My dog can do a lot

So SharkBait had requested that I put on here how I trained my dog to do so many tricks, I didn't take her to training school I did it all myself. All it takes is a bunch of treats, a happy dog and one happy owner. If your having a bad day then don't bother trying that day cause your dog can tell :P Remember you have to try to do these as much as possible until the dog understands and remembers what to do, I usually find treats that basically have nothing in them (so they wont get fat) and just do it while your chillin' at home or on commercials.

So this is how I did it, hope it can be of some help:

Sit: hold a treat close to your chest and say sit, repeat this over and over (in a nice tone) if you have a little dog it might be easier if you are on your knees. Just keep saying it over and over, your dog might run around aimlesly for a while but then it'll get confused and guess what? it'll sit down! lol yup thats how I did it.


Laydown: I got her to sit first, then took a treat and held it in my hand with my thumb and covered my fingers over it, dont make a fist, you want them to smell it. then just put it on the ground. Your dogs instincts will get it to lay down, then praise it, when i say praise it, i mean like over load it in praise, rub their belly and say "good dog" over and over, then do it again.


Tell a storie: This one is fun, most dogs already "speak" they dont need help with this. So say "tell a storie" but when they back say "shhh" then say it again, most dogs's will do little growles, thats what you want. then do the praise all over again. Then repeat the trick. Once she learns it it'll be fun, i can sit there and randomly say "oh really" and "then what happened" and she'll keep 'tellin' her storie' :P it's fun when you have company.


Play dead: This one was a lil' difficult to do at first, Once she/he has lay down good and learnt you can do this one. I make a gun with my hand and say bang bang, and she falls over and lays on her side. They can't be too excited for this one because they have to lay perfectly still, so treats are a MUST. get them to lay down for this one first, then say "bang bang" for the first couple times you mught have to lay them down for them so they can see what you mean. then as soon as they lay on their side say "stay" count to 5 then say "good dog" and give them some treats. Repeat.


Smile: This one is kinds hard, She kinda did this one on her own. When they are really excited say "smile" a lot lol yeah you gotta show your teeth too :P , Make some 'arr' noises too, Thats when Navada does it, lol I think maybe she's the one training us...


Haha I gotta tell you this just cause it's funnie, She does have my dad trained, she goes outside to pee every couple hours, but goes to my dad often to ask to go outside, so he thinks, no she doesn't have to go out. Instead he goes and opens the door, she stands at the top, so he gives her a treat so she'll leave him alone whle he's working. haha she's got him trained to give her a treat .... So awesome lol lol haha She does this bout once an hour or so.... lol now she's on a diet.... oh jeeze

**I hope this is helping you guys, it worked for me, I just trying to help **

[SharkBait]

Yeys! Right 'play dead' is now on Matisse's schedule!
However, he lies down, but not on his side, and if i push him over he's like ' err whatcha doing?' Any tips on how to better that?

Tell him to stay, if he does say Good dog and give him a treat.... then repeat (once he's up again)with bang bang (or play dead what ever you want) and when(if) he looks confused lay him down again and say stay... then give him a treat again.... this should work! Let me know

I sometimes do a roll action with my hand... i dont know how to explain it with words... .umm... tap the ground with your hand then lift in an arch and tap it again to what ever side you want him to lay on... might help too

[lizzybeth727]

My dog can't stand to be physically manipulated while she's trying to learn, so I couldn't teach roll over by pushing her. What I did was just use a lure - when she's laying down, lure the treat from her nose toward her hips, then arch it over her back. She should curl around to get the treat, forming a "c"-shape with her body. Once she's there, pulling the treat up over her back will pull her head around and her body will follow. When her hips and shoulders hit the ground, you can move the treat back to the ground in front of her head to get her to put her head down on the ground.

You can get the great tricks book, "Idiots Guide to Dog Tricks" at most bookstores and libraries, there are dozens and dozens of tricks described, and for most tricks there are two or three different ways to teach it in case your dog doesn't get it with one method.

"physically manipulated" you make it sound so mean.... lol....

[lizzybeth727]

^^^^^That's what she thinks of it.

(Plus, in general, I think it's a last-resort training method. That's just me.)

my dog learns awesome that way. haha soon as i show her what she's gotta do she does it... hehe i love my little girl :P... well she thinks she's little but in reality she's about 40lbs haha, STILL tries to be a lap dog. but how do you say no when she falls asleep on you... it's sooo hard :P

[milos_mommy]

I certainly didn't train any of those that way...but whatever works for you, i guess.

[Angelique]

Originally Posted by lizzybeth727

Plus, in general, I think it's a last-resort training method. That's just me.)

Touch is one form of communication, a physical one. It's only a "last resort" if you can't learn to use it correctly, or use it when in a state of anger or frustration. And, if that's the case, don't use it at all.

The sense of touch, is used to both communicate and share information, IMO.

Hands-off training methods throw away one very valuable form of communication. They aren't my preference.