Tricks/ Commands For A Young Puppy?

[miss2]

With teaching a pup to do tricks do I need to wait till she has one perfected before starting on a new one or change it up a bit and teach them in a bunch?

Example – Stella knows sit, drop, and rollover. She does sit on a voice command and she is slowly learning drop and rollover on a voice command but she more looks for my hand signals. We have also started on ‘watch’ and ‘touch’ which once again she is doing well with hand signals for these but not so great with the voice commands.

I’m just wondering if I should go back to basics and perfect drop on a voice command and then go from there or continue as I am with working on all of them.

Thank you

Ps – I’m not sure if anyone who reads this read my previous post about how many problems I was having with my new pup but I’m pleased to say she is coming forward in leaps and bounds and is well and truly a part of our little family now :)

[Justrace]

great questions, I'll be watching for answers.

From training with my old girl, a really really long time ago, we aimed to get hand commands on their own, more than the voice commands. Great for when you are working long distances from your dog. Not sure if they do it that way anymore - things have changed a lot in the past 15 years

[The Spotted Devil]

Glad to hear things have improved!

I tend to work on LOTS of behaviours but each one separately (if in the teaching phase) and separated by a fun play session. The teaching part lasts a few minutes at the most with puppies - try during the TV ad breaks…not that I have TV reception but I find that stops my students from doing too much at once.

It is quite normal for dogs to be more sensitive to body language than verbal cues - that's what being a dog is all about! To ensure you are teaching a verbal cue properly…..give the verbal cue first (unknown cue), followed by the physical cue (known cue), mark the correct behaviour (e.g. verbal "yes") and treat. The mistake most people make is to say the verbal cue at the same time as they give the physical cue - the dog does not hear the verbal cue because it is so focussed on your hand. Do it the way I've suggested and they will quickly learn to predict that the unknown cue means that the known cue (and reward!) will follow. DON'T teach a verbal cue until your pup has absolutely nailed the behaviour (either shaping or in response to physical cue). With pups now I reward a LOT of offered sits before I ever introduce the verbal cue.

Hope that helps :)

Edited October 29, 2014 by The Spotted Devil

[Tassie]

+1 for what TSD said. :D

And I would add .... if you can - try to think in terms of 'cues'- signals/words which will be associated with particular behaviours (actions on the pup's part) - rather than 'commands'. Sounds a bit hair-splitting and airy-fairy I know, but you'll find it helps to set your thinking to a state where if the pup doesn't 'get' it or do what you expect - he's not disobeying a command (dog problem) - he just hasn't learnt the cue thoroughly yet (trainer problem :D )

You might have fun watching some of the teaching that Emily Larlham has on her kikopup Youtube channel. There are lots of others, but I really like the way she goes about things.

Have fun.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

bed to bed or mat to mat, go to your mat...

fetch

stand

spin, twist the other way

hand shake

other hand

"re inforcment zone" ie reward dog for being next to your left leg... can put a cue on like "heel" or "other side" for right side heel

Come

or here

out (as in out of the kitchen before I drop water on you) but go to your mat outside the kitchen might be easier.

hold

hold and tug

shut the door (comes after hand touch)

Speak (especially for getting out the back door)

ring ring

find it (put treat under old facewasher)

go round (the sulo bin or milk crate or other thing that won't hurt if he crashes into it)

As your puppy gets good at any of your tricks - add distractions like people moving by or sit on the floor instead of standing up (you), or by adding squeaky toy or noisy children or change the location eg in the lounge, in the bedroom, in the dunny, out in the back yard, in the front yard, down the park, down the park while footy is on... beware of foraging down the park...

[miss2]

Top tips thank you all very much! :)