Bring my bowl to Mommy trick….
JJ: Being a young dog (I am still technically a puppy) is just completely amazing. People just don’t understand how every new thing is so interesting to us. You may wonder why we pull on couch cushions, chew on TV stands, run like crazy behind chairs, grab everything we can (whether edible or not), and even start showing some independence after months of being anything but. It is because we are maturing, and just like your teenage daughter, we start to push some boundaries. We want to see what you will and will not tolerate. While my people are watching TV, I have started to move around more – trying to see how far they will let me wander off before they start to look for me and tell me to go back into the room where they are watching. A bit of puppy rebellion, sort of speak.
Alanis: OK, you little pain in the butt, what does any of that have to do with learning tricks? Stop being dramatic and stick to the topic.
JJ: Shut up. I am trying to tell a story here.
Alanis: A story that, thus far, has nothing to do with the topic Daddy asked you to type about.
JJ: This is part of the rebellion!
Alanis: Ugh.
JJ: Anyway, to tie everything together, one way to help me during my time of rebellion is by teaching me new things to do! Golden Retrievers are not in the “working breed” category during your neighborhood dog show, but we want to WORK! If you don’t give us work to do, guess what? We will create some. And you may not like the tasks me give to ourselves – chew the wall, dig the hole, take the chocolate. Use my curiosity to YOUR advantage.
Alanis: There are a few holes in the wall in this house to prove this theory!
JJ: Not my creation, diva. Anyway, one way to keep your dog happy and occupied is through the use of TRICKS! We love to do tricks. Some of them are more desirable than others, but if you ask us for something to do something, and we accomplish it, it is such a thrill for us. It is why we look so happy when we give a paw or do a spin. It’s fun. Not only is it fun, but it gives our brains a workout, which makes it less desirable to pull apart that pillow that has been in your family for 50 years.
Alanis: I loved tricks class. It broke me out of my crazy shell. I was an insane girl when I was young – over-the-top insane. I did OK in the obedience classes, but it was hard for me to be obedient. I needed an outlet, and the less structured tricks class helped me break out of my own brain.
JJ: You are mentioned often in class, Alanis – there is a female Golden Retriever in this class that is reminding the trainer (and Daddy) of you! She is crazy – she needs her own little private area in class to help her succeed. The kind of stuff you needed for your own sanity, so I hear!
Alanis: I never needed my own area to train, but the situation is certainly the same. I needed some special treatment to help me figure things out. It was so helpful.
JJ: I bark a lot in class…is it because I want to be the center of attention? I tend to bark MORE when Daddy is listening to the instructor and we aren’t doing anything. I also constantly bark while we wait for the previous class to let out. I want to work so badly!
Alanis: I was always hesitant to go into the building! I was such a strange girl. Once in the building, I was typically OK – but getting me in there could be a chore.
JJ: The tricks I have learned so far are paw, opposite paw (five), two paws on a chair, curtsey (bow), pretty, pray, crawl, spin, twist, figure eight…
Alanis: OK, braggart – you are still a while away from learning the number of tricks I know!
JJ: What is your favorite trick, Alanis?
Alanis: I have two that I really love. I love to do my “pray”. It makes me happy whenever it is asked of me. I also love to do the “Get your mommy!” trick that daddy taught me – I know how to open the bedroom door to wake up my mommy. The original trick was “Get your brothers!” Josh and Jeter would sleep in the bedroom with Mommy – when it was time to eat, Daddy would ask me to go bet my brothers, and I would do that trick. How about yours?
JJ: No favorite so far – but I am digging the “two paws” (on a chair) command!
Alanis: That trick is the foundation for so many others – include the pray!
JJ: I love showing the tricks I am learning to Mommy when I get home. I am so proud of myself and amaze myself with every new thing I learn.
Alanis: That is the goal, brother! Increase your confidence, lessen your drive to get into things you aren’t supposed to get into and HAVE FUN! After all, we are dogs – fun should always be our #1 priority.
Me: Teaching a dog tricks accomplishes a lot when you have a young dog who is still in a phase that can be described as “destructive”. It puts their focus on you. It tires out their brains (and their bodies) as they have to recall what each command means. Your dog will eventually pick up on your sequencing of tricks (which always amazes me), so you can tire them out even more by changing the sequence! Fun activity that tires out your crazy puppy? I think most owners would sign up for that!
While many “regular” commands can be life-saving (leave it, stay, wait, come, touch, etc.), the other great thing about tricks is that if your dog doesn’t like a particular trick, you can move on to something else. Leave it? Sure, they must learn that command regardless if they enjoy it or not! Roll over? There isn’t a need for them to do it if they are reluctant (Alanis hated that command, so we didn’t pursue it). Move on to stuff they are more interested in doing.
“Treat value” can be very important when you teach a dog tricks. In other words, if they are used to getting string cheese in their everyday lives, they may not be as eager to work for it when learning a new trick. The higher the value of the treat, the more willing the dog may be. JJ actually doesn’t mind the string cheese (even though he gets it every night), but there are times we need to break out something that is a higher value to get his “brains” back in the game.
That is another important thing about tricks: They REALLY work your dog’s brain. If you lose your dog while trying to teach them something new, ask them to do something they already know. In my experience, once they accomplish a trick they already know how to do, their brains kind of “reset”, which makes it easier to teach them the new trick.
Bottom line? Have fun when you teach your dog tricks! If you find yourself “frustrated” because the dog isn’t “getting it”, calm yourself down! Do something to reset your brain! They are dogs, not robots. Sometimes, the piece of fuzz that just floated by them is more interesting than giving you their paw. Patience is the key to teaching a new dog old tricks….