Earn your Trick Dog title

Jean Cote

Administrator
Staff member
Nice meet you Kyra, I own and love your book. I wish you much success in your new instructor program. :dogsmile:
 

snooks

Experienced Member
Kyra, hi it's a pleasure. I don't own your book but have watched you and Chalcy for a long while on TV. You do some wonderful work with her. Jean's endorsement of the book is surely a sign I should add it to my wish list.

Thanks.
 

kyra

New Member
Thank you both for your kind words! Jean, was that your article on building a safe hoop? What a creative solution! I use the water-filled hoops and remove the water and loosen the ends so that they break apart easily. Not as elegant a solution as yours, but with the same safety goal.:dogsmile:
 

dat123

Experienced Member
Hi Kyra, so great to have you at the DTA.

Ironically I just ordered your book yesterday from Amazon. I won't get it for 2-3 weeks : (

My wife tried to order your trainers kit last year, but didn't get a reply back from email !

How can we order a DVD ?

I love your shows, you've done so well with Chalcy. :dogsmile:
 

tx_cowgirl

Honored Member
Staff member
I own your first book, 101 Dog Tricks, and CollieMan recently posted asking if anyone had read your new book...I can't wait to get it soon!! Love your books and website; you do lovely work with Chalcy. I'm planning to order one of the kits from you but haven't got around it to it just yet. Good to have you here!
 

kyra

New Member
Wow, thank you all for your kind words, I'm truly flattered. And CollieMan, thanks especially for your glowing review! I actually became a member of the Dog Trick Academy website a long time ago, but then I forgot about it for a while, and now that I rediscovered it I'm so impressed with the vast content! I'm looking forward to hanging out here more!
 

ella

Well-Known Member
Hi Kyra,

I wrote you an email ages ago, our books were published at the same time (well mine back then just in german), unfortunatly I never got an answer.
You have got a very special dog!

greetings

Ella
 

kyra

New Member
Hi Ella-
I'm sorry I didn't respond to your email. I try to be really good about replying to every email... perhaps it got caught in my overly zealous spam filter. My mother is actually German and I understand the language pretty fluently (and speak it a little less fluently). What is the name of your book? I'll look it up on Amazon.
--Kyra
 

ella

Well-Known Member
Hi Kyra,

well, could be me ;))
I just thougt the exchange between us would be funny, cause we both have quite special dogs... I own a Galgo espanol, she is wonderful in doing tricks. We are doing some stuff for television and of course we do shows.

greetings

Ella

In the meantime the book has been translated into english "trick school for dogs".
 

kyra

New Member
Hi Ella-
Yes, I've seen your book on Amazon! That's great that it was translated into english. I had to look up Galgo espanol... very cool breed.
--Kyra
 

szecsuani

Experienced Member
Hi! :)
I think I have seen your book in a bookstore somewhere, but here in Hungary, we don't have most of the English books that I read about on the net, and it's impossible to order anything here.
I was very impressed with your book (do you know if it has a Hungarian translation?), even if I have already trained lots of tricks. It's very nice to see your methods. :)

Nice to have you here! :)

Edit:
Here, I found the hungarian version. :)
http://bookline.hu/product/home.action?type=22&id=72004&_v=Sundance_Kyra_Chalcy_101_kutyatrukk
 

CollieMan

Experienced Member
While you're about Kyra... As you already know, I loved the 101 Dog Tricks. I noted a wee while back that you now have "The Dog Rules". Despite my looking around, and even reading the sample extract, I'm still not entirely positive what it's about and what it provides. In what way does it differ from 101 Dog Tricks? I presume, from the title, that it's an entirely different beast but just not sure.

I'm very inclined to purchase it on the strength of feeling that I have for your previous title, but as it stands I'm just not even sure whether I would need it or what I would gain from it.

Any chance on giving a simple run-down as to what it is?

P.S. I just noticed on Amazon that you also have 51 Puppy Tricks available for pre-order. My, you've been busy! :) Will these be different tricks to those shown in the 101 Dog Tricks?
 

kyra

New Member
Hi CollieMan-
You are correct, "The Dog Rules" is entirely different from "101 Dog Tricks." (For starters, it is a hardcover, all-text book, few pictures). Where 101 Dog Tricks gave you the step-by-step for teaching a particular behavior, The Dog Rules gives you the core training concepts.

It explains things like: timing and reward markers, why we use a variable vs. a fixed schedule of delivering treats, jackpotting treats, optimal length of a training session, getting maximum motivation through prey drive motivators, the 5 ways of eliciting a behavior, shaping, why we do praise-touch-treat in that order, focus on the solution not the problem, reward moments--not only complete behaviors, using progressively greater hints...

It also explains how to make your dog your willing partner by being a good leader and properly using discipline: using your attention as a reward (or withdrawing it as a consequence), teaching your dog to manage his frustration, one command one consequence, pressure and release training (as used by horse whisperers), motivating correction vs. discouraging correction, the 7 tenets of “Come," leveraging your resources...

And communication: Jacobson's Organ (your dog's ability to smell fear), vocal patterns of professional trainers, stress indicators.

That was probably more than you wanted in this *short* summary!

You can read the TOC and intro here:
Kyra Sundance & Chalcy - Stunt Dog Team - Trick dog show acrobatics dog show at halftime shows with performing frisbee dogs, half time trick show dogs, celebrity dogs, performing dogs, dog tricks, sporting event shows, dog comedy shows, comedy dog sh

--Kyra
 

kyra

New Member
Oh, and about the "51 Puppy Tricks," it is mostly new tricks, and mostly easier tricks geared toward a puppy: Watch me, sit before chowtime, touch my hand, settle, walk on a loose leash, ring a bell to go outside. It introduces a clicker/reward marker, and uses that for many of the tricks. It also has some new tricks: skateboard, volleyball, head cock, wipe your paws, turn on a tap light, and litter in a step-can.
 

CollieMan

Experienced Member
Thanks Kyra. You've convinced me. I'll have to make a purchase now just to fid out what "pressure and release training" really is! :)

Thanks again... I'll let you know when I've reviewed it. :)
 
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