Fun Behaviors to Teach Your Pet
 

worth sharing

Fun Behaviors to Teach Your Pet
By Yasmin Tajik

Okay, so you have the basics down such as sit, stay, down and come. How about taking it to the next level? Do you know someone whose pet knows a cool trick and wonder if your pet has the aptitude to learn more? Well, it's all in the training. Here are a few fun behaviors to teach your pet and to wow your friends with.

CRAWL
Teaching your dog to crawl is a fun activity that extends from the "down" behavior. Start with your pet in the down position. Place a treat directly in front of the pet's nose and pull it straight out in front of the animal. It is important to keep your hand parallel to the ground to avoid luring the dog into the standing position. Slowly pull the treat away from the dog, stopping if the dog stands up. Remember, we are only reinforcing the dog and stopping if the dog stands up. If the dog stands, simply replace the dog in the "down" position and start over. As you achieve success in the dog crawling 1-3 feet, immediately treat and praise. With more consistency in the behavior you can then add the verbal cue "crawl" and soon the dog will associate the "crawl" command with the behavior, thus diminishing the need for luring with a treat.

COVER EYES
Cover eyes is a fun behavior for both canine and owner. As a trainer, one has to be creative in approaching how to train new and innovative behaviors, and cover eyes is one of those. With your dog in a "sit" position, place a small piece of tape on the dog's muzzle (household tape works best - no heavy duty tapes please). The dog will most likely raise either front paw to remove the tape. At the time the paw comes in contact with its muzzle, immediately treat and praise. Repeat, until the dog associates the command with the cover eyes behavior. Again, once consistent, add a verbal cue such as "cover your eyes," or "are you shy?" This behavior is one that is unique and a sure hit at your next party.

PUT TOYS AWAY
Teaching a dog to put its toys away happens in several steps and it may take a period of time for each level of succession. The first and most important step is to begin with is getting the dog to fetch and return with an object. Start by throwing your dog's favorite toy and waiting for the pet to return with it in its mouth. This is the point where the struggle usually happens between dog and owner, almost to the stage of wrestling with the pet to give up the toy. It is very important at this point that we train the animal to easily and freely give up the toy for praise. Instead of pulling at the toy while still clenched by the dog's teeth, have a treat ready so that when the dog returns and drops the toy for the treat, you can then safely pick up the toy. Use a command such as "drop," "give," or "release." In addition to the dog learning how to give up objects, it helps reduce the chances of the animal becoming possessive of toys or other objects.

The next step is to have the dog place the object into your hand. When the dog returns from the fetch, position your hand to underneath its mouth so that when the object is dropped out of the mouth it lands directly into your hand. Again, treat and praise heavily so that the dog understands that the next step of progression is to return the object to your hand. This can be its own behavior by incorporating the command "in my hand" or "palm."

After successfully training "in my hand," the next step is to have the dog place the object into your hand while partially placed in a basket or toy bin. Make sure to have a different command when incorporating the basket so that the original behavior of "in my hand" is not lost or confused by the training of the new behavior. "in the basket," "toys away," or "clean up" are a few options for the last portion of this behavior. Again, have the dog return to you with an object in its mouth. With consistency of the dog dropping the toy into your hand, which is in the basket, add your desired command. Slowly remove your hand and the dog will then completely drop the toy into the basket upon command.

Keep in mind while training this behavior that each step must be successfully completed before moving on to the next step. It can take a period of time for complete success, however, in the process, you are gaining three behaviors in one. Each step can be used at isolated times and when combined, provide you with a wonderful behavior and one more helper around the house!
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those are cute. I will have to work with Kizzy on those. She will already stand and turn around for me, roll over, of course play the bang or dead trick, show me her tongue, give me 5 (for handshake) all on command. She is 5 months old and I of course, think she is so smart that she does all this already. she usually knows after I have her do it after 3 or 4 times. She also knows jump, sit, lay down, hush, speak, and no biting, bye bye, and wanna ride the golf cart. I can just say wanna ride the golf cart and she runs to the door and soon as we get outside she runs straight to it and hops in. And I have to practically drag her out. she can jump into the floor and on out but she lays down in the seat and wont budge.

I love those! I'm gonna try some of them! Thanks for the post!

Anybody have similarly clear instructions on how to teach "Bang, you're dead?"

I think I am going to include these in my puppy care and training instructions I thought they were fun, what a great way to bond with your pup.

That's a great idea. If you can show new dog owners how to teach a couple cool tricks, you'll probably light a fire for them to learn more.

I had already taught Kizzy to roll over so when I first started telling her bang. I would point my finger at her and say bang. Then I got in the floor with her and would point my finger at her, say bang and roll her over just on her back and hold her and put a cheerio in her mouth and let her up. After a few times constantly for about maybe 5 or 6 minutes (not sure on the time). I would sit on the couch and point my finger at her and say bang and she would roll over and I would stop her half way and say stay and put a cheerio in her mouth and let her up of course each time. and wasnt long i could just say bang and she would roll half way over with her paws up and stay, watching me the whole time for her cheerio and I would let her stay for a second or so before giving it to her. Of course this was just my way, I had no idea how its suppose to be done. I just try different things and she seems to catch on pretty quick. They are smart dogs. sometimes you just have to get in the floor and show em. or errr rather help them. lol . But you do have to be consistent several times. all along everyday I would do her this way. But I am here alone with just me and her most days and no children ,except days I have company or a lots going on and I have plenty of time with her unlike those that work or have children at home, But I remember those days too.

Awesome, thanks! Seems like a great way to do it.

the bang trick
 

I meant to include this pic of Kizzy doing the bang trick, but I hit send to quick.

LOL! That's so cute! I had a blast impressing friends and family with Eddie's obedience tricks, but something like that would be a show-stopper!

yes, everybody that comes in wants her to do it. I give them cheerios and let them have fun and she enjoys it because she gets more attn plus cheerios. lol

oh those are some cool tricks! I gotta teach the Evil Wee the shy one. How cute will that be!? I wish I could teach roll over or play dead. I cannot for the life of me get Dixie or Dougal to roll over.

My two are going barking mad as it's been raining and miserable for over a week!

get in the floor with them. take your hands and hold them around their bodies. Say, roll over then take them and roll them over and soon as you do, give them their favorite treat and praise them, keep doing this untill you can get them to lay down like their trying but not sure how to finish. when they get in the lay down position, just take your hands and roll them over, soon as their up, give them several bites of their favorite treats and praise praise praise. then keep helping them untill they get it. Now this is just my way, maybe to some its isnt their way but this is the way i've taught Kizzy and I've done this with 3 puppies we've had and it worked with all of them. goodluck. And once they do it on their own not only praise, praise praise but give them several bits of their favorite treats. Be consistent several times a day but not for long periods until you wear them out. Always use the term :roll over: or your term even when your helping them.

We're still struggling with distance, but here's Eddie's "crawl" after 2 or 3 days of playing with it. It's been fun. Thanks again for the post!

http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?use...9&ctime=192902

Thanks for the post. I work with Buddy for 1/2 every morning without fail.
We have been doing this for 2yrs. He can lay, sit, beg, roll over, come, stay,
give kisses, make eye contact forever unless I release him and I could not
think of anything else until I read your post. We have been working on the
crawl and he is getting it after three days. Still have work to do but we are
having fun learning it. Thanks again, Carol & Buddy