Any Tips On Doing This Trick?

[Rhi*Jak*Ed]

Hi all,

Well Jak has started 'Canine Good Citizen' classes and I take her every Sunday morning. This is week 3 for me, week 2 for her. On Sunday the lady who runs it asked if we could all teach our dogs a new trick to show off next Sunday. Well, I was hoping that we would be allocated the bang bang you're dead trick because Jak can already do all the components so I figured that teaching her a new command would be relatively easy. My lesson for thinking that was being allocated one where I have no idea where to start!

Her trick is this - she needs to be able to go and fetch me a tissue whenever I sneeze. YIKES! Jak LOVES paper of any kind, so much so that I can NEVER leave the toilet door open, she nicks off with the toilet paper and it's then scattered all over the house. Same goes with the toilet roll cardboard. Giving her access to tissues? ARGH!!!!

I'll be making a start tonight but can foresee going through a whole box, not really getting anywhere and just being left with a massive vaccuum job. haha. Does anyone have any advice on how to successfully teach this trick?

Thanks :-)

Rhi & Jak

[jaybeece]

Can you try to teach her to "hold" instead of straight out shredding the tissue each time? So if she's ever just holding it in her mouth, you can try to encourage that behaviour? Maybe distracting her while she has it in her mouth (ie, calling her to you with a favourite toy) would be enough for her to not eat it long enough to try and teach it?

I've had a similar issue with my dog investigating objects I'm holding so taught him "sniff" and "eat", now he knows there's 2 different responses to things he considers edible ;)

[Sarah L]

Hi rhi & jack, I am not sure if this will work but try the sneeze part of the trick first, put jack in the sit and pretend to sneeze reward when she looks at you. Do this for 2 days. After this get an empty tissue box and sneeze then point to the box and reward for her putting her nose on the box. Straight away pretend to sneeze again to distract her from picking the box up and taking off with it. Do this for 2 days. After this put 1 tissue in the box sneeze then point to the box. Now you can say get it and the minute she gets the tissue out the box put the treat staright under her nose she lets go of the tissue and you reward straight away. Doing it in these steps helps her assosiate that the tissue is part of a new game and not for shredding. When you are fininshed you trick training sessions put the box and all access to tissues away and play another game with her.

When she is used to dropping the tissue start to put in in other places and tell her to get it eg... your pocket with a bit of the tissue sticking out, pocking from from the edge of a drawer ect. each time you use the treat under her nose to reward her giving it up every time. Hope this helps you and best of luck. ;)

[miccar96]

hi

I know that paper tissues are more hygenic ;) , but could you use a cloth hanky ?

[haven]

Does your dog like paper more than she likes some kind of treat or toy? If you can find something more rewarding for her then teach her to make a swap, give her the paper and swap it for the treat/toy immediately, before she starts to chew it. Once she has the exchange down pat then id be putting the tissue in the box, getting her to take it from there and exchange for a treat etc etc.

[whatevah]

Why don't you change the trick to taking a hanky out of the tissue box, or out of someone's else's pocket.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFbZUmQoYU4