I am the proud owner of Bo, a mixed breed ( jack russel and shitzu, good combo i might add). Bo is a certified therapy dog and loves to visit people. I am working this week on a new trick to pick up a flag and dance to John Phillips Sousa for a best trick contest next weekend. Any tips to dress up?? Also would like to get some unusual tricks to teach him to perform for his therapy friends. Any suggestions would be appreciated!:dogbiggrin:
Hi from Tennessee
- Thread starter ivystime
- Start date
tigerlily46514
Honored Member
:welcome: sounds like you have a pretty smart dog!! There is a whole area of "Tricks" to look over for ideas.
ONe trick i think is so funny, is when the trainer holds up a "cue card" with a word written on it, and then the dog is trained to do something else than what the card says. Lotsa possibilities there.
If you use more than one cue card, you can train your dog to respond to the way your hands hold the card, like both hands over top edge of card, then next card, hold card from bottom edges, etc etc etc. Or even stick fingers up, no one but the dog will notice this.
or to your face. My dog is trained to bark if i lift up my eyebrows, for example...which made me aware of how many times in a day i raise my eyebrows, ha ha!! til Buddy realized, it's only during trick time i need him to bark if i raise my eyebrows up.
But dogs can learn your facial expression as a cue.
This can really be funny, makes it look like the dog is disagreeing with you or something. LIke, if you hold up a card that says, "Be Quiet Now" have the dog BARK.
Or, hold up a card that says, "Dance around" or, "Are you so excited today?" and the dog lies down, stuff like that.
Or hold up a card that says, "Do you want to go home yet?" and have the dog shake his head NO! kinda thing.
Of course, be sure to turn the card around so the clients can read it before you show it to the dog, or else they won't get the joke.
ONe trick i think is so funny, is when the trainer holds up a "cue card" with a word written on it, and then the dog is trained to do something else than what the card says. Lotsa possibilities there.
If you use more than one cue card, you can train your dog to respond to the way your hands hold the card, like both hands over top edge of card, then next card, hold card from bottom edges, etc etc etc. Or even stick fingers up, no one but the dog will notice this.
or to your face. My dog is trained to bark if i lift up my eyebrows, for example...which made me aware of how many times in a day i raise my eyebrows, ha ha!! til Buddy realized, it's only during trick time i need him to bark if i raise my eyebrows up.
But dogs can learn your facial expression as a cue.
This can really be funny, makes it look like the dog is disagreeing with you or something. LIke, if you hold up a card that says, "Be Quiet Now" have the dog BARK.
Or, hold up a card that says, "Dance around" or, "Are you so excited today?" and the dog lies down, stuff like that.
Or hold up a card that says, "Do you want to go home yet?" and have the dog shake his head NO! kinda thing.
Of course, be sure to turn the card around so the clients can read it before you show it to the dog, or else they won't get the joke.