3 Kneel on the ground with your head down and the hoop touching your stomach and pointing straight up. Turn your head so you can still see your dog.
4 Gradually rise up, with one foot on the ground and your hands holding the hoop about shoulder width apart. Keep your head down and the hoop pointing toward the sky.
5 In its final form, you’ll be bent over with straight legs and the hoop pointing upward. To get into this position, put the hoop over your head and hold it parallel to the ground, touching your stomach. Position your feet apart for stability. Widen your hands on the hoop and bend over as if looking at your shoes.
WHAT TO EXPECT: This trick never fails to get “oohs” and “aahs!” When using a small hoop, your dog may step on your back.
PREREQUISITES
Hoop jump (page 125)
Jump over my back (page 110)
TROUBLESHOOTING
I GOT KICKED IN THE HEAD!
Keep your head down. Turn you head sideways if you need to make eye contact with your dog.
MY DOG CAN’T JUMP THAT HIGH
Execute the trick as in step four, while on one knee.
MY DOG JUMPED ON MY BACK AND STAYED THERE!
What a wonderful trick! Teach that behavior while your dog is offering it, and come back to the full jump another time.
TIP! Encourage your dog to trust you—be honest, be fair, be consistent.
STEPS:
1 Have your dog jump through a large hoop.
2 Encircle the hoop with the arm closest to your dog.
3 With the hoop touching your stomach, turn your head to look at your dog.
4 Rise to one foot and widen your arms on the hoop.
5 Get into position by placing the hoop against your stomach, feet apart…
hands apart…
and bend over until the hoop is straight up.
advanced
Disobedient Dog—Under the Hoop
TEACH IT:
In this comedy routine, after an impressive introduction, you command your dog to jump through the flaming hoop! He instead crawls under it.
1 Set your hoop to a height higher than your dog normally jumps. He will be tempted to jump through it, but guide him carefully to instead walk under it.
2 Set your dog on one side of the hoop while you stand on the other. Lift your toe and show him as you place a treat underneath. Instruct him to lie down, and then to crawl (page 144) under the hoop. Lift your shoe as he approaches to allow him to take the treat. You may have to keep repeating “down” and “crawl” throughout his travel.
3 Keep practicing as you gradually lower the height of the hoop and introduce the verbal cue.
4 In your performance, use a target object (page 145) to have your dog return to his original spot. Repeat this trick several times before telling your dog that the cute French poodle has just joined the audience, and subtly signaling him to jump the hoop’s center. What a finale!
WHAT TO EXPECT: Your performance skill will be key to pulling this trick off. While your audience is distracted by your showmanship, your dog will take his cue from your lifted toe and your verbal cue “through the hoop,” which he understands to mean “crawl under the hoop.”
PREREQUISITES
Crawl (page 144)
Touch a Target (page 145)
TROUBLESHOOTING
MY DOG JUMPS THROUGH THE HOOP
Before giving your command, direct your dog’s attention down toward the treat under your shoe.
BUILD ON IT! Continue this theme by teaching the world’s dumbest dog trick (page 64).
“When I perform at the circus, I’m scared of the tigers. I know they’re there because I can smell them.”
STEPS:
1 Lure your dog to walk under the hoop.
2 Show your dog as you place a treat under your foot.
Instruct him to crawl until he is able to take the treat.
3 Lower the height of the hoop.
4 Have your dog return to his original spot by using a target object.
A little showmanship and your audience will be in stitches over your disobedient dog!
expert
Rolling Hoop Dive
VERBAL CUE
Get it!
TEACH IT:
This flashy trick is also a great workout for your dog. As hoops are sped across the grass your dog chases them and dives through their centers!
1 Hold a large hoop in front of you and have your dog hoop jump (page 125).
2 Walk forward holding the hoop in front of you low to the ground, and accustom your dog to jumping through a moving object.
3 As you walk forward, send the hoop rolling in front of you a short distance and use an excited tone to tell your dog to “get it, hup!” Your dog may run to the hoop, and run back to you, not understanding. Keep alternating between walking with the hoop and sending it rolling. This is the hardest stage of learning, so keep up the enthusiasm!
4 This next step is training for you! Practice throwing a hoop fast and straight by balancing it on your collarbone as you grip the bottom underhanded. Concentrate on letting it roll out of your wrist.
5 Are you ready for the big time? Try multiple hoops. Assuming you are right handed, start with your dog on your left and throw your first hoop. Just before your dog runs through it, send the next hoop flying 90 degrees clockwise of the first. This will cause your dog to approach that hoop from the side, which will be easier for him. Keep throwing hoops in a clockwise direction until your dog has made a full circle! Way to shoot those hoops!
WHAT TO EXPECT: Dogs with a strong prey drive will love this trick. The chase is often reward enough that the dog does not need treats to be enthused. Quick-learning dogs will take several weeks before they are running through their first hoop.
PREREQUISITES
Jump through a hoop (page 125)
TROUBLESHOOTING
MY DOG KNOCKS THE HOOP OVER
A perpendicular angle of approach will help. Try the multiple hoop circle described in step five.
MY DOG IS SCARED
The secret is to engage his prey drive so that it outweighs his fear. His prey drive will increase with use.
BUILD ON IT! When your dog misses, teach him to go through a hoop lying on the ground (page 138).
TIP! Empty a water-filled hoop for a lightweight hoop that easily breaks apart at the seam if your dog gets tangled.
“I close my eyes when I dive through the hoop.”
STEPS:
1 Have your dog jump in front of you.
2 Get your dog used to jumping through a moving hoop.
3 Roll the hoop a short distance as you walk.
4 Balance the hoop on your collarbone. Hold it underhanded.
Roll the hoop down your arm and off your wrist.
5 Throw multiple hoops in a clockwise circle.
intermediate
Through a Hoop Lying on the Ground
VERBAL CUE
Go through
TEACH IT:
Your dog maneuvers his way through a hoop lying on the ground. Dogs may invent different methods, any of which are acceptable.
1 Warm up with a few hoop jumps (page 125). Lower the hoop toward the floor, angling the top edge toward your dog so that he has to lower his head to walk through.
2 Next, warp or kink your hoop so that it does not lie flat on the ground. Lift the leading edge to show your dog a familiar angle, and then lie it back down and instruct him to “go through.” Hopefully, your dog will poke his nose under the kink and push his way under. You may have to reward your dog merely for poking his nose through, and work your way up to a full walk-through.
3 Over time, your dog will figure out which method works best for him; lifting the leading edge, the trailing edge, or even picking up the leading edge with his mouth and ducking under. The transition to a flat hoop shouldn’t be too difficult.
WHAT TO EXPECT: This trick is easier to teach than you might expect, and it is impressive to
watch! Practice every day and in a few weeks your dog should have the hang of it!
PREREQUISITES
Hoop jump (page 125)
TROUBLESHOOTING
THE HOOP SLIDES AWAY FROM MY DOG
Grass works best when learning this skill, as other slippery surfaces may cause the hoop to slide.
MY DOG FETCHES THE HOOP INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH
Your dog is eager and confused. Don’t acknowledge the fetch, but keep prompting your dog to “go through.”
TIP! Hoops come in different sizes, or make your own with irrigation tubing and connectors from the hardware store.
“Things that scare me: kitty in a bad mood, cotton balls. Nothing good ever happens with cotton balls.”
STEPS:
1 Warm up with low hoop jumps.
Set the hoop on the floor and angle it toward your dog.
2 Warp the hoop and lift it up slightly.
3 Dogs use different methods. Here, Chalcy lifts the leading edge,
balances the hoop upright,
ducks her head down,
and runs through!
intermediate
Paper-Covered Hoop
VERBAL CUE
Hup or crash
TEACH IT:
In this dramatic trick, your dog crashes through a paper-covered hoop.
1 A 24” (61 cm) embroidery hoop found at fabric shops offers a quick method of securing paper within a hoop. Practice a few hoop jumps (page 125) with it. Keep the hoop low to the ground, as it is smaller than a regular hoop and harder for your dog to clear.
2 Attach some tissue paper to the top edge of the hoop, putting a few rips in it so it doesn’t look like a solid panel. Build your dog’s confidence as he goes through.
3 Secure a sheet of tissue paper all the way across the hoop and tear a big hole in the middle. Use a treat to coax your dog through the hole. It may be easier to get him to walk through rather than jump. Praise him excitedly when he tears through the paper. Have him do a few more jumps through the hoop with the torn paper still hanging from it.
4 Attach a new piece of tissue paper to the hoop. This time, just make a small hole. Later, make just a slit.
5 Before you know it, your dog will be comfortable breaking through the paper on his own! Use two sheets of tissue paper side by side to get full coverage of the hoop and crumple the edges to keep it tidy.
WHAT TO EXPECT: This trick is a great confidence builder for dogs. They are often hesitant in the beginning, but within two weeks they are usually crashing through the paper like a bull in a china shop!
PREREQUISITES
Hoop jump (page 125)
TROUBLESHOOTING
WILL NEWSPAPER WORK INSTEAD OF TISSUE PAPER?
Newspaper is significantly thicker than tissue paper, and dogs are more hesitant to jump through it. If you do use newspaper, cut a slit in the middle to give your dog a head start.
HOW DO I AFFIX THE PAPER TO THE EMBROIDERY HOOP?
Separate the two rings of the hoop, lay the paper across one ring, and press the other ring onto the first.
TIP! The goal of each training session is to get results a little better than the last time.
“Sometimes, I just like to break things!”
STEPS:
1 An embroidery hoop can be found at fabric shops.
2 Attach tissue paper to the top edge and lure your dog through.
3 Cover the hoop with tissue paper, but make a big hole in the middle.
4 Graduate to a smaller hole,
and then merely a slit in the paper.
5 Use two sheets of paper and crumple the edges for a polished effect.
Chapter 9 Obstacle Course
Life is full of obstacles, and the sooner your dog learns to navigate them, the better! The obstacles in this chapter require logic skills and are often physically and mentally challenging. Some of them may even be scary for your dog at first, making his trust in you a necessary ingredient for success. Be patient and kind, encouraging but not forceful. Your dog may be hesitant at first, but once he comes through the other side of the tunnel (literally), he’ll be a more confident dog!
Dog’s tend to dive into obstacles with wilder abandon than their humans. Make it your primary concern to look out for your dog’s safety. Maintain regular veterinary checkups and inspect your dog’s feet, ears, and coat often. Check your obstacles for nails, splinters, and places where your dog’s foot could get stuck.
Work on a soft ground surface and be sure the obstacles have a high-traction surface. In jumping, your dog should land straight, not twisting, and largely horizontal. Increase difficulty gradually, as a bad experience may set progress back significantly. Combine several obstacles for a challenging run-through!
easy
Tunnel
VERBAL CUE
Tunnel
TEACH IT:
Your dog runs through a straight or curved tunnel. The tunnel is one of several obstacles in the sport of dog agility.
1 Allow your dog time to explore a short, straight tunnel in a familiar area. Set your dog at the opposite end and make eye contact with him through the tunnel. Coax him toward you. If he attempts to go around the tunnel, have a friend hold him and guide him in. Reward him with a treat at the tunnel exit.
2 Once he is comfortable going through the tunnel, stand at the entrance with him, cue him with “tunnel,” and guide him in. It often helps to get a running start. As he is running inside the tunnel, run along with him, encouraging him, so he can hear where you are. When he emerges at the other end keep running alongside him for a short way to encourage a speedy exit.
3 Put a bend in the tunnel. Your dog may try to make a U-turn inside and come back out the entrance, so keep your eye on him until you are sure he has committed.
WHAT TO EXPECT: Most dogs enjoy running through a tunnel and once accustomed to it, will do so every chance they get! Confident dogs can be running through the tunnel on their first day, while shy dogs may require more time.
TROUBLESHOOTING
CAN I PUT TREATS INSIDE THE TUNNEL?
Since the goal is for your dog to navigate the tunnel quickly, treats inside could create a bad habit of hesitating in the middle.
MY DOG IS SCARED TO GO INSIDE
Don’t allow your dog’s apparent fear to change your behavior. Be matter-of-fact about it and send him through. He will likely emerge a more confident dog!
TIP! You’re so big! Get down at his level to engage your dog.
1 Coax your dog from the other end of the tunnel.
2 Send him from the entrance.
3 A running start propels your dog through a curved tunnel.
easy
Crawl
TEACH IT:
Your dog crawls forward, sliding his belly on the floor.
1 Your dog will be more willing to crawl on a comfortable surface such as grass or carpet. Put your dog in a down (page 16), facing you. Kneel on the ground and show your dog a treat hidden under your hand about 18” (46 cm) in front of him.
2 In a drawn-out voice tell him “crawl” as you slowly slide the treat away from him. He will hopefully take a crawl step or two with his front paws in an effort to follow the treat. Allow him to get the treat, while remaining down.
3 Once your dog is able to crawl following your treat, try standing several feet in front of him with the treat exposed under your foot. You may have to alternate saying “crawl” and “down” while he makes his way toward your foot. Your lifted toe will later become your dog’s signal to crawl, keeping his attention low to the ground.
WHAT TO EXPECT: Many dogs are able to begin crawling in their first training session. Transitioning to using the verbal cue and foot signal, with no lure, often takes another few weeks.
PREREQUISITES
Down (page 16)
TROUBLESHOOTING
MY DOG STANDS UP
You are sliding the treat too fast.
MY DOG DOESN’T MOVE
; He might believe he will be reprimanded for moving from his down. Keep your energy enthusiastic.
101 Dog Tricks Page 12