Getting Drink From Refrigerator

I have been wanting to teach my dog this trick forever, it just looks so cool! I found this really cool youtube video showing how to do it step-by-step, does anyone want to give it a try with me?

I'M IN!! I want to teach this in our garage fridge, not the kitchen fridge. KItchen fridge DOES have a handle on it, but i dont' really want him getting into that fridge.


The garage fridge only has beveridges in it.
but, it has no handle....i'll have to see if i can get a handle attached to the fridge first.

My dog dislikes holding cans in his mouth, so i trained him with a "koozie" foam can holder on it. but, that was years ago, when the whole trick hit a stall, as it finally dawned on me,
the garage fridge has no handle to tie a rope onto..... Also, the garage fridge doors re-shuts reeeeally fast.
so it will be like starting from scratch all over again. I'll post if i can get a handle attached to the fridge....i kind of want Buddy to only open the fridge IF i have a rope on it....not sure i want to train him to push it open with his nose....hmmm.

I have started this one with Grace, but I am using a cupboard rather than the fridge - safer. I tried tying a rope onto the handle but she prefers to use her paw on the side and pull the door open. She closes the door too, by pushing with her paw. I can send her across the room to do both bits but actualy getting her to retrieve is a problem. To get her to learn to open the door I put a treat inside so she had an insentive to open it. I tried using a plastic bottle and filled it with treats and have tried to teach her to bring it me to open but she isn't getting as running in the opersite direction and destroying the bottle to get the treats is more fun!

//but actualy getting her to retrieve is a problem.//

i understand that. I looked over the steps i the trick, and i taught that retrieve part FIRST. I used the steps in Kikopups "Flag Trick" to advance along to a beer can in a coozie (a coozie is foam rubber thing on the can).

First i started with toys Buddy likes in his mouth, rewarded that. (we are not even by the fridge at all yet, i taught that part last)

then i get Buddy to take into his mouth, toy he loves----c/t!

toy he loves---c/t

empty coozie---c/t

toy he loves---c/t

and so on.

then, i had Buddy take a few steps with the empty coozie in his mouth.

then, i trained Buddy he can NOT release the empty coozie until we take it and say "thank you"

THEN, once i was sure Buddy will NOT drop the empty coozie til we grab it away and say "thank you"---------- -THEN i put a beer can into the coozie.

(since i was using beer cans, i did NOT want him dropping it on his own feet)

then, after Buddy had mastered

~picking up a coozie,

~walking with it in his mouth,

~and giving it to us,

-------------------THEN we began working on Buddy taking the coozie off of a shelf in the fridge.

THEN finally--------- i taught him to open door, and get the beer.

i taught it all in reverse.

HERE is how i first started getting Buddy to take the coozie into his mouth: