Dogs And Tricks

[koalathebear]

I never taught her to look up at me. That came naturally the more drive and focus we built. I'm not sure how it can be unnatural when the dog naturally offers the behaviour.

Daisy is so cute - the constantly wagging tail and the way she looks up at you for guidance. I also adore the chatting - sooo funny. I had never thought of beagles as happy-looking dogs because they often look so plaintive - but Daisy looks very happy while heeling

[PAX]

Spurred on by that video of the dancing dog . ( which I did not enjoy)

Just wondering.....

For many years I trained dogs to walk in harnesses, negotiate crowds, do all sorts of things so as to be Guides for folks with vision impairments.

I then trained dogs to walk with folks in wheelchairs, or with folks who were incapacitated due to strokes or other problems.I taught dogs to be stabilisers for folks with balance problems. I taught dogs to pick things up.. to press buttons/light switches etc.

What tricks does your dog do ?

Why did you teach that trick/those tricks in particular?

Was it something your dog gravitated naturally toward?

Did you teach as a pup, or as an older dog?

I started to train tricks when I first started with clicker training, trick traing adds no pressure to the handler, doesn't matter if you stuff it up, it's all just fun training.

IMO, to the dog, all taught behaviors are just tricks. how can the dog tell the difference between shaking hands and drop, just behaviors on cue. and all tricks.

I don't like the dancing salsa clip of the Goldie, it spends way too much time on it's hind legs. It is a poor example of dancing with dogs and does the sport no justice. If it was in a competition here (from the little bit I know) I think it would score badly.

Did not like it and felt really sad for the dog.

[PAX]

Can I also add, I train quite a few pet handlers, if the puppy or dog knows a trick or two, that dog moves from dumb dog to smart puppy. IMO this is a great thing, if people are proud of their dog they will put in the effort and keep training.

I also agree that there is a difference with laughing with joy with your dog and laughing at you dog. Dogs are smart, they get it.

[bedazzledx2]

I also hated the Salsa clip and yes Pax it would actually DQ in competition here. We are not allowed to dress the dogs in anything other than a pretty collar for a start. I haven't looked beyond the first few seconds of it as its something I really don't like. I judge DWD and some of the routines are stunning and always they are respectful to the dog. Agree with you about clicker and trick training...its actually really good for novice trainers to learn timing and observation.

I started to train tricks when I first started with clicker training, trick traing adds no pressure to the handler, doesn't matter if you stuff it up, it's all just fun training.

IMO, to the dog, all taught behaviors are just tricks. how can the dog tell the difference between shaking hands and drop, just behaviors on cue. and all tricks.

I don't like the dancing salsa clip of the Goldie, it spends way too much time on it's hind legs. It is a poor example of dancing with dogs and does the sport no justice. If it was in a competition here (from the little bit I know) I think it would score badly.

Did not like it and felt really sad for the dog.

[OSoSwift]

Many of the "tricks" I use I actually taught because they help to warm my dog up, jeep it supple and make sure I work the muscles equally on both sides.

Teaching tricks is a little more 'relaxed" for want of a better term than obedience. It is less exacting and if we make a boo boo it is no major drama.

I am not into dressing up and dogs and having them walk around on their back legs, but others may like it.

When I had Dobermanns it was hard for people to say they were awful nasty or vicious dogs when they were saying their prayers, spining and doing bang drop dead among other things. A bow when people clapped always went down well.

I think it helps the general public to sway more towards "liking" a dog of they do more trick like behaviour. Obedience is good, but you will get people attention more when they do tricks and cutsie things.

I also do not think a dog doing the tricks I do are distasteful or un-dog like. We enjoy it.

[PAX]

I used to have two Dobermann, I taught them to fetch me a tissue when I said Achoo!. Was a great trick and won the Dobes many friends. it was all just shaped by changing the fetch cue....just another behavior for the dogs but a trick for us.

[waffle]

I teach my dog tricks. I think it's good for him because it makes him concentrate, think and work for his treats. Also i find it pretty fun. Love it when he just gets what he's meant to do. And my friends always find it amazing when he does a trick so thats a bonus.

[Max#1]

Okay my trick training experience has been with two dogs - a mini poodle when I was a teenager and now a bc cross.

Both are (well the mini poodle is gone now) very smart dogs. But there's a huge difference in the perceived (as in, by me) willingness of the dog to do something for me, with Max (the bc cross) being far more interested/motivated in getting a reward. His initial response to my initial attempts at any kind of training has been what has spurred me on to keep going and learning more - for example, obedience training, more "tricks", and then dog sports. It seems to me that he really likes it.

Its an interesting psychological question I think. And I think all because we think the dog is happy doing tricks, is it necessarily so?

For example, my dog is ball-obsessed. But is it that he wants to play with the ball because he loves doing it - or because somehow he thinks it is what I want him to do?

Too deep for a sunny Saturday afternoon? I think so. Procrastinating hanging out the washing - ha!

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Fetch obsession

But is it that he wants to play with the ball because he loves doing it - or because somehow he thinks it is what I want him to do?

You could believe it's dog wanting to please you until you refuse to play and dog takes the fetch to someone else who will. Our family dog used to approach complete strangers with gigantic sticks. She had no reason to want to please them.

[MrsD]

I also hated the Salsa clip and yes Pax it would actually DQ in competition here. We are not allowed to dress the dogs in anything other than a pretty collar for a start. I haven't looked beyond the first few seconds of it as its something I really don't like. I judge DWD and some of the routines are stunning and always they are respectful to the dog. Agree with you about clicker and trick training...its actually really good for novice trainers to learn timing and observation.

That's exactly what I was going to say, I didn't know what clip it was but I guessed it was the goldie dressed up one which I absolutely loathe. It wouldn't get past the marshalling steward here because of the stupid ridiculous costume, but even if it did IMO it should be disqualified because of the amount of time it spends on it's back legs for a start.

I do Dances with Dogs & that video of the goldie makes me cringe to think that that is what people think of when DWD is mentioned.

Other than that I pretty much agree with everything Pax & huski said ;) .

[Kirty]

My dog will play fetch with anything (ball, fruit, stick, piece of rubbish) and anyone all day long. She LOVES to play. If nobody plays with her, she will throw a ball around for herself. She is definitely not doing to it please me because after I scream at her for dropping the ball under my feet as I step off the ladder, she brings it back again 2 seconds later..

[Muttaburra]

The motivation I would have for teaching a dog tricks would be more to do with mental stimulation for the dog. Mostly that involves extending natural behaviour of the dog or combining a series of short exercises into a longer one.

I agree with Kirty's post that it also can be a part of play, dogs will play together, so why not play and train as an enjoyable activity for people and dogs.

[Max#1]

Yeah I had the suspicion he really liked playing ball - and that it wasn't about me at all! I was curious about the opinions that would be offered I guess.

I do 'tricks' and 'training' mostly I think because I like spending time with my Puppy in an interactive way!

[rastus_froggy]

I have been thinking about this some more and I have come up with another reason I teach my dogs tricks, and sometimes it is because I want to see if I am able to figure out how to break a skill down and figure out how to teach it. Of course it is stimulating for the dog and great bonding but sometimes it is to challenge me. Like with one of my previous dogs I taught him scent detection (of almond oil ) pretty much just to see if I could teach a dog to scent detect!

[Kavik]

rastus froggy

So true! It is great for me and my training skills to see if I can break down an exercise to teach it. I did scent detection too for that reason (I used mint )

[RallyValley]

For those of you who trained scent detection do you think this would work-

My dad thinks it would be really helpful if Toby could detect where his golf balls landed in the paddock he uses as a driving range but challanged me to teach him this, I have accepted the challange as a mental stimulation task for Toby BUT was wondering would teaching Toby to find a scent (i.e almond oil) then getting dad to coat the golf balls with it then use that training be the way to go about it. :D

Also not to go too off topic- My dogs don't know many tricks but I have no problem with people who teach them. It makes dogs think and is good at teaching owners how to teach dogs. Yesterday I was shaping Toby to side step over a log - a trick yes I guess BUT for me it's teaching hind end awareness and getting him thinking abut all 4 feet which is good for agility. :D

[rastus_froggy]

For those of you who trained scent detection do you think this would work-

My dad thinks it would be really helpful if Toby could detect where his golf balls landed in the paddock he uses as a driving range but challanged me to teach him this, I have accepted the challange as a mental stimulation task for Toby BUT was wondering would teaching Toby to find a scent (i.e almond oil) then getting dad to coat the golf balls with it then use that training be the way to go about it. :D

Also not to go too off topic- My dogs don't know many tricks but I have no problem with people who teach them. It makes dogs think and is good at teaching owners how to teach dogs. Yesterday I was shaping Toby to side step over a log - a trick yes I guess BUT for me it's teaching hind end awareness and getting him thinking abut all 4 feet which is good for agility. :D

I wouldnt coat them in anything, I would just get him detecting on the scent of the balls, if your dad uses different brands I would train him with a variety as they may be made of different materials.

[RallyValley]

For those of you who trained scent detection do you think this would work-

My dad thinks it would be really helpful if Toby could detect where his golf balls landed in the paddock he uses as a driving range but challanged me to teach him this, I have accepted the challange as a mental stimulation task for Toby BUT was wondering would teaching Toby to find a scent (i.e almond oil) then getting dad to coat the golf balls with it then use that training be the way to go about it. :D

Also not to go too off topic- My dogs don't know many tricks but I have no problem with people who teach them. It makes dogs think and is good at teaching owners how to teach dogs. Yesterday I was shaping Toby to side step over a log - a trick yes I guess BUT for me it's teaching hind end awareness and getting him thinking abut all 4 feet which is good for agility. :D

I wouldnt coat them in anything, I would just get him detecting on the scent of the balls, if your dad uses different brands I would train him with a variety as they may be made of different materials.

Sounds like a plan! Will be a definate test of my shaping skills and a good practice for when it comes time to teach Lincoln articles for obedience.

[lanabanana]

My old dog Chevy used to do a number of tricks. She was taught them because she had a desire to learn. She loved to do stuff. We managed to get her to "bring us our ciggies" (I know terrible), and we did start with the light switch too but not sure where that one stopped. She did lots of other tricks too. She was taught a lot when she was about 1 or 2 years old. But her last trick she earned at 11 years old. We di it, because she loved it.

Barney's only real "trick" is to give high fives. He was taught this at about 2 years as he had a habit of pawing everyone in th eface and it was quite painful. He was taught to give high fives as a way of controlling the behavious and it worked. He now only paws when you ask for a high five.

Pippi doesn't do tricks...her ears dont actually serve any real purpose except to make her look cute LOL. Although she will dance, but this is something she does naturally anyway.