Okay so every other Wednesday we have a group of folks who get together and practice tricks. Sometimes in an organized fashion, sometimes not so much. Well we also are trying to come up with some big group tricks that we can pull out at trick expos and competitions. Doggy Band is one. Since Gauis is the -cough- smallest (don't tell him) member of our troop, I wanted to think of something similarly adorable fro him to do in our doggie band. I came up with a tambourine. Here's a video of what we've got so far. (WARNING: My voice is very high pitched in this video, I recommend turning the sound down or off)
Sorry the video is a little dark and turned sideways. I was taking it with Sean's i-pod. His command to shake an object is 'kill it'. I started with socks hat he loves to shake anyhow then stuffed animals then to more stiff harder objects and eventually to the tambourine which he wasn't even a fan of holding at fist. I put duck tape over one of the opening because his teeth had a tendency to get caught there (You can see that in the video once in another location). I think he has much improved and it's almost ready to take on the road.
Below is our bands pianist Garth (Who also has a blog, click the link). We have a singer, drummer, and horn honker too but I can't find good pictures of them applying their art. This was taken at Marti-Paws where Garth played for tips and helped raise $275 for Fetch-a-Cure :)
So I have been thinking about dog tricks I want to teach Gaius after the pet expo, or tricks I want to perfect. But I thought I’d get organized an make a list so I can keep up with my progress. That way whenever I feel like I have nothing to train I can come back to this post.
Bow
Back up
-Heel Backwards
- Do backwards Figures 8s around my legs.
Go around me in a circle
- forwards
- backwards
Jump on Command
-Jump rope
-Hop to the side (into heel position)
Run through a hoop rolled on the ground
Nod Your Head Yes
Limp
Crawl
Object discrimination (Hold up an object and ask your dog to pick the same out of a list of choices)
Two Dog Tricks
- Under
- Over
- Leap frog (Jump several dogs in a row)
-Weave between another dogs legs
- Sit in between another dogs front legs
- Circle another dog
- Ride another dog (Stand on it’s back)
- Kiss (Noses touch other dog) Would need a very tolerant partner
- There is a bunch of other stuff that could be done here.
Hide your head under a pillow
Dig the Ground on Command
Cross your paws while laying down (Legs may be too short for this)
Hold a Cookie on your nose without going for it (HA! I’ve tried to teach this several times and each time I sort of give up. He just doesn’t have that much self control)
Things we have been working on that need to be perfected
How embarrassed (Paw held over nose)
Mark (Lift his leg on something on command)
Skateboarding
Lift and go through a hoop which is stationary on the ground.
Nod your head No
Caught your tail and spin
Blow bubbles in water
Here is a video that shows the object discrimination game I'm dieing to teach.There is a better one that describes the raining process with a standard black poodle I think, but for the life of me I can't find it on you tube. If you have the link PLEASE let me know. I'd really love to watch it again.
So I thought you all might be interested in a video I made for a friend of mine. This is Annie a standard poodle and her owner Joyce. She's going to be one of the other dogs doing the trick demo in February. Annie is just the sweetest, but highest energy dog I have ever met. She's quite a handful!
After the pet expo Joyce and I are planning on getting together to teach two dog tricks. I have been dieing to try some and I think it would be really cute. :)
Which is a great dachshund news blog, so check it out if you haven't heard of it already. But Gauis big news is that he got his expert trick title! Check out the video: (Now if you joined my blog from the long and short, you've already seen this. If not you've seen most of these tricks already. Think of this as a greatest hits video)
But we aren't stopping there! There are plenty of tricks left to learn and things I want to teach. Such as roll on a barrel:
We are currently working on distance. But it's getting there! So stay tuned, I have lots of fun stuff planned.
In other news, we have an agility trail in Woodbridge this weekend. (Just one more leg for NJWW title!) so wish us luck. I'm sure you'll see an update on that)
Also, posts have been lacking recently because I lost the charger for my camera's battiers. And I like having nice pictures with my post not just videos. But today it was found! So expect a more active future.
Well now that the trail is over it's back to perfecting Gaius' tricks for his trick titles. I had a little set back yesterday teaching Gaius to run through a rolling hoop (not technically required for his trick titles but a cute thing to teach). You see the hoop fell on him mid jump and scared him. Which caused him to shriek and run away. The hoop got tangled in his feet and he dragged it across the apartment with him at full speed until it tripped him on the tile in my front hall and he skidded head first into the wall. Suffice it to say he decided he no longer likes the hula hoop.
In fact the next time I pulled one out to practice he whined and hid under the couch. I pulled him out and tried to do some counter conditioning but ended up moving a bit to fast and he ran into the bathroom and spent the next three hours cowering in the bathtub. I felt too guilt to move him again. So let's just say we are currently working on gaining confidence around hula hoops. So in the mean time here is a trick that Gaius already knew but had to be perfected in order to qualify for the trick title (I had to add the head down at the end).
This actually took some time to teach. At first I couldn't get him to roll over with anything in his mouth. I started with his obediance dumbbell. Can you roll over while holding something fimilar in your mouth? When he had that down I moved on to a wash cloth folded into four. When he could do that I slowly unfolded the wash cloth. We ran into a bit of a snag when it got large enough to catch under him when he rolled. The pressure caused by his body cause him to drop it. But we went slow and he got over that we moved on to something actually dachshund blanket sized. Teaching him to pick up the corner by himself didn't take much time at all and tada!
So I got my book and got my hula-hops and have been working hard (ok off and on a few minutes a day) to complete my list. I thought I'd show you some progress so far. I promise a video of Gaius retrieving liquor soon!
But without further ado, Which hand holds the Treat:
So I found something interesting while goofing of around the internet. You can earn Trick Dog Titles! Apparently the writer of 101 Dog Tricks gives out titles if you are able to complete a certain number of tricks at certain levels. I took a peek at the requirements and Gaius already knows most of this stuff. So I'm thinking, hey why not. I'll just have to teach him a few new things and we should be set!
Now I proubably won't send in to get an ACTUAL trick title. Because it sounds like I'm just sending $80 off to some random person so she can print me a certificate using Microsoft office. Maybe I'd find the money if it was the AKC's trick title. But that doesn't mean I can't complete the check list.
Below is a list of the tricks required for each level and Gaius' status as far as being able to complete them. Now the instructions say that you can reuse a trick from a higher level for your easier trick title levels... but that seems lame. So I'm not going to do that. Each level of tricks should be original. Purple are things I need to teach, Red are things I've worked on but need perfecting.
Novice Trick Dog Title (The dog must be able to complete 15 tricks at a novice level)
Come/Recall (Gaius knows this)
Down (Gaius knows this)
Drop it (Gaius knows this)
Doggie Push-ups [This means the ability to do sit down stand in a quick sequence) (Gaius knows this)
Take it (Gaius knows this)
Hoop Jump (I can teach this in an afternoon.... I need to buy a hula hoop...)
Jump over a bar (Gaius knows this...you've seen the agility tape)
Kennel up (Gaius knows this)
Place/Return to Heel Position (Gaius knows this)
Shake (Gaius knows this)
Sit (Gaius knows this)
Spin (Gaius knows this)
Stay (Gaius knows this)
Touch my Hand (Gaius knows this)
Tunnel (Gaius knows this)
Intermediate Trick Dog Title (The dog must be able to complete 15 tricks at an intermediate level)
Carry my purse (Gaius knows this... we practiced this on the fourth of July, more on that to come)
Fetch Food Dish (Gaius knows this)
Food refusal (Gaius knows this)
Head Down (Gaius knows this)
Jump throw my Arms (... we're practicing this. He currently thinks it means throw myself at mom's arms....)
Moonwalk (Gaius knows this)
Roll Over (Gaius knows this)
Sit Pretty (Gaius knows this)
Teeter Totter (Gaius knows this)
Tidy up Toys (Needs some practice, but I've worked on this with him before. It shouldn't take long to perfect)
Wave Goodbye (Gaius knows this)
Which hand holds the Treat (I need to teach this)
Scratch my Back (This is my extra trick that I'm using to count as an intermediate trick)
Heel Forward (Gaius knows this)
Pick a Card from the Deck (I need to teach this)
Advanced Trick Dog (Dog must complete five advanced level tricks)
Play Dead (Gaius knows this.... but I have to look at her rules. He doesn't put his head all the way down so it might not count)
Play the Piano/ Type on the Keyboard (I've been DIEING to teach this trick)
Baton Jumping (Like the hoop Jump this will take an afternoon)
Close a Door (I just taught Gaius this!)
Double Hoop Sequence (I need to look at the book to see what this is... But I bet it's not that bad)
Expert Trick Dog (Dog must complete five expert level tricks)
Bring me a tissue (This shouldn't take long to teach)
Ring Toss (This is proubably my biggest challenge... I've been working on this one but Gaius sucks at it... I mean just sucks. He's just not a detail oriented, gentle enough pup for it. This takes tactile skill and patience. Gaius is just a fan of smacking things into each other until it works. We'll get there)
Weave Pole (Gaius knows this)
Roll Yourself in a Blanket (Gaius knows this. This was actually sort of tricky to teach.)
Bring me a Beer from the Fridge (I've been working diligently on this all week. Seriously. Right now he can open the fridge if I hand him the tug tied to the handle, but not if he picks up the tug by himself. He can retrieve an object from the fridge. And he can close the fridge by himself. So I just need to work on chaining those actions, ironing out any rough bits, and getting some distance. In other news Gaius can not lift a bottle of beer by himself. Ok he can but its really hard and I'm afraid he'll drop the bottle on the way out of the fridge and then there will be broken glass and shit. So I'm going to teach him to retrieve one of those little liquor bottles you can get from the ABC store instead. I'm sure that still counts)
So those are the tricks from the list I've chosen to teach. Not to bad, it I just have to teach seven tricks and iron out four. When I'm all done I'll make a video and post it :) To be honest I had some trouble picking from her list, trying to find enough tricks in each category I could conceivable do. It was a very big dog biases list. I mean half the stuff was things like, teach your dog to turn on a light switch... yeah right. I'm going to teach my ten pound dachshund to reach a light switch. Look, no amount of clicker training will make him grow four feet higher. Or, jump over my back hahaha. I think I should write this lady and tell her to make it fair she needs more little dog tricks in her titles. Oh well, she has Weimaraners, she doesn't understand the blight of teaching complete tricks to a dog inch tall legs. Anyhow, I'll keep you apprised of my progress!
The Black one is Pekoe and the Orange Tabby is Oolong
Well for reasons that don't really have a place on this blog, I've been at my parents house a lot recently and have been unable to bring my pup. I also have huge gaps of down time and I'm going through some training withdrawal as well as a little boredom. But for every problem there is a solution! In this case my parents two cats, Pekoe and Oolong (see the picture above).
Training cats is exactly the same as training dogs with a few amendments. They get frustrated quicker. Which means training sessions NEED to be short! Really short, a few repetitions and that is it! They also keep you honest in the shaping process. If you move too fast, they get irritated and the whole training session is kaput! The other thing is that they can handle absolutely NO physical manpulation. If I nudged Pekoe ever so slightly to get him to a better position he'd yowl at me and dart off. End of training session, and ending on a bad note is not exactly the best thing. So it really keeps you on the straight and narrow. My obedience instructor likes to tell us "Every time you position your dog, you are making him stupider". So I guess I've learned that training cats is a great way to break bad dog training habits.
So without further ado, a video of what they've learned. Sit, I've worked on earlier, but the rest of the tricks were trained in about a week, with maybe two to three, one to three minute training sessions a day, give or take. Also, I recorded this video using my dads flip camera (I have to get myself one of those), and holding treats in one hand and trying to give hand cues with the other. So you'll have to forgive the shoddy camera work. (Also this was my first real dive into the world of imovie! Very exciting).
Now lets get analytical:
Sit was taught entirely with shaping and they got this really quickly. I think that's always true with the first thing animals are trained to do. It's both of their defaults now, though with Oolong down is getting there. I think mostly because he must sit on the way to a down so if he sits he gets the treat, if he waits a bit and realizes he hasn't gotten the treat he goes into the down. This puts in doubt whether he really understands the commands so I'll need to keep an eye on it. This can be fixed by waiting a count or two after the command sit to make sure he doesn't slip to a down and only reward him for maintaining the sit.
Both the sit and the down are verbal commands. I have found that it is much more difficult to teach an animal to respond to verbal commands than to hand signals. I guess they don't listen to us much. There is an interesting discussion! Any ideas on why verbal commands take me longer to train then hand signals?
The spin, high five and 'get my hand' command were all taught with luring and then fading out the treat VERY quickly at the beginning of the process (As a rule, 3 times with the treat then never again with a treat that training session). But this means that its difficult for me to phase out the hand command.
Two at a Time:
One of the biggest issues I've had while training the two cats is the fact that when I start a training session with one, the other isn't far behind. Training two animals at once is not the best and there are many challenges. First of all, its difficult to 'mark' one animal without marking an unwanted behavior in the other animal. Also, I can't keep prefect track of both animals at once, this means I may miss desired behaviors I might want to reward. Also, I only have two hands which means fewer treats per time, less frequent rewards mean higher levels of frustration. Not very good for training cats.
Now with a dog, there would be an easy solution to this. I'd tell one dog to go to his crate (Crate games are amazing!) while training the other and then call the crated dog out after the training session. Well my parents cats aren't crate trained (They also have no it's your choice so I had to be very careful where I kept the treats! Cats are thieves). So I tried many solutions, none of which really worked. I tried to isolate the cat I wanted to train (I took Pekoe into my room and closed the door). He was only able to get one repetition in before becoming preoccupied with the closed door. A little stressed about being trapped I think but he could also hear his brother Oolong throwing an absolute tantrum on the other side of the door. Have I mentioned how completely food motivated these cats are? I tried isolating the cat that wasn't being trained but this resulted in the same tantrum (no need to stress them out when this was suppose to be fun). In the end the best solution seemed to be 50% management and 50% just sucking it up. I found that it was much easier to teach them different things at the same time. Teaching them the same trick was troublesome because if one cat picked it up faster (we all learn at our own speeds) the other cat would get frustrated faster. Watching the person next to you get treat after treat while you are getting nothing is difficult (This was especially tough on Pekoe, Oolong is a bright little cat). Somehow if they were both working on different skills there seemed to be less jealousy (I'm not sure why though.)
Jealousy can be a good thing in training though as it can increase motivation and that was defiantly true for these two.
Clicker Blues:
Now I went to PetSmart and got a clicker at the beginning of this week because I thought it would make training easier. When I got home I did the "introducing the clicker exercise" where I clicked and then gave both cats a treat. They both did very well with this... until I actually started using it for training. Then Pekoe decided the sound of the clicking was scary and would dart off every time he heard this. This was sort of a blessing in disguise because it gave me more time to work with Oolong individually, which is why Oolong knows down and Pekoe doesn't.
Oolong was really understaning the shaping process by the end but Pekoe never really got the hang of it. Pekoe understands luring/follow the treat, which seems to still be a bit of a foreign concept to Oolong (Which means Oolong is using his brain more, which is great!).
So in conclusion it was an interesting experience and a lot of fun. I can't wait to do more whenever I end up home without the pup. (As the cats go into lock down mode when he's here. Which is understandable. More on Gaius and cats later).
How long do I have to hold this down stay......? I think she's going to eat me....
My dachshund knows a lot of tricks... The following is a quick video of Gaius' tricks from almost a year ago (so he's only one year old in this video). Since then he's learned MANY more. I might make a new one at some point. Excuse my ridiculously high pitched voice while training. If you follow this blog you'll just have to get used to it :)
I love training tricks! Its probably my favorite thing to do in the dog training world. Mostly because shaping is just fascinating (I almost ALWAYS use shaping to teach tricks). I love watching my dog's brain work. Letting him figure things out on his own. Its like actively watching his brain grow (But shaping and clicker training is a whole post in and of itself). Another great thing about using shaping to teach tricks is that you never know what kind of trick you're going to end up with. You let the animal lead the way to a certain extent (For example I clicker trained a cat to give me a high five earlier today... but more on that later). Lastly tricks are just freakin adorable. And isn't that what having a dog is all about?
There are other reasons to teach your dog tricks. Its a great way to build a relationship with your dog. I remember when I first started dog training someone said that to me. I have to admit my first reaction was "What the heck does 'build a relationship' with my dog mean". It sounded like some artsy, spiritual crap to me. I was expecting her to pull out crystals and make me hum, but now I think I understand. It means it's a way of making the dog like you more, making you an interesting and fun person to be around. Dogs that are taught tricks have fun, you have fun and they love you more for it.
Another reason to teach tricks is for the ups and the downs. Let me explain... Tricks are a great way to psych your dog up! I use this a lot on hot days when Gaius is dragging on the agility field (Ok, ok I just started doing this, but come on, I'm new here! ). I'll call him out of his crate and ask him to do four or five tricks which he knows like the back of his hand (paw). Then I reward each one. This way he gets excited. He thinks "Oh! these are easy, I can do this, and look at all the treats I'm getting!" Then when I ask him to do the more difficult behavior (running an agility sequence) he is more excited.
The next reason to teach tricks, I think is by far the MOST IMPORTANT REASON is to keep your dog under threshold (the downs). Not all of us have perfectly well adjusted, well socialized dogs (ahem... more on this later). In fact since I've started in dog training (I'd say, for real about 1.5 years ago. I don't think Petsmart counts.) I'd say a HUGE number of dogs have issues with socialization. Tricks are an amazing distractions.
Do you have a pomeranian that hates other dogs? You're out on a walk and the worst thing in the world happens. Suddenly you turn a corner and there is a Saint Bernard pulling its owner down the street! OH NO!! If your pompom knows a few tricks you can turn to them and say. "Cujo shake! (All pom poms should be named Cujo) Cujo dance! Cujo spin!" and before you know it the slobbery lug has gone along his way and Cujo barley even noticed! Its magic!
Now a lot of "serious" dog trainers don't like to teach their dogs tricks (I put serious in quotations because if you are serious when you dog train you are totally doing it wrong). They think that it isn't important or is somehow demeaning to their champion agility border collie or disciplined Doberman Schutzhund. Well let me tell you something, my dachshund doesn't mind being demeaned if cookies are involved! And regardless, even if trick training isn't necessarily what the cool kids do, I think it's awesome! And I was on the chess team in high school, so obviously I'm an expert on cool. (insert picture of me doing a Fonz impression here)
Anyhow I leave you with one last video. This is a video of me in the process of teaching the command IN. We had practiced this several times before but this is the first time I used the wine glass (a much smaller target). Here he isn't yet to the point were I can add the command (Maybe I'll talk to you about the steps of shaping a little later). I make a few mistakes in this training session. The first of which is it went on WAY too long. His best repetitions are at the beginning of the training session (I went on long mostly because this was how he was getting dinner and I wanted to finish feeding him, but still no excuses). I also could have fed him over the wine glass which may have help him understand where his head needed to be. Look at me, record keeping. That is what the blog is here for right? I'm sure there will be many more videos like this to come. Enjoy :)
