How To Start On Holding Head Diagonal

[madeleine]

I want to train Dazzle to hold her head in a diagonal way. Like the JR from the pic does. I want her to be able to do this on command, because it's a part of a bigger trick I want to teach her.

I was thinking on how to start with it but I can't get any idea.
Dazzle doesn't hold her head diagonally much, so shapping isn't such a good way of trying it. Was thinking of introducing a very short weird sound so she would hold her head like it to hear it, but the problem with did is that she would go investegating what the sound is (and knowing her, she would try to grap the cd-player or do something like that..)
So does someone have a good idea.


(....why can i think of a way to train my dog a ring toss, but can't think of a way to do this easy looking trick ?????)

 

[tigerlily46514]

I probably should not be giving advice, as this trick was really hard for my dog. *My* dog always has trouble with 'head' tricks.

I first tried holding a squeak toy behind my back,
and click/treat when Buddy naturally cocked his head to the squeak noise. At first, i thought, "wa-la! this will be easy!"
but i was wrong. Weeks went by, and still, my dog could not cock his head to the cue word which, in Buddy's case, cue word is "money" for a joke "Buddy do you have the money?" or "Bud, what would you do with that much money?" or "buddy, can you loan me some money?" or "Who's paying for the pizza? Buddy, you have any money?" or "who spent all the money?" etc. for any question ending with last word "money" see.
(i rather dedicate myself to turning all his dog tricks into jokes, but, i never did think up a very funny question where answer is: dog cocks his head)

Next,i tried this:
i took a squeaker out of a toy, and put it in my mouth, and blew into it,
and again, Buddy would quickly cock his head to the sound of a squeak.
I eventually, eventually, fiiiiinnnnaaalllllyyyy got Buddy to cock his head to the cue word only, due to sheer persistence....but it took a long time. Like 8 million lessons....okay, maybe i am exaggerating a little bit there.

(but, this might just be *my* dog, cuz he ALWAYS struggles with any and all 'head' tricks-------your dog might quickly catch on for head tricks, in a way mine did not)

there has to be a better way than what i did, cuz what i did took forever, at least, it did for my dog.

 

[SD&B]

Heck if I know. That's one of those "natural" actions that is easy to capture, unless your dog doesn't do it naturally. I'd like to see suggestions too.

 

[Pawtential Unleashed]

So last night I watched the does this make your dog howl vid - which it didn't - but that led me to playing a wolf howl video and all my dogs very actively tilted their heads to the side for this one.

 

[madeleine]

Okey, i made up my mind.. I'm going to try it with a squeaker.

I'm going to squeak something... and look if she holds her head diagonally, click and reward is a few times. Then if she does i'm going to squeak again and see the command word at the very same time.Doing that many times... Offcourse also reward it with a click and some food.
Then going to say the command wordt only to see if she made that link between these to.

Hopefully it will work, and that she will respond good to the squeaker, otherwise i have to look for something else again..

 

[Amateur]

Hang something heavy from one ear ?

......................... just kidding for those who dont know me.

 

[madeleine]

and a balloon on the other one

 

[Amateur]

Thereyago !

 

[tigerlily46514]

 

[tigerlily46514]

Madeline, you got the concept i used very well, you totally understand it.
Now IF your dog "gets" this trick super fast, please lie to me, and tell me you struggled and struggled like i did, so i can feel better about myself, or so my dog can feel better about himself, okay?

 

[madeleine]

oeeeeh i'm such a bad person !!!





Nooo just kidding. She doesn't quirk (? is that english??) her head, just concetrates on sound...
So, looking for a different way of trying it.
Even tried the howling of the wolves... her reaction was to fold her ears back, must have thought why i would lissen to that rubbish when she can bark so nicely
Search goes on.

 

[Mutt]

my first thought was teaching it the same way as looking left/right/up/down.
by teaching her to touch a post-it (or something like that) with the side of her head and than expanding it to holding it diagonal?
I have no idea if this even works, definently gonna give it a try myself, but since my dogs won't hold their head like that because of a sound (they would just go and investigate), this would be my first try.

 

[tigerlily46514]

Madeline,
try this tape, call your dog over,
and play this:

ANY LUCK? lol, my dog just came racing in here, and as i am typing he is sitting here cocking his head, back and forth!!

 

[tigerlily46514]

mutt's idea seems good, too!!

 

[madeleine]

Hehe aslong my dog doesn't get some wierd ideas of the sound of the pups i'm willing to try it

Going to try it tomorrow! And see witch one will work

 

[SD&B]

Madeline, you got the concept i used very well, you totally understand it.
Now IF your dog "gets" this trick super fast, please lie to me, and tell me you struggled and struggled like i did, so i can feel better about myself, or so my dog can feel better about himself, okay?

If it makes you feel better, I tried the wolves and Barney and Sundog just sat passively waiting. Then I pulled out the clicker and they started offering tricks they know. Sundog did speak, because that was the closest thing to my reaching for the mouse. Barney did sneezes. All bets were off then.

The ear targeting is a great idea, but I'm still working on other targets at the moment. Another great thing to add to my list.

 

[sara]

Wolves didn't make Oliver cock his head, but those puppies sure did! His head went completely sideways!!! LOL

 

[madeleine]

Just a small update on today's work.
Tried the pup movie first. Resulted in a three in a row diagonally head. After that is was a very concetrated look to the screen..
So, after a short break we went on the the marking point muts game up with.

Put a post it to the freezer, and it was licked off.
So grabbed a magnet and tried it with that.
And... it seeeeeems to work a bit..

She does put her ears next to the magnet. So that's a great start. Now maybe by putting the mangnet a bit higher on the freezer she wil put that ear higher... Or i should buy a marking stick, but i do believe that this is working a bit better then the pups.

I'll try this a couple more times, and see where we'll stand then.

 

[tigerlily46514]

KUDOS ON THE PROGRESS SO FAR!!
Yes, i think mutt's idea is probably the way to go, cuz, like i said, *my* idea took forevvvvver and ever and ever....i figured there had to be a better way than my way!!

 

[SD&B]

Does your dog lean its head into your hand when you scratch its ear? You could try that to capture a tilt. Mine don't really do that.