Yorkie Tricks?

[fasteddie]

Heheheh... Yoda actually pooped in our living room back in our condo. Since the carpet was a muddy gray/dark color, we didn't notice it for 2 days! Luckily it didn't smell that bad and we didn't step in it.

It just takes time for them to understand that they need to poop in certain places. Yoda has been great lately, always pooping outside on our patio or in the grass when we go for walks. Today, I took him to work and he just pooped on the hard vinyl floor in the bathroom, rather than on the carpet. We were so proud. However, he is being one fussy, whiny boy now...

[fasteddie]

How did you teach Otis the BANG trick? Or to start perhaps PLAY DEAD? Yoda is too active for us, he's never still, and doesn't much like laying on his back with paws in air...

[MikeM]

Originally Posted by fasteddie

How did you teach Otis the BANG trick? Or to start perhaps PLAY DEAD? Yoda is too active for us, he's never still, and doesn't much like laying on his back with paws in air...

I think Junebug started by having him sit, and then cradling a treat in her hand. As she moved the treat over his head and back behind him, it naturally made him fall back.

And the repetition of saying the word "Bang!" at the same time as he gently rolled back allowed him to eat the treat if he did it all the way. With practice, he was able to do it without a treat at the end.

Either that, or Otis is a total wuss, and just saying the word "BANG!" makes him scared anyway.

[fasteddie]

Hahah.. we've been trying for a bit without treats, definitely need to start practicing a lot WITH treats.. Thanks Mike!

[Junebug]

That's the technique for "Roll Over," Mikem! hehehe...

THE "BANG" TRICK:

Make your hand into the shape of a gun (index finger pointing, thumb up, and last three fingers curled), but hide a liver treat or graduate in the three curled fingers. Let Yoda know that there's a treat in your hand.

With me so far?

Have Yoda sit or stand still. Place your thumb near his nose and your pointed index finger near his neck/behind his ear area, and he will autmatically try to turn his head to get that treat you're hiding in your thee fingers. While he's turning his head, push down, keep pushing, keep pushing gently until he's on his side, head on the ground in the "playing dead" position. This whole time, he should be trying to get that treat and not even realizing you're making him lie on his side. DO NOT GIVE THE TREAT TO HIM.

Important tip: Only release the treat from those three fingers when he is in that final position. DO NOT LET HIM GET BACK UP. He should know he only gets rewarded when he's lying on his side.

Do that a whole bunch of times, and soon Yoda will recognize the gun-looking hand signal to mean "play dead" and you can incorporate the word "BANG."

Hope you understood those diretions.

[fasteddie]

I'm giving Yoda Mommy a look at these directions. I don't follow directions too well. :P

Thanks Junebug!!!

[fasteddie]

Wow, Junebug, it WORKS! It REALLY WORKS!

Yoda is now great at "BANG"! Thanks a bunch... what other tricks are you gonna teach us Yorkie owners how to train our Yorkies to do! :P

[Higgin's Mom]

Well, we have a problem.....

Where you say "Have [Yoda] sit or stand still." There is no way I can get Higgins to DO that!!! He has two speeds: asleep and warp speed. There is no sitting......sigh......Hopefully he will get better as he gets older......I think he has puppy ADHD!

[fasteddie]

Uh oh! It takes a lot of patience. I think Yoda got really good at staying still because he begs us for food so much. We usually give in, too, and give him a little bit of bread, or any non oily or non salty foods...

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by Higgin's Mom

There is no sitting......sigh......Hopefully he will get better as he gets older......I think he has puppy ADHD!

Sitting is easy AND fun!! And I KNOW Higgins will learn it because the more hyper the dog, the easier he will be to teach.

Here are the instructions for "SIT."

Have a ton of treats handy that Higgins loves. Let him know you have one in your hand.

Move the treat upwards and backwards over Higgins' head, keeping it close to his nose. Move the treat backwards between his eyes only an inch above his head, saying "SIT."

As Higgins lifts his head to follow the food, he will sit down. The second his butt his the ground, give him his reward!

The reason why this method works is it's impossible for dogs to look directly upwards without sitting down because of the way their spine is structured. (I learned that at puppy training school.)

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by fasteddie

Wow, Junebug, it WORKS! It REALLY WORKS!

Wow! I'm glad it works! I was afraid you wouldn't understand those crazy instructions!

Remember to mix it up and sometimes make him do it without a treat....or he'll get to be a smartypants and only do tricks for treats. But always, always praise!

GOOD BOY, Yoda!!

[fasteddie]

Hee hee, I think you need to write a book on Yorkie tricks for their DUMMY owners (like me)! Thanks, yeah, we do mix it up, he responds a bit better to it for Mommy than Daddy, but he'll learn I'm sure.

[yorkipower]

Originally Posted by krissey

Have you guys and gals trained your babies to do any tricks? And if so, how do you train them? I need to train my baby before it's too late..

Krissey - what do you mean "too late"? I've trained a 13 year old rescue Yorkie with a heart condition to roll over and wiggle her paws when I squeeled "Tessie Blue!"

RETRAINING is much harder, but training can be done whenever. I can elaborate if you're interested . . . wink, wink.

What is it you want to teach your dog?

[fasteddie]

I know this is an old thread, but the BANG! trick by Otis (and taught by Junebug) is one of the coolest tricks ever (in my opinion), so this may interest some of the newer YorkieTalk members! Enjoy, and thank Junebug!

[aimee]

Originally Posted by yorkipower

Krissey - what do you mean "too late"? I've trained a 13 year old rescue Yorkie with a heart condition to roll over and wiggle her paws when I squeeled "Tessie Blue!"

RETRAINING is much harder, but training can be done whenever. I can elaborate if you're interested . . . wink, wink.

What is it you want to teach your dog?

Absolutely! We trained Sandy when we got her and she was an older dog as well. She knows many commands, and will probably learn more once we get Tia past the basics. Dogs are amazingly smart animals!

I love it when older threads get brought back!