it? Oh, so easy!

More commonsense tips to be found in this free 8-lesson email course to get you started with your dog

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◆   Have a supply of small but tasty treats. Cheese or hot dog are always popular, just pea-sized pieces.

◆   Place a treat in the palm of your hand and hold it out to your dog at her nose-level to eat.

◆   Repeat a few times till she’s keen to engage in this hand-feeding game.

◆   Now, with the same rhythm you’ve just built up over several repetitions, offer her your hand without a treat in.

◆   She’ll smoosh her nose into your hand, look surprised to find nothing, then you instantly give her the treat with your other hand.

◆   No need to say anything much, except the odd “good girl,” or “Yay!”

◆   Repeat several times, till she’s pressing her nose to the palm of your hand, and even holding it there for a moment, before you give the treat.

◆   Keep this light, quick, and FUN!

◆   Once you’ve done a few sessions to consolidate the learning, you can move your hand slowly as your dog touches her nose to it - now you can have her follow your hand!

So how could you use this new hand-touch?

✓   Putting on her harness: Loop your harness over your wrist, offer your hand, and while she’s touching your palm you can drop the harness over her head.

✓   Re-direct her attention: Have her follow your hand to get through a narrow gap without tripping you over, or to guide her away from a clamouring child or a glaring dog when you’re out.

✓   Make contact for reassurance: like sports teamies do, whether they’ve won or lost the point.  

✓   Body-care: Ask for a hand-touch to give you permission to start grooming your dog, or checking her feet. If she doesn’t want it done, she’ll turn away from your hand. Time for you to find out how to make grooming more of a two-way thing, and comfortable!

✓   Follow your hand: Teach the Stand and the Down - just by getting your dog to follow your hand with her nose.

Now, what can you come up with? Post your ideas in the comments below!

More commonsense tips to be found in this free 8-lesson email course to get you started with your dog

THIS FREE ECOURSE IS A BONUS FOR YOU WHEN YOU SIGN UP TO RECEIVE EDUCATIONAL EMAILS AND OCCASIONAL OFFERS FROM ME. YOU CAN UNSUBSCRIBE AT ANY TIME.
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