Everybody loves their pets. Whether you have a dog, cat, guinea pig, snake, whatever, you love that animal. Something that's important for all animals to be able to do is answer a command (or do tricks). These commands/tricks can save your dogs life (Sit! Do not run in front of that car!) or just be something funny that your dog does for attention (Dance!). Since it's Pets Month here at Instructables I thought I'd make an Instructable showing how I taught my dog to do 2 important commands, and two not so important ones.
Yay! Frontpage 3/11/08!
Yay! Frontpage 3/11/08!
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You will need:
A Dog
Some type of dog treat (and a lot of it)
A crapload of patience
Maybe some tape for trick number 4
A Dog
Some type of dog treat (and a lot of it)
A crapload of patience
Maybe some tape for trick number 4
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He does, however do "high five" - I just raised my hand higher and in the "high five" position - after teaching him "shake". He LOVES high fiving! LOL
Great instructible!
Anyways, another way to teach this is via targeting. Touch your two fingers GENTLY to your dog's noise while saying the cue word "touch". Then praise and give a treat. Eventually, hold your fingers further and further away so the dog is touching your fingers on their own.
Then you can work on pointing to things and telling the dog to "touch" so they target other things. Such as a piece of tape on the door that you're trying to teach them to close.
If luring the dog into a sit doesn't work (having the dog follow a treat into position), then wait for the dog to offer the behavior all on their own and capture it with praise and a treat. When the dog is reliably performing the behavior, put a cue word to it. You can also shape the dog into a sit. This is where you work up to the behavior in steps.
Also another tip when teaching a dog to sit also train it to sit when it sees both hands in the air as children often do this when frighten by larger dogs so when the child puts there hands in the air the dog sits more of a safty thing then a trick
Why would you want an aggressive dog?
Socialize her more so she is not skittish around people, but it would not be good to encourage aggressiveness, IMHO......
A friend tried, and ended upreplacing the remote about a gazillion times - had to put it up so high he could not use it. Dog was bringing it to him again, and again - over and over. Even if it was on the table or couch in front of him.
Actually, it WAS pretty funny.....
The frisbee is a little less than one foot from one side to another
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I had to teach sit in three steps (you get a couple of other 'tricks' along the way):
1) Stand - hold the treat just far enough above your dog's head to get her to stand on her back legs. When she gets this one down pat, move on to:
2) Sit pretty/Beg - start in a stand, then lower the treat (enclosed in your hand) until her butt hits the ground. Once she gets this trick down pat without having to start from a stand, move on to:
3) Sit - start from a beg, move the treat down until both her front paws hit the floor.
I raised my dog from when she could finally leave her mother and hide in a shoebox. I don't recommend it, but she is so loyal, we can cuddle up in a corner and she will lay down with us. She lets us lay down in front of her, (without showing dominance) she also lets us pet her under the neck, (something dogs never do,) and she doesn’t growl when you take her food bowl away. She also likes to do new tricks for our left overs. She’s really playful, in a sense that she will push her basket ball-sized tennis ball and push it to our feet. We can leave entire plates of food and she won’t dash and eat it. She knows food is on the counter, and being a big dog, she could easily get to it. she only eats when we tell her "get it" or "go" we can tell her "stay" and leave a chicken leg on the floor in front of her and leave the house for 3 minutes, she won’t eat it. She also still takes shoes (and slippers) but the funny part is she knows we put them side by side, so she takes the other one and puts it right next to it, regardless if it is in the living room.
1) Your dog doesn't respect you. To him, it is his house and you are just living in it. Because dogs follow a pack, they tend to obey their pack leader. You have to establish yourself as one and stay that way.
2) Your dog has too much energy because you may not be giving it enough activity. You should walk your dog for at least an hour a day to burn off some of that excess energy.
Walking your dog is a major part of your relationship with them, and letting them do whatever they want during a walk is not the best way to do things until you clearly establish boundaries. Stop letting them always walk ahead of you, and hold them on a short leash. A short leash is holding it as if it was only long enough to go from your hand to the dog's collar. The leash is an extension of you. A leash never lets go because it gives up, so neither should you.
Alpha dog always leads, and followers never lead the alpha dog. This will be one of many boundaries that you will set. Your dog will walk next to you or behind you, but not in front, or you are not in control. Keeping this in mind at all times is a start toward earning your dog's respect and trust. Occasionally, let out some slack to give the dog a chance to relieve itself. If it doesn't, reel it back in and just continue walking.
Corrections to a dogs behavior vary, but never include hitting the animal or causing pain. It may help to tire a hyperactive dog with a brisk walk first, so that excess energy does not get in the way. Jog with the dog instead of walking it, and of course provide it with plenty of fresh water. An example you can try to get started:
Keep a collar on the dog at all times, that is intended for leash use. When they start running amok, grab them by the collar and don't allow them to run away. Don't snatch them angrily, just catch them like you are trying to physically-restrain them from hurting themselves (in a way you are, anyway). As you hold the collar, repeat the command "sit" in a calm but firm manner, and mean it, as you roll the dog's hips downward and backwards toward a sitting position. Since the dog seems to be used to having it's own way, this may take a little time, but do not relent until they do as you tell them. Continue repeating the command as you suggest what you are saying physically, by firmly rolling his butt down to the floor. Be consistent every time, and he/she will eventually understand what you mean. It's not You Vs. the Dog, it's You Vs. The Behavior, and defeat comes by what gives up first.
Treats: Don't ever reward undesired behavior. Using treats to negotiate a behavior can actually backfire on you. "Treats are for tricks", not a behavioral or negotiation tool. Try an exercise in letting the dog know what's yours and not his. Take a treat, and make sure he/she knows what it is, but don't offer it (If your dog knows where the treats come from, this is ideal). Set the container of treats on the floor with a treat on top, but do not let the dog take the treat. Using the word "no" can be helpful to the dog, but mostly you. Stand over the treat, and make them keep their distance, blocking with your foot or hand as necessary. This exercise will take no less than 10 minutes. By doing this, you are claiming the treats as yours and yours alone, and denying any sense of entitlement the dog may feel. To the dog, it is the same as when another dog stands over food and growls if another gets nearby. Now try the "sit" command, and you might be surprised that it suddenly works (not always, but great when it does, and it will come eventually). The dog does not get the treat, nor even close to it, until the behavior of not trying to steal the treat has been performed to your satisfaction, including how long you want them to do it. You can use your foot to block them, just don't kick them by accident. If they are relentless in trying to get at it, hold it in your hand and just ward them off, like it was YOUR food. "No" is an easy word for even cats to learn, so your dog should pick it up quite quickly.
There's too much to really cover, and there is no easy fix. It takes work, dedication, and commitment. Be an authority figure. Never reward poor behavior. Your priority to the dog is to be a leader and act like one...Even people follow leaders, but unlike dogs, people often don't realize when they are being led, even when it's by a dog.
For some basic help, see this and try some of the suggestions. If you really mean it, you will make a change, even in as little as 10 seconds. Don't knock it until you've tried it.