Suggestions Please!

[MaryK]

Leaf's learning so fast that I'm running out of ideas for suitable tricks to teach a young six months old puppy. Gotta be careful, young joints, skeleton, muscles etc.

So would appreciate some ideas from everyone please. She can already do all the tricks listed in the manual supplied by her school - this kids just so bright!

I'll go over and update her profile with all her tricks, so you'll know what she can already do or is a work in progress.

 

[648117]

Here's some tricks that I can think of right now that definitely should be alright for a growing puppy and should have a very low risk of causing problems.

Shake paw
Wave
Roll over (left and right)
Spin (left and right)
Bow
Retrieve
Play dead
Cop-cop
Put paws on indicated object
Nose/paw targeting
Cover/Swipe face with paw

I'll see if I can think of some more tomorrow

 

[MaryK]

Thank you She can already do some of those, but wave, nose/paw targeting, cover, retrieve and put paw on indicated object she hasn't learned yet, so will start working with her one those.

Cop Cop is a 'work in progress', we've got paws on my feet, but working on getting her to walk now, any suggestions on how we can actually 'walk' would also be appreciated. She's a quick leaner but seems to be a bit 'puzzled' over walking in cop cop. I must be giving her the wrong directions Tried luring but LOL she hops off and makes a dive for the treat - she's very food orientated.

Really appreciate your help, keep those suggestions rolling LOL need them all!

 

[648117]

I taught Holly cop-cop by having her target my hand with her nose. Start with little steps and move your hand with your body so that for her to keep her feet and nose in position she has to move her back feet. Just take it really slow and be really patient, even one tiny shuffle forward is good.
Reward her in position, so give her the food while her feet are still on yours so she will be less likely to jump off.

It's also important to remember that she is a puppy so if she isn't "getting it" then it's fine, just leave it and wait till she's a few months older, there is no hurry.
I had to do this with Holly and "cover your face", I tried to teach it when she was younger (actually, it was probably about a year ago) but the best I could get was a "wipe face" which looked more like a wave then covering her face. So I left that trick and just revisited it a couple of months ago and re-taught it and now she does it well and holds her paw there until I tell her to stop.

You could also teach her some tricks that make her more aware of her back feet like "back-up" (Holly loves "back-up" and it can be really useful too) so that she realises that her back feet can move without her front ones.


Also, you must video the tricks she can do so far. I bet she is really cute

 

[kassidybc]

I cant help you with teaching her cop cop, but i can give you some ideas for tricks!
Figure 8 through your legs
Weave Your legs as you walk
Figure 8 through another dog's front legs (I got that from Sara's video in another thread )
Balancing things (like in this video

)

 

[sara]

Paw targeting is a great trick for building on. Its the starting off point for many of Oliver's tricks. The elephant trick, balance beam tricks, posing, piss on Brad Pattison, get in and get right, go out, spin, back up, pray, and others likely. Also you can do body targeting like targeting hip or chin etc. Targeting is so useful for building on! Target sticks too!

 

[sara]

Check out the targeting section of this vid for ideas

 

[MaryK]

I taught Holly cop-cop by having her target my hand with her nose. Start with little steps and move your hand with your body so that for her to keep her feet and nose in position she has to move her back feet. Just take it really slow and be really patient, even one tiny shuffle forward is good.
Reward her in position, so give her the food while her feet are still on yours so she will be less likely to jump off.

Thank you, will try that, hadn't thought of doing it that way. Can see how that would work well

It's also important to remember that she is a puppy so if she isn't "getting it" then it's fine, just leave it and wait till she's a few months older, there is no hurry.
I had to do this with Holly and "cover your face", I tried to teach it when she was younger (actually, it was probably about a year ago) but the best I could get was a "wipe face" which looked more like a wave then covering her face. So I left that trick and just revisited it a couple of months ago and re-taught it and now she does it well and holds her paw there until I tell her to stop.

Again, thank you for reminding me she's only a puppy! She learns so quickly I forget she's just a baby, appreciate that so much I'll see how she goes using your method and if she's not 'getting it' leave it until she's a little older.

You could also teach her some tricks that make her more aware of her back feet like "back-up" (Holly loves "back-up" and it can be really useful too) so that she realises that her back feet can move without her front ones.

Thanks will do that, Leaf really forgets she has a rear end - like coming through a door - gets her front half though and sits like a good girl but LOL I cannot close the door because her rear half is still in the way!

Also, you must video the tricks she can do so far. I bet she is really cute

I will, just waiting for the weather to improve, so we can make the video outside, it's rained so much lately and just too wet. Inside, have problems with space and with getting the lighting right for a vid. So it will come, hopefully very soon.

 

[MaryK]

I cant help you with teaching her cop cop, but i can give you some ideas for tricks!
Figure 8 through your legs
Weave Your legs as you walk
Figure 8 through another dog's front legs (I got that from Sara's video in another thread )
Balancing things (like in this video

)

Thank you

She can do weave as I walk, blew me away at school with that, her trainer used her to demonstrate 'how to' and Leaf did it without any trouble (everyone thought she already knew it - she didn't - but hey I did it at home).

Figure 8 through my legs is a good one

Will see if Zeus will co-operate with through his legs - that would be seriously cute! The cats are too small

Thanks for the video - awesome will use balancing tricks - though LOL NOT with my bird she'd eat him !

 

[MaryK]

Paw targeting is a great trick for building on. Its the starting off point for many of Oliver's tricks. The elephant trick, balance beam tricks, posing, piss on Brad Pattison, get in and get right, go out, spin, back up, pray, and others likely. Also you can do body targeting like targeting hip or chin etc. Targeting is so useful for building on! Target sticks too!

Thanks Sara Am in the process of 'repairing' my target stick - the old ball fell off so have to work out how to cut off the little knob on the end of the aerial so I can make a hole for the new, improved ball.

Will work with her on targeting and on targeting body parts.

LOL oh yes, she's just got to learn piss on Brad Pattison! And she's a girl too, even better!

Want to teach the elephant trick, I think you have a vid somewhere on how to teach that one, will look for that.

Is she old enough for balancing on a beam? Concerned over joints, muscles etc.

Ah, you've reminded me, that's how I taught Rakins to 'pray'. Leaf's half way there, must fix the target stick!

Thank you for the vid. got the old 'little grey cells' working for me.

 

[MaryK]

Thank you everyone!!!!!!!!! It's so wonderful to have this forum, when the little grey cells have a rest know I can get them working again with all your suggestions and help

 

[sara]

You could start her learning the balance on a beam trick. I started ollie off with getting all four feet on a bench and boxes then shrunk it down. It takes alot of muscle control and strength so they need to build it up anyway. I dont have a how to for the elephant trick, but you need yo get her targeting both front feet on a box or other object that's not too high for puppy joints then get her moving her back feet around it. You can train it with luring or shaping.

 

[MaryK]

Thank you Sara. She should be good at balancing, so will start her with a low bench or something similar and build up slowly. Though the little tinker as I type has just jumped on the dining table and off again!!!!!!!!!! Oh boy! Joints Leafy, and tables are NOT for use as agility obstacles! No food on it thank goodness, guess she did it because she could!

I've got a piece of smooth wood, square in shape, about an inch high, so will use that for elephant trick.

Gotta get my target stick fixed!!!!!!!!! Wonder if a hack saw would do the trick?

 

[sara]

seriously. Mine is a piece of dowling with a fuzzy ball taped to the end...

 

[MaryK]

seriously. Mine is a piece of dowling with a fuzzy ball taped to the end...

That's sounds like a darned good idea!!!!!!!!! Will organize that tomorrow, or rather later today, thanks a lot Sara! Missing my target stick so much and you just cannot buy them here, it's home made or not at all!

 

[sara]

Here. I did a quick vid with Ollie showing you [sortof] how I trained the elephant trick, the back leg lift, back onto object and the start to the balance beam trick.

Excuse the terrible clothes lol

 

[MaryK]

Thank you soooooooo much Sara That's helped me tremendously and LOL you looked comfy and that's what matters, especially when training dogs

btw Love Ollies vocals, he's really chatty!

 

[MaryK]

Oh yes, and partner fixed the target stick, just as I was about to make one with dowling and a fluffy ball! So YEAH I can now work with it. Leaf seemed to 'catch on' with the little try out, so looks like she'll be an easy one to teach with a target stick.

 

[sara]

What's funny is I couldn't find mine and had to improvise with a cat toy and a different fuzzy ball lol

 

[Caiti]

One trick that I taught Matrix that we LOVE is to put her toys away and only have one toy out at a time. She is so good with this. Its also loads of fun for her to gather up all her toys after a play session.

I also work religiously on heelwork LOL and she loves it. We also chain behaviours, for example when I say 'Show off' she jumps, spins and then bows.

Leaf is ADORABLE!!