In the theme of 'Trick Training'

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#1
I give you an oldie but a goodie: http://silvia.trkman.net/tricks.htm

I love this women. It's amazing how much this article when I read it awhile back spoke to me.

Everything is a trick. Why is heeling any different than sit pretty? And once you get in that mindframe everything becomes so much more fun.

I remember training Kaylee to heel and then training Kaylee to close doors. I viewed them as such different entities and it showed, she loved to close doors and would tolerate heeling. And when asked to do one or the other after lengths of time have gone by, one guess which one was preformed flawlessly and the other not so much.

I trained Traveler to heel like it was a fun trick and he shows the same enthusiasm for it as he does jumping into my arms....well, close to it anyways.

Just that little shift in mind frame put so much into perspective for me. I used to scoff at tricks and think "Well that's nice, but can you do REAL training?" Why wasn't that real training? Because it wasn't SERIOUS TRAINING? Because it didn't have real world applications that I could see? Or was it because deep down I couldn't figure out how I could get a dog to do a handstand?

Whatever it was, I know that embracing trick training has changed me for the better and opened such a world for my dogs. They've become such thinkers and more and more we work together on tricks more I see the speed at which they learn improve, their work ethic and drive sky rocket, their endurance both mentally and physically increase, their focus during distractions sharpen and their bond to me (and I to them) become deeper and deeper.

I adore 'Stupid Dog Tricks'
 

SaraB

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#2
I loooove Trkman and her attitude towards everything as well. I know I have a tendency to get serious about training that may reflect on me as a dog trainer or if it's a necessary part of a sport we are hoping to do. When I start to get that way and I start to put unnecessary pressure on my dog, I take a step back. Training is supposed to be fun, if I'm putting pressure on myself and in turn, on the dog, that's not fun for me. Yes, there are certain things that are more important than others to learn, but like you said, I want my dog to do those things with enthusiasm and joy, or not at all.
 

Sekah

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#3
I'm also a big fan of Trkman. I love her emphasis on relationship building through trick training. I started trick training with Cohen before I knew anything about who she was (or any other trainer, for that matter) and Cohen's repertoire of tricks is pretty impressive. She can do a handstand, weave backwards, retrieve anything I ask her to - pennies and dimes included... But she's started excelling at the "basic" obedience stuff too. Heck, last night she held a 3 hour long down-stay on a mat while I assisted in 3 agility classes at our school. Dogs were running around, I was engaging with them, and she lay there quietly. Clients are more impressed that she can hold a long stay than her tricks, but they're all so closely related. Any time I sit down for a training session with Cohen she's vibrating with energy and whining in anticipation. She adores it, and I work hard to keep her as happy as possible. I really feel like it's been paying off lately.

Also, that reminds me... I've been meaning to teach Cohen a vault for a while now...
 
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#4
It's something I find interesting, what makes heeling, sitting, downing etc. 'real' training and then teaching a spin or a handstand 'trick training' and something that isn't real training.

So many times I read something like "Oh, they're just a trick trainer" or "They don't do real training, just tricks" and it baffles me. Why is your down in motion any more real than my reverse leg weaves?

I loooove Trkman and her attitude towards everything as well. I know I have a tendency to get serious about training that may reflect on me as a dog trainer or if it's a necessary part of a sport we are hoping to do. When I start to get that way and I start to put unnecessary pressure on my dog, I take a step back. Training is supposed to be fun, if I'm putting pressure on myself and in turn, on the dog, that's not fun for me. Yes, there are certain things that are more important than others to learn, but like you said, I want my dog to do those things with enthusiasm and joy, or not at all.
And that's why you have a dog that's always there to bite you on the nose. Keeps you from getting to serious :rofl1:

I'm also a big fan of Trkman. I love her emphasis on relationship building through trick training. I started trick training with Cohen before I knew anything about who she was (or any other trainer, for that matter) and Cohen's repertoire of tricks is pretty impressive. She can do a handstand, weave backwards, retrieve anything I ask her to - pennies and dimes included... But she's started excelling at the "basic" obedience stuff too. Heck, last night she held a 3 hour long down-stay on a mat while I assisted in 3 agility classes at our school. Dogs were running around, I was engaging with them, and she lay there quietly. Clients are more impressed that she can hold a long stay than her tricks, but they're all so closely related. Any time I sit down for a training session with Cohen she's vibrating with energy and whining in anticipation. She adores it, and I work hard to keep her as happy as possible. I really feel like it's been paying off lately.

Also, that reminds me... I've been meaning to teach Cohen a vault for a while now...
Yes exactly! And Cohen is really impressive. It really amazes me how when you start doing that the enjoyment and work ethic sky rockets
 

Southpaw

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#5
I try to train with that mindset but it is sooo hard. I put this pressure on myself and my dog by dividing everything into 2 categories: things she needs to know. Things she doesn't need to know.

If I'm having a rocky time teaching stay, for example... that is frustrating as heck because all I can think is "UGH, this needs to be done better! She needs to listen to this!" If she lazily rolls over and only does it 25% of the time that I ask? Meh.... it's just a trick.... if she does it at all, that's impressive lol.

I really wish I could embrace the fact that technically, they're ALL tricks. Because I definitely know that Juno thinks tricks are more fun than the srs commands. But gahhhh it's so hard for me to do if I'm trying to teach something that I feel is "important."
 
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#6
I've never really sat down and thought about it in those terms, but... I guess one of the advantages to having a Squash is that I'm pretty sure he pretty much sees life as one big game/trick. :D So it's nearly impossible not to train him that way (if I get too serious, he fills with woe and gets flustered) and then have that attitude bleed over into everything I do with all the dogs.
 

Shai

& the Muttly Crew
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#7
One of the sources for the derisive "just a trick trainer" remarks is the perception that these "trick trainers" always train with cookies in hand baiting the dog and don't take their training to a level that stands up in the "real world" such that behaviors are delivered on a level that meets criteria no matter where/when they are cued.

Which is true for some and complete bunk for others, as are most generalities.

But yeah Trkman's attitude toward training is my favorite thing about her, and while not uncommon I love to see it so out there and celebrated.

Train with joy. Play with joy. They are one and the same.
 

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