[Shane'sDad]

What sort of unique "trick" have you been able to teach a dog you own or have owned...I'm asking because.for the first time for me in 40 years I have a young male Aussie in a group obedience class...graduation is a few weeks away and the instructor/trainer has asked the group to teach their dog a trick for that evening....the GSDs I've owned or worked with in the past weren't known for their tricks...... but maybe someone here had a dog that was "special" in that way....

 

[dogfaeries]

I had an Italian Greyhound that needed to learn a trick for his graduation. His was “bow”. Super easy to train since IG’s do lots of stretching, and when he stretched into a play bow position, I would click and treat. Of course everyone thought it was adorable. Which it was, lol.

 

[tim_s_adams]

I taught Nyx several tricks. The easiest was playing dead. Are you looking for tips on how to teach a trick, or just some trick ideas?

 

[LuvShepherds]

I taught mine to spin around and sit. I used what we had learned as “the finish” where they go from a Front Sit to a Heel and added a spin. I worked on it before she ate and used her kibble as a reward. She learned it very quickly. It also added a nice crispness to the finish at the end of exercises, so it was a benefit. Although we never pursued a title. It was just for fun. They did a match trial for graduation and she got an almost perfect score.

 

[Chuck94!]

Rollo's favorite tricks are "spin" & play dead "dead" haha

 

[dogfaeries]

I taught my Dobe to play dead. Her cue was “bang”.

 

[Shane'sDad]

I taught Nyx several tricks. The easiest was playing dead. Are you looking for tips on how to teach a trick, or just some trick ideas?

Really just some ideas for tricks Tim....been some good ideas so far....also hoping to teach Jake something nobody else had taught their pup.....

 

[Cassidy's Mom]

Have you done any hand targeting ("touch")? It's super easy to teach, and then you can use it for all sorts of other things, such as weaving between your legs as you walk. You can also transfer it to other things, like sending him to a target plate on the floor.


Or mat work, where you send him to a mat and he lays down on it and waits until released.

 

[Pytheis]

How about peekaboo? My shepherd pup loves that trick. No matter where he is, he’ll come running around my right side and stick his head out between my legs and look up at me. I specifically taught him to go around my right side and not my left for that trick since he has another command “around” where he has to circle me from the left. He learned peekaboo in just a few short sessions.

 

[xthine]

Hello Shane's Dad! :greet:


Josie and I hike a lot and I don't know that I actually taught her this 'trick' but...


She goes and poops shortly after we hit the trailhead. I pick up the poop and bag it, leave it on the side a bit hidden so I do not carry it with me for 4 miles or so.
Well one day I had a hard time remembering where I hid the poop bag and I kept saying 'where's the poop bag where's the poopie?'. All of a sudden Josie veers a certain direction and pauses (points with her snout), boom! She found her poop bag! I was pretty amazed. So now I give her a command for that as needed. When we were potty training, I would give her the cue 'Potty' 'Poopie' , somehow this turned her into a poop detector machine.



In other words... maybe a 'seek/search/such' command would be a good trick.


Advance Happy Graduation! :smile2:

 

[tim_s_adams]

Really just some ideas for tricks Tim....been some good ideas so far....also hoping to teach Jake something nobody else had taught their pup.....

Well Sir, then don't teach him to play dead, roll over, spin, crawl, fetch a particular object, shake hands, high five, sit pretty, or any of those "usual" tricks LOL! Have you ever seen Skidboot? He does some pretty unique stuff, though I'm convinced his owner is at least half the appeal! Good luck, and be sure to let us know how it goes!

 

[Jenny720]

I like always liked the Lexus YouTube videos- good ideas . You can find a trick you like from the video and go on YouTube to see how to train it. Or just string some tricks all together.

This was max a few years ago on the Instagram video - his head got cut off. You can see though he is quite a performer and does love to learn new things. I have recent videos but his one is on my phone. Saying hi, reverse , backing up, and dramatic rollovers.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaeNzN4H4eA/?igshid=mhi8h87lsox9

https://youtu.be/CjQsbhSpN8g

 

[Shane'sDad]

Well Sir, then don't teach him to play dead, roll over, spin, crawl, fetch a particular object, shake hands, high five, sit pretty, or any of those "usual" tricks LOL! Have you ever seen Skidboot? He does some pretty unique stuff, though I'm convinced his owner is at least half the appeal! Good luck, and be sure to let us know how it goes!

I read your post and went Huh ???.....then I went back and read my reply to you before...my bad.... I did a crappy job of typing what my old brain was thinking...I really just want to teach him something that no one else in the graduation class is doing....it's a basic class so I'm expecting some fairly basic tricks....he's one of the quickest learners I've ever had....loves treats...so I'm thinking bowing--playing dead or something like that ....easy to teach and learn...

 

[Shane'sDad]

I like always liked the Lexus YouTube videos- good ideas . You can find a trick you like from the video and go on YouTube to see how to train it. Or just string some tricks all together.

This was max a few years ago on the Instagram video - his head got cut off. You can see though he is quite a performer and does love to learn new things. I have recent videos but his one is on my phone. Saying hi, reverse , backing up, and dramatic rollovers.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaeNzN4H4eA/?igshid=mhi8h87lsox9

https://youtu.be/CjQsbhSpN8g

Amazing videos...what both those dogs have is what the best always have the dogs eyes stay focused on their trainer....being asked by the class instructor to teach a trick really made me think about dogs I've owned and dealt with over the years...I guess because I was always trying to fix something with each dog...we never took the time tricks...I regret it really I think a couple of them could have been good at it if I'd spent the time....

 

[Jenny720]

@Shane’sDad thank you the Lexus video posted they have a few -were always motivating for me (She is also a great photographer) and great for those dreaded winter days to keep brains tired. Max never really liked strange dogs so we practiced a lot with focus/look at me excerises. he also has a high ball drive so with that combined he has more focus then I ever will- lol!

 

[tim_s_adams]

Update? How did the graduation trick work out, and what trick did you do?

 

[Shane'sDad]

Update? How did the graduation trick work out, and what trick did you do?

We did a spin to the left and then immediately a spin to the right.....he learned the trick in one session at home....all through the classes each week folks thought i spent hours and hours working with Jake but nope we didn't practice very much he learned quick and his attention was always on me....however we'll call graduation night a case of hmmm---stage fright ??
All the studentas are standing in a large "auditorium" type room in a circle....the instructor calls different dogs names... which ever dogs name was called walked to the center of the circle with their owner and did their trick....I could see Jake was getting a little nervous as we were sitting and waiting....so the instructor calls Jake's name-says she's been waiting to see what Jake did....we walk to the center...he sits....i walk in front and face him.....I spoke his name which was to be followed by "spin left" and Jake takes it from there.....well all I got out was Jake ..and he immediately in the blink of an eye falls over on his side... class starts applauding--teacher says--Oh you taught Jake to "play dead"......ummmm No! --I didn't....i put him in a heel ..we made a short lap--I sat him..walked in front..gave the command he spun left and right perfectly ( this time ) and got a second round of applause...sorry for the long reply but I was trying to "paint" a vivid mental picture.....

 

[tim_s_adams]

I was hoping for a fun story to tell the truth! You didn't have much time...

Way to go Jake!

 

[Jenny720]

Awesome Jake - good times!

 

[Kathrynil]

We did a spin to the left and then immediately a spin to the right.....he learned the trick in one session at home....all through the classes each week folks thought i spent hours and hours working with Jake but nope we didn't practice very much he learned quick and his attention was always on me....however we'll call graduation night a case of hmmm---stage fright ??
All the studentas are standing in a large "auditorium" type room in a circle....the instructor calls different dogs names... which ever dogs name was called walked to the center of the circle with their owner and did their trick....I could see Jake was getting a little nervous as we were sitting and waiting....so the instructor calls Jake's name-says she's been waiting to see what Jake did....we walk to the center...he sits....i walk in front and face him.....I spoke his name which was to be followed by "spin left" and Jake takes it from there.....well all I got out was Jake ..and he immediately in the blink of an eye falls over on his side... class starts applauding--teacher says--Oh you taught Jake to "play dead"......ummmm No! --I didn't....i put him in a heel ..we made a short lap--I sat him..walked in front..gave the command he spun left and right perfectly ( this time ) and got a second round of applause...sorry for the long reply but I was trying to "paint" a vivid mental picture.....

A natural! He knows all the tricks instinctively!