Read an Excerpt
The Best Dog Tricks on the Planet
106 Amazing Things Your Dog Can Do On Command
By Babette Haggerty Page Street Publishing Co.
Copyright © 2013 Babette Haggerty and Barbara Call
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-62414-005-1
CHAPTER 1
BUILDING BLOCKS
Ready, set, go! You and Rover are about to set off on a fun and exciting adventure that will bring the two of you closer together and give you plenty of fodder for entertaining your friends and family!
Every successful adventure requires planning, practicing and preparing. You wouldn't set out to join the circus without learning to fly on a trapeze or juggle, right? So it is with dog training and obedience. Before you can successfully jump into teaching your dog most of the tricks in this book, you need a strong set of behavioral fundamentals in place. A dog that sits, stays, comes and so on is a well-socialized dog, a dog other people will be comfortable around and a dog that's ready to learn.
This chapter teaches fundamental building-block commands. Once your dog has mastered these tricks, meaning he can do them reliably and consistently with voice and/or hand commands alone, you'll be prepared for the adventure ahead. Practice makes perfect, too. In the same way that you'd practice walking on a tightrope before performing in front of an audience, practicing the building-block commands, even once you and your dog are off and running, is essential. If Rover starts to get sloppy or cut corners, revisiting the fundamentals is critical.
Let's not forget adventures are supposed to be fun! A big part of your and your dog's success in learning anything involves having a good time. Tap into your dog's natural enthusiasm for playing and pleasing you and you're halfway there. Let's get started!
SIT
Just about every dog knows how to sit, even young puppies! Teaching your dog Sit is quick and easy. Any dog can master this basic training in just a few hours, provided you use the correct technique.
* HAND SIGNAL
* VERBAL CUE: "Sit"
* TOOLS: Praise
* AVG. TIME: 3-5 Days
* DIFFICULTY: Beginner
STEP-BY-STEP
1. Place your dog next to you, on your left-hand side.
2. Turn slightly towards him and bring his muzzle up with your right hand under his chin; his nose should end up pointing to the sky. Caress his back with your left hand. Move your left hand towards his hindquarters and tell him, "Sit."
3. If your dog resists, just hold steady. As you are placing him into this position, you are shifting his weight, which helps place him into a sitting position.
4. As soon as he sits, give him lots of love and praise. Your hands are already on him so the timing for your praise will be perfect. Practice six to eight times a day for three to five days.
ADVICE FROM THE EXPERT
Contrary to common thinking, pushing your dog's rear end down isn't the best way to teach Sit. Instead? Teach him to shift his weight, which is the natural movement towards a seated position.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem: Your dog isn't responding.
Solution: Beware of repeating the Sit command over and over. Instead, back up and repeat the steps. Tell the dog to sit once and only once. Make eye contact and use a firm voice.
STAY
Teaching Stay is important and not just because it's the opposite of Come. A dog that stays is a dog that's listening and that's the key for success in all training situations. Stay is combined with other commands for Sit-Stay (step 8 below), Stand-Stay (step 9 below) and Down-Stay (Down, step 5, here).
* HAND SIGNAL
* VERBAL CUE: "Stay"
* TOOLS: Praise
* AVG. TIME: 3-5 Days
* DIFFICULTY: Beginner
STEP-BY-STEP
1. Put your dog on the leash and have him Sit. Stand in the heel position (see box, here). Place a flat hand in front of his face and tell him, "Stay."
2. Slowly swing around to stand in front of him, blocking any forward motion with your left leg. Tell him, "Stay" and show him your hand signal.
3. Slowly back away, one step at a time, telling him, "Staaaaayyyy." As you back up, slowly let the leash out.
4. If he gets up, step in quickly, pick up the leash and say, "No. Staaaayyyyy."
5. Start moving in towards him. When you get close to him, put your left hand on his left cheek and slowly circle around behind him.
6. As you circle around behind him, make certain that you maintain eye contact and constant contact with his cheek. This keeps him staying put, and you keep the praise coming while he stays.
7. Once you come all the way back into Heel position, release and give him lots of love and praise.
8. Practice three to five times a day. By day five your dog should have the trick down pat. Then move on to the two commands to teach him Sit-Stay.
9. Similar steps can be taken to teach the dog Stand-Stay. There is no specific Stand position; the goal is simply to have the dog standing in place.
ADVICE FROM THE EXPERT
Your dog follows your body language. This is a trick that requires a calm, relaxed posture. Use a firm but quieter tone instead of your happy, energetic voice. Keep in mind that Stay is the opposite of what just about every dog wants to do, so a relaxed stance and calm voice is essential.
COME
Come is one of the most important obedience commands. I'm sure you can think of situations where you need your dog to Come in order to stay safe or avoid conflict. I don't recommend issuing Come with your dog off the leash until he's completely reliable responding to Come on the leash in an enclosed area.
* HAND SIGNAL
* VERBAL CUE: "Come"
* TOOLS: Praise
* AVG. TIME: 3-5 Days
* DIFFICULTY: Beginner
STEP-BY-STEP
1. Work in a fenced area where your dog can't run off or get easily distracted. Place your dog on the leash. Have him Sit-Stay (Stay, step 8, here). Hold onto the leash, walk to the end of the leash and turn to face him.
2. Place your left arm out to the side and bring it to your right shoulder. As you do that, in a happy voice say, "Come."
3. As he comes over, start backing up, even breaking into a little backwards jog, encouraging him to follow you.
4. Once he gets to you, give him lots and lots of praise.
5. Practice three to five times a day; by day five your dog should come on command.
TEACHING YOUR DOG TO HEEL
Start with your dog on a leash and sitting on your left side. Pat your thigh so it makes a slapping noise (eventually he will associate that sound with Heel) and start walking with your left foot first. Walk at your pace, not the dog's pace. Say, "Heel, good dog" every few seconds in a calm voice while slapping your thigh. Use the leash as needed to keep him on your left side and keep his attention.
Practice this several times a day for a week. Remember to correct Rover if he starts to drift away or becomes distracted.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem: Your dog is distracted and wants to go elsewhere.
Solution: Use his name to get his attention and use your happy voice. If this doesn't work, don't let him get away with it. You need to follow through and give him a leash correction (above).
DROP IT
Drop It is an important obedience command, not just so you can play throw-and-retrieve the stick, but also in case Rover picks up something he shouldn't (a glove or slipper) or even something dangerous (a chocolate bunny). Have patience and use lots of praise. If your dog values the item you're asking him to drop, remember it's his natural tendency to hold onto it. Dogs can be very possessive!
* HAND SIGNAL
* VERBAL CUE: "Drop it"
* TOOLS: Praise and Clicker
* AVG. TIME: 5-7 Days
* DIFFICULTY: Beginner
STEP-BY-STEP
1. Put your dog on the leash and give him a stick or toy. Tell him, "Drop It." When he won't let go of it, give a little tug on the leash and tell him, "Drop it."
2. If he still won't Drop It, correct him more strongly.
3. Once he spits it out, you can click and give him lots of praise.
4. Repeat three to five times a day for five to seven days.
ADVICE FROM THE EXPERT
Don't be tentative when teaching this trick. Be firm, say, "Drop it" once, and use a calm voice. Be gentle; not aggressive, but assertive. After all, you're the boss.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem: Your dog won't let go of the object.
Solution: Cradle his muzzle firmly but gently in your right hand and say, "Drop it." If this doesn't work, you can pry his mouth open with your left hand and take the object out of his mouth. Then start over with the step-by-step training sequence.
Problem: Your dog drops the object, but when you reach down to pick it up he lunges in and grabs it.
Solution: This has to be corrected, not only to show him that it's not allowed, but also because you or someone else might get nipped by accident when he tries to grab the object. To correct him, put him in a Sit-Stay (Stay, step 9, here) and use a firm voice to tell him, "No." Then start over with the step-by-step, but put him into a Sit-Stay before you ask him to drop it until he masters the concept. Be patient. Learning to curb his enthusiasm and calmly sit down may take time!
DOWN
Teaching Rover Down taps into his natural need for resting and sleeping, something all dogs do, especially after big excursions. Mastering this trick also means your dog knows who is boss (you). Last but not least, this obedience command is the building block for a variety of fun tricks later in the book, including Dead Dog and Roll Over.
* HAND SIGNAL
* VERBAL CUE: "Down"
* TOOLS: Praise and Treats
* AVG. TIME: 3-5 Days
* DIFFICULTY: Beginner
Show the dog the treat as you move your hand to the ground.
STEP-BY-STEP
1. Start your dog in Sit. Take a treat and show it to him in your hand.
2. Starting above his head, bring your closed hand down past his face, then put the treat on the ground. As you do this, tell him, "Doooowwwwwnnn."
Reward him with the treat and lots of praise.
3. As he follows your hand, wait until he is all the way down before you give him the treat.
4. If he brings his rear end up, just wait him out, keeping your hand on the ground, waiting for him to go down. Once he goes down give him the treat and lots of praise.
5. After he's mastered Down, add Stay to teach Down-Stay. Build up to longer periods of time in the Down-Stay position before rewarding him.
6. Practice three to five times a day for three to five days.
ADVICE FROM THE EXPERT
Practice makes perfect. Down and Down-Stay are perfect examples of where you can build success with repetition. Start by having your dog stay down for one minute, then two minutes, and so on. Eventually build up to thirty minutes in Down-Stay. You can check your email while he waits!
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem: Your dog's crouching above the ground, ready to jump up.
Solution: Use a calm and firm tone to tell him, "Down." If he's sitting Sphinx-like stroke his back to help him relax and release.
Problem: Your dog pops up from the Down position as soon as you reward him with a treat.
Solution: If you've got a very food-focused pup then use praise as the reward instead of food.
SPEAK
Most dogs bark, sometimes for protection and other times out of excitement. Take note of what excites your dog. Is it hunger? The words "go for a walk"? Tap into his enthusiasm and your success is practically guaranteed! Once Rover has mastered Speak you can move to a whole assortment of fun and useful tricks, such as Bark to Go Out and the entertaining Do Your Arithmetic.
* HAND SIGNAL
* VERBAL CUE: "Speak"
* TOOLS: Praise and Treats
* AVG. TIME: 5-7 Days
* DIFFICULTY: Intermediate
STEP-BY-STEP
1. Hold a treat in front of Rover and teasingly say, "Speak, speak!"
2. Let him get excited and once he barks, even a half bark, tell him, "Good dog!" and give him the treat as well as lots of love and praise.
3. Practice three to five times a day for five to seven days. Every time he barks (e.g., for the doorbell, at another dog) tell him, "Speak, good boy, speak!"
ADVICE FROM THE EXPERT
This is easier to teach with a hungry dog, as you're more likely to get him to bark!
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem: Your dog isn't a natural barker.
Solution: Here's my method for encouraging him to speak. Use the leash to tie him to a post or handrail. Stay a few feet away, longer than the leash length, and tease him. Dangle his favorite treat, but make sure he can't get to you. Being restrained will antagonize and frustrate him, making him more likely to use his vocal chords! If Rover gives you even a fraction of a sound, whether it's a whine, a bark or a friendly growl, give him lots of praise, click, treat and say, "Good dog."
DEAD DOG
I once trained a dog whose owner advised the Republican Party. I taught his dog to play Dead Dog whenever my client would ask, "Would you rather be a Democrat or a dead Republican?" This is a fun trick to learn. Once your pup has it mastered, use your imagination to create a script that will get your friends laughing!
* HAND SIGNAL
* VERBAL CUE: "Dead dog"
* TOOLS: Praise
* AVG. TIME: 5-7 Days
* DIFFICULTY: Beginner
STEP-BY-STEP
1. Get Rover into the Down position. Start stroking him so he relaxes. Stroke along his side telling him, "Dead dog, stay, dead dog, stay."
2. Keep calmly telling him this as you lightly stroke him along his side and gently push him to lie down on his side. The more you practice this the longer he will stay. Once he's lying on his side give him lots of praise. Refrain from using treats as a reward because you don't want to excite him.
3. Practice three to five times a day for five to seven days.
ADVICE FROM THE EXPERT
Your dog needs a solid Down-Stay (Down step 5, here) for this trick, so practice until he'll stay in the Down position for at least five minutes. Make sure it's a true Down with hips askew, not sitting up in a Sphinx-like position.
Once you've mastered this trick, try stitching together a full skit. You can set up a funny military scenario: Duck and Cover, Army Crawl, play Dead Dog (this trick) and even On Your Back.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem: Your dog won't roll over onto his side.
Solution: Rover needs to be very relaxed to learn this trick, so start by quieting your tone and body language. Make sure your environment is free of distractions — no ringing doorbells or cell phones to rev him up!
SIT PRETTY
Sit Pretty has great entertainment value on its own and serves as the backbone for many other tricks. It also helps you stay in close physical contact with your dog and uses that contact as the reward. Once he Sits Pretty on his own, you can toss him a little treat!
* HAND SIGNAL
* VERBAL CUE: "Paw up, Sit pretty"
* TOOLS: Praise and Treats
* AVG. TIME: 7-8 Days
* DIFFICULTY: Intermediate
Have your dog sit in front of you while you hold a treat in your hand.
Bring your knee up and move the treat upwards.
Tell him "Paws up" to move his paws onto your knee.
Stand behind him as he builds the muscle strength to sit alone.
STEP-BY-STEP
1. Start with your dog in Sit. Hold a treat in front of him.
2. Raise your knee up, raise the treat up, and tell him, "Paws up" (see box, here). The goal is for him to place his front paws onto your knee.
3. Once he can consistently do Paws Up to your knee, get behind him and stand in a Charlie Chaplin stance, with your heels touching and feet facing out. Position your dog between your feet, keep your heels touching, and tell him, "Sit."
4. Gently place your hand under Rover's rib cage and start moving his body up to you, so his front paws are off the ground. Keep him in that position for just a few seconds, saying, "Sit pretty." Repeat over a few days to slowly build up his muscles to where he can hold the position for longer periods of time. Give him lots of love and praise as you use your hands to reward and massage him.
5. Transition to holding his paws up in front of you and saying, "Sit pretty."
6. Last, encourage your dog get into the Sit Pretty position on his own. Reward him with a treat.
7. Practice three to five times a day for seven to eight days. This will come easier to some dogs than others.
ADVICE FROM THE EXPERT
Keep in mind that the alignment of your dog's legs, body and head are essential to his ability to balance. Move away from him very slowly and carefully before you leave him sitting alone.
PAWS UP
1. Sit in a chair with your knees at the right height for your dog's paws or find a table that is appropriate for your dog's height. If you have a small dog you can use an ottoman.
2. Tap your knees or the table and tell your dog, "Paws up." Encourage him up, and as soon as he puts his paws up, give him a treat and praise him.
3. Do this six to ten times the first time, then repeat two to three times for a few days. You won't need to repeat this many times for your dog to reliably respond.
WALK ON HIND LEGS
Everybody loves a dancing dog and this trick showcases your pup's happy attitude! The great thing about Walk on Hind Legs is where you can take it after your dog has it mastered: Pirouette, Walk on Hind Legs Forward and Backward and Push a Carriage.
* HAND SIGNAL
* VERBAL CUE: "Dance"
* TOOLS: Praise and Treats
* AVG. TIME: 10-14 Days
* DIFFICULTY: Intermediate
Hold the treat in front of your dog's nose. Slowly move the treat upward.
Encourage him up onto his hind legs using the treat.
Reward the upward movement!
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Best Dog Tricks on the Planet by Babette Haggerty. Copyright © 2013 Babette Haggerty and Barbara Call. Excerpted by permission of Page Street Publishing Co..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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