[GSDOwner2008]

Hopefully this is the right place for this.

Okay, so what's the cutest trick you've taught your dog? Also, if you can, include how you taught it. I'm thinking of widening Apollo's repitoire of tricks. I would have to say that right now, Apollo's cutest trick would have to be 'High Five'.

 

[marylou]

How did you teach him that one?

We are working on "play dead"....

 

[GSDOwner2008]

Well, first I taught him shake so he got the idea of raising up his paw. Then I had treats with me, and then I told him to do shake. After that, I turned it in to a high five. I gave the command, and then the treat. Eventually, I said high five, and he did it. He does both very well now. The trick is timing with the treats so they get it.

Play dead sounds really cute, do you have any inout on how to teach it?

 

[grmnshpd21]

I love Molly's "high five" trick. I must say when we are out taking a walk and come across some kids that want to meet Molly, the kids just love the high five trick too. Then the kids all ask for high fives and get a kick out of it. It is too cute!

 

[Kayla's Dad]

Don't have much to add since i'm sneaking a peek at work, but here is a similiar thread from last year with lot's of ideas.

Chris (Historian) and Jamie (Murphy-Elperroguapo) took the prize with the huge amount of suggestions on this thread.

What tricks have you taught your dog to do?

 

[GSDOwner2008]

Wow, they have definately taught their dogs a lot of tricks and commands. Right now, Apollo only knows:

Sit
Down
Stay
Shake
High Five
Heel
Drop it

Working on: Gentle and Toy

We want him to be gentle with the puppy, and toy is just a command I want to use to tell him to fetch his toy for playtime.

 

[Superpup]

LOL... this is not really "Taught" but sort of... IF I start doing a "HOOOOWWWLLL" Cody will start howling... LOL... it sometimes takes a little bit persistance, but normally he starts howling really easy, and he lifts his head up and rounds his mouth and hoooowllllsss

I think he is so adorable when he does it... kinda of an annoying trick but I have made quite a few kids and adults laugh..LOL!

 

[GSDOwner2008]

Lol, that's so cute! I haven't put a command on it, but Apollo does this thing where he has a rope toy or a ball in his mouth and he pushes another ball on the floor with his feet like a soccer ball. It's one of the cutest things I've seen him do.

 

[Annemarie]

I have taught my two fuzzies the "shake" command.

When they get out of the ocean they off course decide to stand right beside you and shake all the water off, wet, wet, wet!!! So every time they would shake I just used the word "shake" and praised, now they will shake on command so that I don't end up soaked!!

 

[GSDOwner2008]

That's definately a new spin to the "shake" command, lol.

 

[IliamnasQuest]

If you have a dog doing a "high five" it's an easy step to waving goodbye (something all my dogs learn).

I use the command "bye bye" (which sounds similar to "high five" with the long "I" sounds). I just gradually move my hand farther away so that when the dog brings the paw up, it doesn't actually meet my hand. And then I praise and reward. Over a period of weeks I move back farther and farther until I don't have to be really close to my dog, and they will wave the paw anyhow.

Every dog I've done this with has developed their own distinctive style of wave. Some really bring the paw up high, some slap it on the ground a few times, some wave it up and down like a true wave. It's really cute to see how they develop their own.

As long as you're working on paw exercises, you can do some that involve a dog rubbing/covering their nose/face with a paw. I usually teach these with the dog laying on the bed with me .. *L* .. but you could certainly be on the floor with the dog. Some people use a small piece of tape that they put on the muzzle so that the dog brings a paw up to rub it off. I just blow very softly on the dog's face and all of mine have responded with bringing a paw up. Then you immediately mark and reward that behavior. When the dog is doing it consistently with just a small puff of air, I add a verbal command (or signal, or both) and then I fade out the puff of air.

This is another one that they tend to develop into their own. Khana will hold her paw over her eyes, even at a sit. Trick lays on her side and covers her nose. Dora reaches up and rubs her nose quickly. So with Khana I ask her "are you embarassed?". Trick's command is "what stinks??" and Dora's is "does your nose tickle?".

Teaching tricks is great fun. I used to take the dogs to do performances at the fair so we had a ton of tricks that we did.

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

 

[Catu]

Not Diabla, but I taught my former BC to put her paw in her nose, like if she was embarrassed. I taught it putting an elastic band in her muzzle and clicking when she tried to take it off with the paw.

 

[nysirk]

Libby My Senior cutest trick has got to be the WAVE, once you have learned high five you can turn that into WAVE we shaped this trick by using a clicker, Ive seen a few dogs do the Wave along with the sit up which is so adorable, our puppy Dexter is working speak and quiet and on the BANG BANG trick, He can only do the play dead part at this time the full trick is you say Bang and the dog starts to limp then you say Bang again and the dog starts to crawl then you say bang bang and the dog plays dead (hand signals are a must when teaching this trick) the full trick is going to take some time but Im sure will be quite impressive I found this website that has Alot of great trick ideas http://dogs.thefuntimesguide.com/2006/06/101_best_dog_tricks.php

 

[GSDOwner2008]

Just an update on Apollo's cute tricks, I have now taught him to give kisses on command! He's so adorable when he does it. I'm gonna incorporate this in his 'Greet' Command so that when a guest comes in the home, they can see how sweet and cute he is.