1 Lure your dog onto your arm and allow him to nibble a treat.
2 Repeat this exercise while standing.
intermediate
Head Down
TEACH IT:
From a down position, your dog lowers his head to rest upon the floor. This is a common trick for movie dogs. “Aww, the doggy looks sad!”
1 Kneel to the side of your dog as he rests in a down position. Hold a treat on the floor, out of reach in front of him. Cue “head down” while using your other hand to gently push his head to the floor using pressure points behind his ears.
2 Hold him for a few seconds with his chin resting on the floor between his paws, then praise and slide your treat toward him. Allow him to take the treat and then give your release word “OK” and release his head so he can chew. If your dog is very resistant to your physical manipulation, reward the instant his chin touches the floor, so as not to cause him to struggle.
3 Gradually lighten your touch on his head, so that you do short taps rather than constant pressure. Once his head is down, instruct him to “stay” a few seconds before rewarding. Always present your reward on the floor, so your dog isn’t tempted to look up for it.
WHAT TO EXPECT: In its final stage, you should be able to stand some distance from your dog and point on the ground while giving the verbal cue. Submissive dogs will have an easier time with this behavior than dominant dogs. Train calmly and gently, and gauge your dog’s anxiety level so as not to push him past his comfort zone.
TROUBLESHOOTING
MY DOG RUNS AWAY WHEN I TRY TO TRAIN THIS TRICK
Physically manipulating your dog is a slippery slope. He may think you are dominating him or punishing him by pushing his head down. Progress slowly and gently with this trick, and only practice two or three times per session. Praise lavishly!
BUILD ON IT! Lift your pointed finger up from the floor to teach “head up.”
TIP! Old dogs want to make you proud as well! Ask them for a behavior they can achieve, and praise lavishly!
1 A combination of a food lure and your hand pressure will guide your dog’s head down.
2 Slide the treat to your dog while keeping him in the proper position.
3 Use your hand signal to focus your dog’s attention downward.
advanced
Cover Your Eyes
TEACH IT:
Your dog hides his eyes by hooking his paw over his muzzle.
1 Stick a sticky note or piece of tape to your dog’s muzzle and encourage him to “cover, get it!” One swipe at his face should be enough to dislodge the paper. Praise him with “good cover!”
2 With your dog laying down, stick the note to the center of his head, just above his eyes. He will have a harder time swatting at this spot and will eventually poke his head under one wrist. Perfect! Be ready to reward him in the spot where his head pokes under his paw.
3 Alternate between using the sticky note and just tapping his head in the spot where you normally stick the sticky note. Use “stay” to get your dog to hold the position for a few seconds.
4 Try it from a sitting position. Place the sticky note on the bridge of your dog’s nose and when he raises his paw to swat at it, reward him under his arm. As you wean off the sticky note, he may try to get away with merely waving, without touching his face. In this case, go back to using a sticky note. Eventually, stand up while giving the cue to encourage your dog’s head higher. Try it with your dog in different positions: sit, down, or bow.
WHAT TO EXPECT: This method of training is so natural that your dog should be swiping the note right away. After about a month, or 200 repetitions, your dog should have the hang of an eye cover with the aid of the sticky note. It could take a lot longer, however, until he has it mastered without that aid.
TROUBLESHOOTING
MY DOG SHAKES HIS HEAD INSTEAD OF PAWING AT THE STICKY NOTE
Use a stronger adhesive tape so your dog can’t merely shake it off. Cue him to shake hands (page 22) to give him the idea to use his paw. Stick the note in different places: above or below his eye or on top of his head.
MY DOG JUST SITS THERE WITH THE PAPER STUCK TO HIS NOSE!
Your dignified dog needs to be encouraged to attack the object, as he would a bug on his nose. Touch the paper to make him aware of it and use your voice to excite him.
TIP! Take your dog on a trip or errand. It will be good for his social skills and he’ll enjoy the change of scenery.
STEPS:
1 Encourage your dog to swipe at a sticky note on his face.
2 While laying down, your dog will poke his head under his paw.
3 Just tap the spot on his head instead of using a sticky note.
4 Go back to using the sticky note, but this time in the sitting position.
Stand up to encourage your dog’s head higher.
Try an eye cover in a bow position.
intermediate
Wave Good-bye
TEACH IT:
Your dog waves his paw high in the air.
1 With your dog sitting, face him and have him shake hands (page 22).
2 Say “shake, bye-bye” and extend your hand a little higher than you normally would to shake hands. Your dog won’t be able to hold his paw that high, so his motion will look like he is pawing at your hand.
3 Draw your hand slightly away from your dog, so he can just barely reach your fingers.
4 Pull your hand back at the last second so he is not touching it at all, but merely pawing the air. Be sure to praise him, so he understands that the desired behavior is the waving motion, as opposed to the actual touch.
WHAT TO EXPECT: With a solid shake, your dog can transition to a wave within a few training sessions.
PREREQUISITES
Shake hands (page 22)
TROUBLESHOOTING
AS I MOVE AWAY FROM MY DOG, HE KEEPS MOVING TOWARD ME, TRYING TO TOUCH MY HAND
Stand a few feet away from your dog with your hand outstretched toward him as you cue him. At the last second, pull your hand away so that he is pawing the air. Reward this!
MY DOG STANDS UP
Put him back in a sit before continuing to train. He will have higher extension from a sitting position.
BUILD ON IT! Sit alongside your dog as you both wave good-bye together.
TIP! Sometimes, your dog offers an unexpected, but cute, behavior. Don’t miss that opportunity! Reward it and try to elicit it again.
STEPS:
“Bye, bye!”
1 Have your dog shake hands.
2 Extend your hand higher than normal.
3 With your hand farther away, your dog can just barely reach your fingers.
4 Pull your hand back at the last second so your dog paws the air.
Transition to the hand signal.
“Bye, bye!”
APPENDIX A: TRICKS BY SKILL LEVEL
EASY
3-2-1 let’s go!
105
back up
161
beginning disc dog
120
come
19
crawl
144
doggy push-ups
54
down
16
drop it/give
26
fetch/take it
24
get your leash
37
hockey goalie
92
hoop jump
125
jump for joy
175
jump over a bar
108
jump over my knee
109
kennel up
43
kisses
197
peekaboo!
52
place (circle to my left side)
166
pull on a rope
73
shake hands—left and right
22
side (swing to my left side)
168
<
br /> sit
15
speak
30
spin circles
162
stay
18
take a bow
164
touch a target
145
tunnel
143
walk the dog
38
ADVANCED
act ashamed
56
baton jumping
116
chorus line kicks
176
climb a ladder
152
cover your eyes
200
directed jumping
186
directed retrieve
184
disc vault off my leg
122
disobedient dog—under the hoop
134
double hoop sequence
128
figure 8’s
172
find the remote/car keys
78
football
88
get the phone when it rings
67
go hide
96
jump over my back
110
my dog can count
180
play dead
32
play the piano
62
say your prayers
42
turn off the light
68
INTERMEDIATE
balance and catch
27
carry my purse
44
discern objects names
182
dog on point
104
easter egg hunt
98
fetch my slippers
36
food refusal
188
head down
199
heel forward and backward
160
hide and seek
94
honk a bike horn
51
jump into my arms
112
jump through my arms
126
leg weave
170
mail carrier
76
moonwalk
174
newspaper delivery
40
paper-covered hoop
140
paws on my arm
198
pick a card from a deck
187
ring a bell to come inside
72
roll over
31
sit pretty/beg
28
soccer
86
teeter-totter
148
through a hoop lying on the ground
138
under/over
146
wave goodbye
202
which hand holds the treat?
97
EXPERT
basketball
90
bring me a beer from the fridge
74
bring me a tissue
82
contraband search
192
find the object with my scent
190
hoop jump over my back
132
jump rope
118
limp
58
open/close a door
70
pickpocket pooch
60
push a shopping cart
80
ring toss
100
roll a barrel
154
roll yourself in a blanket
48
rolling hoop dive
136
shell game
102
summersault/handstand vault
114
tidy up your toys
46
track a person’s scent trail
194
weave poles
150
world’s dumbest dog
64
APPENDIX B: TRICKS BY SPORT
AGILITY
hoop jump
125
jump over a bar
108
teeter-totter
148
touch a target
145
tunnel
143
under/over
146
weave poles
150
DISC DOG
beginning disc dog
120
disc vault off my leg
122
jump into my arms
112
jump over my back
110
jump over my knee
109
jump through my arms
126
summersault/handstand vault
114
DOG DANCING/FREESTYLE
back up
161
chorus line kicks
176
figure 8’s
172
head down
199
heel forward and backward
160
jump for joy
175
jump through my arms
126
leg weave
170
moonwalk
174
paws on my arm
198
peekaboo!
52
place (circle to my left side)
166
rollover
31
side (swing to my left side)
168
sit pretty/beg
28
spin circles
162
take a bow
164
wave good-bye
202
HELPER DOG/SERVICE DOG
bring me a beer from the fridge
74
bring me a tissue
82
carry my purse
44
discern objects names
182
fetch my slippers
36
find the remote/car keys
78
get the phone when it rings
67
get your leash
37
kennel up
43
mail carrier
76
newspaper delivery
40
open/close a door
70
pull on a rope
73
push a shopping cart
80
ring a bell to come inside
72
tidy up your toys
46
turn off the light
68
HUNTING/RETRIEVING
directed retrieve
184
dog on point
104
drop it/give
26
fetch/take it
24
OBEDIENCE
come
19
directed jumping
186
directed retrieve
184
doggy push-ups
54
down
16
drop it/give
26
fetch/take it
24
find the object with my scent
101 Dog Tricks Page 17