Category: Fun Stuff ¤ Author: Barbara Ann Gray ¤ Title: Cool Tricks ¤ 1.BALL BUMP Objective: To teach the dog to knock or bump a ball out of a hoop. 1. Place the ball inside the hoop. 2. Give the dog a chance to investigate it on his own. Any movement in the direction of the ball should receive a C/T, including just looking at it. 3. If the dog shows no interest at all, use the target stick to direct the dog's focus. 4. As you continue to C/T any movement toward the ball, the dog will begin to realize that this is the behavior that is causing you to click. Slowly raise criteria until the dog is touching the ball with his nose or paw, even if it is accidental. 5. Once the dog is bumping the ball, withhold the click until he bumps it a little harder. Eventually he should be bumping it hard enough to knock the ball out of the hoop - JACKPOT! 6. Any cue can be added when the dog is reliably knocking the ball out of the hoop. ***Variations: Fade the hoop so the dog is actually kicking or pushing the ball around as if playing soccer etc. 2. GET BACK Objective: To teach the dog to walk backwards, away from you, on cue. 1. With dog standing or sitting in front, facing you, step into dog so he must move back. 2. As he takes the slightest move back, C/T. 3. Continue this procedure, slowly raising criteria (expecting a bit more movement backwards) until the dog is reliably taking several steps backwards before you C/T. 4. Now introduce the cue "Get Back" just before you move into the dog. You may also wish to add a hand signal at this point. 5. As the dog begins to respond to the "Get Back" cue, begin to fade your movement into the dog. 6. Your goal is to have the dog move back on cue (verbal and/or hand signal) without a great deal of body movement on your part. 3. PULL Objective: To teach the dog to pull on a cloth or rope with enough intensity to open a door. 1. Tie a strip of cloth loosely around your wrist. 2. Direct the dog to touch the cloth. Any movement, including a look, in the direction of the cloth should be C/T'd. 3. Slowly raise the criteria so that the dog eventually begins to nudge, or mouth the cloth, remembering to C/T every small step. 4. When the dog is consistently nudging or mouthing the cloth, withhold the click until he takes the cloth in his mouth. Jackpot. 5. Now you need to wait for a bit of a pull on the cloth and gradually ask for more intensity of the pull. Again, remember to C/T each small increment. 6. When the dog is tugging at the cloth with enough strength to satisfy you, slip the cloth off your wrist and fasten it to the knob of a loosely closed door (a cupboard door is good) so the cloth hangs at a reasonable height for the dog to grasp. 7. Since you have changed the environment (cloth is on the doorknob instead of your wrist) you need to lower the criteria again and start from the beginning. In all likelihood, the dog will very quickly catch on to the pull and you can raise criteria more quickly this time. Be sure to C/T with each successful attempt until the dog is able to open the door to your satisfaction. 8. When the dog is reliably opening the door, add the cue. ***Please note: you may start immediately with tying the cloth or rope to the cupboard door. You would proceed to train the pull exactly as described in steps #2-5. I included instructions for starting with your wrist in case a door was not available in your immediate training environment. 4. ROLL OVER Objective: To teach the dog to roll over in a complete circle. 1. Using a lure, have the dog lay down. C/T. 2. When the dog is in the down position, move the lure slightly to the left or right (depending on which hip the dog favours lying on) and toward the shoulder area. If the dog follows the lure, C/T. If the dog is not following the lure, you may be moving it too far or too fast. 3. Very gradually, increase the distance of the lure before you C/T. Eventually the dog will have to shift his body weight to follow the lure. Be sure to give several successful C/T's at this stage before proceeding. Rolling onto the back is a submissive action for many dogs and not a comfortable position for dominant dogs so it is important to give the dog confidence in this position before moving on. 4. Continue moving the lure in one direction in small increments until the dog has completed the roll over. 5. You will need to practice this many times until the dog is fluent and reliable before adding the cue. 6. Once the behavior is established the movement of your luring hand becomes a hand signal so you can easily fade the treat you are using for a lure. You will still want to C/T on a variable reinforcement schedule (VRS) but now the treat can come from elsewhere (i.e.. your pocket, a bowl, etc.). *** Variation: Use the same procedure to teach the dog to roll in the opposite direction. Alternate. 5. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT Objective: To teach the dog to take a treat or leave it on cue. 1. Offer treat - just as dog is ready to take it, click and treat. 2. Since this behavior will probably become predictable almost immediately, you can introduce the cue "Take It" as you offer the treat. Be sure to click as the dog touches the treat to take it. 3. Now introduce the treat in a loosely closed fist. Do not let the dog take it. He will likely try to knaw, lick, chew, nose, paw or otherwise get your hand slobbery at first. As soon as he stops for an instant (to plan the next attack), click, say "Take It" and give treat. 4. Continue this procedure until the dog is reliably standing back, or waiting, each time the treat is offered. 5. Now, as you extend your hand with the treat, introduce the cue, "Leave It". After a short wait, click, say "Take It" and give treat. 6. Offer the treat in a gradually opened hand until the dog is reliably waiting when you say "Leave It". Click, "Take It" and treat. 7. At this point, you will probably have no trouble fading the click. Your "Take It" cue naturally replaces the click and ends the behavior (waiting). ***When your dog has mastered this method of "Leave It", expand your repertoire by variations such as placing the treat on the floor by your foot (so you can quickly cover it if necessary). Remember that when you change the scenario in any way (location, rules, distance, etc.) you will likely need to lower the criteria temporarily. 6. THE SPIN Objective: To teach the dog to complete a standing 360 degree turn. 1. Have the dog touch the target stick (you can target the dog to your finger as well) and C/T. 2. Move the target slightly to the left or right as you give the "Touch" cue. If the dog follows and touches C/T. If the dog does not follow, perhaps you have moved too far at one time - REMEMBER SUCCESS COMES IN SMALL INCREMENTS. 3. Very gradually increase the distance of the turn. C/T several times at each successful increment. 4. When the dog is following the target reliably for a 360 degree turn, introduce the cue at the start of the turn. 5. Increasing the number of spins puts the behavior on a variable reinforcement schedule (VRS). Vary the number of spins frequently (i.e. 3, 1, 2, 1, 3 ) *** Variation: Teach the dog to spin in the opposite direction. Alternate. 7. THE WAVE Objective: To teach the dog to raise its paw high enough to imitate a wave. 1. Put the dog in a sit position with you squatting in front. 2. You need to get a movement, however slight, of one paw and there are several ways you may be able to elicit a response: -using a lure: this could be a toy or a food treat waved at leg level that your dog could paw at. ` -lightly touching or tapping the paw with a finger. -"tickling" the paw with a straw. -gently lifting the paw from behind with your finger (or pencil, target stick etc.) 3. C/T any movement of a front paw. 4. When the dog begins to move the paw voluntarily, begin slowly raising the criteria (waiting until the paw is slightly higher before C/Ting). Be sure to C/T at each increment. 5. When the dog is raising its paw to the level you are happy with for a wave response, and doing it reliably, add a cue. 6. This is a good time to add a hand signal as well. *** Variation: Use same procedure with other paw. Alternate. 8. WEAVING Objective: To teach the dog to weave through your legs. 1. You will need to have a lure in both hands as you train this move. 2. Begin by placing the left foot as far forward as comfortably possible. The dog should be on your right. Extend your left hand down under the left thigh so the dog can sniff the lure. As soon as the dog makes the slightest move toward the lure, C/T. 3. Continue luring the dog from this position, in very small increments until the dog moves to follow the lure under your left thigh. Jackpot the first complete passage under the leg. Repeat this one move until the dog is moving easily from your right side, under your left thigh to the left. 4. Now when the dog is on the left, extend your right leg as far forward as is comfortable. With a lure in your right hand, extend your hand as far as necessary to get your dog's attention under the right thigh. Be sure to C/T even the slightest move toward the lure. You are repeating the same procedure you did with the left leg only in the opposite direction. 5. Repeat Step #4 several times until the dog is moving easily from left to right under your right thigh. 6. Now you can try combining both Steps #3 and #4 in a slow exaggerated walking pattern. If the dog will not follow moving from one leg to the other, you need to go back and do more luring and shaping one leg at a time. 7. When the dog is easily moving through the left and right legs in succession, introduce the cue. 8. The ultimate goal here is to repeat the weave pattern as you slowly walk forward several steps. Of course with small dogs you will not have to exaggerate the steps as much as with large dogs and can therefore walk faster. Barbara Ann Gray GrayRidge Kennel Blenheim, Ontario mbgray@ciaccess.com