Help.. Catching Treat Balanced On Nose?

CarmenR

CarmenR

Well-Known Member
Hi,

Just wondering if anyone here has any pointers on getting your dog to flip a dog treat (from their nose) and catching it. Like in this video at 15 seconds and 2 minutes.


Ok so far Luna can balance the treat as well as catch a treat that I throw for her. I tried to throw a few treats with the cue 'take it' then put a treat on her nose and pretend to throw a treat in hope she would flick the treat up with her nose and catch it. So this actually worked to make her throw the treat in the air but I didn't click to capture the moment (happened to fast) now she wont offer that behavior again even if I throw a heap of treats with the cue take it then try with a fake throw when the treat is on her nose. So then I looked at my 101 Dog tricks book by Kyra Sundance and she says when the dog drops the treat on the ground (which Luna is doing) to grab it before they can so they catch and eat it next time), so this didn't work she just thought she wasn't allowed to eat the treat the next time she dropped it. Any suggestions? Would absolutely love to get her to do it.
 
k9 crazed

k9 crazed

Experienced Member
Ha Ha! I am trying this with my two and Rocket actually did it once out of the blue! I thought aha, he gets it! Then NOTHING!:confused:
Deisel just does not get it at all, I mean, just ummm... well, not getting it ...:rolleyes:
Maybe the size and weight of the treats make a difference? When I did this (a looong time ago) with my Standard Poodle I tended to use bisquit type treats. Maybe the problem with my Rocket is that I have had to go back to nothing but kibble since he's had an allergy flare up...
That doesn't explain Deisel though, he gets a consistant sized bisquit type treat every time....Sigh...
 
CarmenR

CarmenR

Well-Known Member
k9 crazed said:
Ha Ha! I am trying this with my two and Rocket actually did it once out of the blue! I thought aha, he gets it! Then NOTHING!:confused:
Click to expand...
That was like Luna! once then after nothing. Although using large biscuit treats are a good idea I might give it a go. I think the thought did cross my mind but then I thought Luna would get too full with all the times I would be too slow to get it off her when it fell on the ground:ROFLMAO:
 
CarmenR

CarmenR

Well-Known Member
Dogster said:
I need help with this one too. Shivon has no problem balancing, and she has no problem catching. BUT, when I say"okay!" when she's balancing the treat, she will just knock it off with her paw.:cautious:
Click to expand...
Yep they are definitely not making the connection. Luna just dips her nose down and eats the treat. When I get home from work I might try flicking the treat off her nose...
 
sara

sara

Moderator
Staff member
My childhood dog could do it, as can Scout, my deaf terrier, and Oliver my hearing terrier. I think it has to come somewhat naturally, I've never really trained it, as long as they have a good leave it, and naturally try to flip it up when told, I guess.... Mouse and Boo cant at all LOL, they have no concept of balancing it :)
 
MaryK

MaryK

Honored Member
I did google for a vid but the only one which came up showed the balance part, rewarding with a different treat from the one balanced on the nose, then didn't really show how to achieve the final 'flip' into mouth. The dog just somehow 'did it'. Maybe the key is using a different treat for the reward and removing the treat used for the balance part. Going to try it with Ra Kismet and see what happens. We've still on 'going cross eyed' looking at his nose then just dropping the head. :unsure:

Oh yes, she did say it was important for the dog to sit on their mat so they didn't slip.

I didn't bother to upload etc. as it did not, as I said above, show how to do the part we're all aiming for - the final 'flip' into the mouth.
 
Linda A

Linda A

Experienced Member
To teach the dog to balance...hold one hand under their chin...with the other hand place the object on their nose...tell them 'wait' as you slowly move your hand away from under the chin. Give it a couple of seconds then click and reward. Gradually increase the length of time you ask the dog to wait.


For the catching part...I just flick my hand...it's as if I am tossing the toy. I just told them to 'catch it.'

Hope this helps!
 
CarmenR

CarmenR

Well-Known Member
Hmm might try a different treAt I've been using the same one she was balancing on her nose by pulling it off.. Hmm. This is about to be downgraded to a trick that may be achieved in the next year not next week bahaha. All I'm getting is a dog starting at me which a bunch of treats on her nose an me flinging my arms around pretending to throw treats saying 'take it' come on take it Lolol
 
MaryK

MaryK

Honored Member
Sounds like Luna has been communicating via mental telepathy with my boy:rolleyes: I'm in the same boat, Ra Kismet with treats on his nose, me flapping about like a mad woman, with him looking at me as if I've totally 'lost it". And my older boy sighing and laying down, not wanting to watch Mom make a total ass of herself!O_o
 
CarmenR

CarmenR

Well-Known Member
Well I'm giving up for now but really enforcing throwing treats at her with the cue take it then maybe she will accidentally do it one day. :/ might also try giving her a different Treat to the one she balances on her nose.. Then maybe it will magically happen. Ill just tell Luna to stop all communication via telepathy to Ra Kismet
 
MaryK

MaryK

Honored Member
CarmenR said:
Well I'm giving up for now but really enforcing throwing treats at her with the cue take it then maybe she will accidentally do it one day. :/ might also try giving her a different Treat to the one she balances on her nose.. Then maybe it will magically happen. Ill just tell Luna to stop all communication via telepathy to Ra Kismet
Click to expand...
LOL thanks, though I'm giving it a miss for a little while too. Sometimes stopping for a while with a trick which just isn't working is good, when you come back to it miracles can occur - your dog has suddenly "got it". I did that with Prayer and now he's doing really long prayers LOL he needs them!
 
Tâmara Vaz

Tâmara Vaz

Experienced Member
Laika does it with certain treats, so definitely the size and weight of the treats make a difference. Big biscuit type treats works best, because they don't flow far away like small pieces of food. The "Catch it" trick definitely helped out.
Laika knew to balance a treat for quite some time when she finally did it and I captured with a "superjackspot". Worked, but she is not successful 100 per cent of the time. So the rules are: if she gets the treat on air earns more 3 treats or so, if she don't earns the treat that fall on the ground (perhaps one extra).
 
Dice Smith

Dice Smith

Well-Known Member
I always wondered how people taught their dogs to do this too. :confused: My sister and I both taught our dogs to leave treats on their nose, but my sister's lab was always able to catch the treat when my sister released her by saying okay. Kodi on the otherhand always tilted his nose down and ate it off the ground. I could never figure out how to teach this to a dog. I would look for tutorials but never found anything. O_o Then one day Kodi just started flipping the treat up and catching it in his mouth. I don't know how or where he learned it but he did. He catches the treat about 95% of the time now. Maybe he learned it from watching Trixie catch her treat!:)
 
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