Training: Are you shy?

[tigerlily46514]

This MIGHT be on this wonderful, awesome website somewhere already, but i didn't find it, but i admit, i didn't look too too hard...
BUT anyway, any tips on how to teach, "Are you shy?" and the dog puts his hands on eyes?

I've tried a few different ways, so far, no luck. I been putting Buddy's paw or paws over his eyes, and saying "Shy?" and giving a treat...so far, nothing. I switched to a clicker, and put his paw on his eye, had Craig click, and i treat...nothing...:dogmellow:

Buddy doesn't mind doing this "Shy?" with me, but has not yet ever atempted to put his own paw over his eye... I even tried dabbing a lil yogurt onto his nose, and Buddy just wiped his face off onto our carpet, which he does after every meal anyway!!

HOW DO YOU TEACH SHY?

 

[tx_cowgirl]

There are many ways---post-notes on the forehead, tape, leash loop, stretchy band(like for a keychain), targetting something and slowly moving it to one side of the nose to capture the right behavior... For Mud, NOTHING worked until I used the stretchy cord that my clicker was on and stretched it over her face. (Mine's like a bracelet, and Mud is tiny so it's not like I was cutting off circulation to her face.) Mud would paw at it, and when she did I'd click and treat. (This is our "BOO!" trick that we taught for Halloween.)

Most dogs do just fine with tape on the nose/forehead or a post-it note. Just click and reward when he does the right behavior. This was one of our monthly challenges, so check the challenge board for these vids. Good luck, and hope this helps!

 

[bellapup]

I actually just taught this to Bella. Actually I think it was Tx that suggested I blow lightly at her nose because I really didn't want to squirt water at her like some other suggestions I had seen before.

The light air worked like a charm and now she can shy her way into anyone's heart. *LOL* It's actually pretty appropriate for the attention hog.

Today was the first day she's done it successfully every time I asked for it.

 

[snooks]

I love the wrist band and blow ideas. I never thought my shy dog would appreciate tape or stickys on her head since pine tar on her fur freaks her out. She likes her snow boots tho.

One caution some dogs don't like blowing and will snap. I haven't tried that with either of these dogs so it might work.

 

[bellapup]

Great point, snooks. If I blow too hard at Bella she'll make like she's gulping the air. *LOL* But I found if I blow just a teeny tiny bit, she responded to it with a little paw rubbing. But as in all training, I'd think it would be best to know your dog first. If Bella doesn't seem to take to a trick or activity, I don't push her. It seems that if it's something she wants to learn, she picks it up pretty quickly almost on her own.

 

[tx_cowgirl]

Lol, so there you go Tigerlily....LOTS of methods to teach shy. ^^ Good luck!

 

[tigerlily46514]

OH AWESOME!!! WONDERFUL IDEAS!! Thank you all so very much!!

Buddy seems to almost 'need' to be working on a new trick, since he has zero sheep to occupy him, (and like the other person up there wrote, some tricks my dog just doesn't like,:dognowink: so we drop those) so I went to the AWESOME website 'classroom' there, and he learned that adorable "High Five" ....when they kinda almost jump up to hit their paw to your hand, he learned that one right off, in 5 minutes flat...:dogbiggrin: He likes that one.

so now what am i gonna teach him...BUT NOW i can start on THIS one now!! :msnohyes: WOOHOO!! THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

 

[tigerlily46514]

Update--I used the post it, since i didn't have a bracelet yet, but i will get one to hold my new clicker.
I did use a teeny piece of scotch tape to put it up onto Buddy's forehead (after i realized, if i put it TOO low on his face, he knocks it off immediately and that interrupted the lesson).
When i removed the taped post-it, there were zero hairs on it, and Buddy did not react to the removal as if it was bothersome.

I did this with Buddy about 3 or 4 times, said "Are you SHY?" (with a slight tune that Craig is having trouble duplicating, ha ha!) and then played with him....and did that about 3 times each day, and on the second day, Buddy did it without the post-it. :dogbiggrin:
On the 3rd day, he had it solidly nailed for sure!!

THANKS!! HE LOOKS SO CUTE DOING IT!! He did this trick last night for a room full of people, and everyone in the room spontanously went "Awwww" all at once, which interested Buddy, so he kept doing it all evening long, trying to get all the humans to coo in unison again!!! Was hilarious.~jean

 

[tx_cowgirl]

LOL! Sounds like Silly Buddy likes to be the center of attention. Mud learned hers around Halloween, and it was really a crowd pleaser. She had a trick competition shortly after, and my command is "Boo!" Everyone LOVED that one, and combined with a few other tricks, she won. ^^ It's definitely not her favorite trick, but when I'm working on tricks involving pawing or down, it's the first thing she offers. I'm wondering if I should try the same behavior from different positions(stand, sit) with a different command, so that "Boo!" is only from the down position. Not sure yet, but people really love this trick. Keep up the good work with Buddy!

 

[silasandfocus]

Ok I tried it too and my two Aussies just sat there with the post it note on their nose looking at me like, "What is this all about??" They looked hilarious :-) When I stopped laughing I took the note off - we will have to try something else :-( I am working on a headband on their noses now ...

 

[tx_cowgirl]

The stretchy key cord thing worked better than anything for me. ^^ You have to get pretty creative with this one for dogs that don't care about the tape or post-it notes.

Mine's like this only a bit bigger. Mud's head is fairly small though, so be careful with this. If your dogs won't do anything with it just on the muzzle, don't move it further on their head unless you're sure it's big enough to not hurt them. Amazon.com has them for $1. Mine came with my clicker, but Amazon has them. =)

 

[tigerlily46514]

Yeah, Tx, Buddy does his "Shy?" in a lie down position, guess to have him do it in a sitting, i'd have to come up with different command. I'll have to wait a while though, or it might confuse him, hey, maybe for the SITTING one, i'd use a strechy bracelet like you have there...
Maybe i'll use "Got a headache?" or.."Hungover?" for the SITTING one...not sure. Craig says, "Not 'hungover', cuz you already got that BEER trick already!!":msnrolleyes:

One thing i've noticed, seems like, if i REEeeally rave/get excited/:msnparty: when Buddy does a trick, to the point where Buddy smiles at me, (Buddy is not one of those smile-all-the-time doggies...YET) :dogbiggrin:...seems like, THOSE tricks, Buddy develops a fondness for right off. Seems like this is true, for Buddy anyway. I don't think my poor lil Buddy has had much of that enthusiastic praise in his life, he just can't get enuff of it, he's got some catching up to do there... He's such a great lil being. I'm so crazy about my dog.
But, some tricks, i can tell, Buddy is not wild about them. I'm working on the figure 8 between my legs, he was NOT crazy about it, :dognowink:BUT, then i started with the super-enthused praise, and Buddy is starting to smile about that trick, now!! what a character...
Ha, i can't do that with EVERY trick, his "Look out the window"--if i get him too stoked up, he will hit all 4 paws on the glass and begin zooming around the house.:msngiggle: guess we gotta really know our own dogs, how much praise and all, and for which tricks...

Hmm, i shouldn't post when i sip wine. :msnblushing:

 

[tx_cowgirl]

You don't have to use a different command, I'm just considering it.

The initial issue with the figure 8 trick could be just a trust/confidence issue. For timid dogs and dogs like Buddy who haven't had the best past, it takes a lot to trust a person enough to stand under them. That's an extremely vulnerable position. It's a trick that involves a lot of self-confidence and trust. Same for leg weaves, jumping on your back or in your arms(trusting you to catch him), and a few others. Tricks like these are great for your Buddy to boost his confidence and build a better bond between the two of you.

 

[snooks]

Is this the same Buddy that was so quiet a short time ago??? :dogbiggrin: Time and Love sounds like it's doing the trick and you're doing a great job. zooming and smiling. makes me smile. :dogbiggrin:

 

[tigerlily46514]

THANX!! Geez, i am all smiling myself now!!
I love this website, gives me a place to LEARN, to understnd my own dog better, and to share dog-talk, with those who really understand and care about dogs!! Not everyone does understand dogs the way the people here do!!

 

[gkhouck]

I didn't think Toby would get the bow at first and he is great with it now. The wave was a little confusing at first and now it's a piece of cake. I KNOW we'll get this 'shy' thing. Thanks for all the ideas. I'll let you know when we have a break through.

 

[snooks]

I like the three dogs pic on your post gkhouck. :dogcool:

 

[gkhouck]

Today's thought on teaching 'shy'. Do I need to remove the tape before Toby does? As in, right now I think he thinks that the trick is over when he gets the tape, rubber band, wrist band, etc., off. I click every time he puts his paw on his face, not waiting for the tape off, but he still doesn't understand what I'm looking for. I'm going to try doing it numbers of times today and try to remove the tape after Toby tries three times. I'll try the tape on his forehead. Tape just doesn't seem to stay on his furry face for long. I'm now using masking tape with a piece of paper. He can do it. It's a matter of his trainer/me being able to train.
I think part of the problem is that he's been taught to leave it with treats on his paws so he tries to leave the tape too.

 

[Jean Cote]

I think that you are doing good.

Basically you want to make sure that you click the exact moment that your dog touches his nose. It doesn't matter if he takes the tape off or not, if he does, you just have to put it back on for another repetition.

As you practice more and more, make the piece of tape gradually smaller. Eventually your dog will figure out that touching his nose is what earns him the reinforcement, so he will do it on his own.

Once that happens, you can associate it with a command by saying it while the dog is performing the behavior.

Have fun!

 

[princessbride029]

New video!

Hi all! I just started teaching this and thought I'd share the video from today.

Cassidy luckily responds to the tape very well - don't think I'll need anything else for this trick. I'll post another video when she "gets it"!

:dogtongue2:

Sorry it's a little dark - and perhaps a little longish. Better next time!