More Games for your dog
Putting
Toys Away
This is a variation on fetch. Instead of
having your dog return the toy to you, have him place it in a box. Begin
this game by standing next to the box and cuing your dog to drop the
item into the box, not in your hand. Gradually move away from the box.
This same trick can be used to have your dog put the the recycling in
the bin or tennis balls in a can. A smaller container is more difficult.
Dancing With Your Dog
If your jealous
of the ice dancers, try some dancing with your dog. Dancing can be as
easy or complicated as you like.
Easy Moves:
- Spin - A spin is an easy move to teach. If your dog already knows how to touch a target or your hand, have him/her follow it in a small circle. After your dog is doing this successfully, put it on cue. For a dog who doesn’t know about targeting, this is a behavior that can be lured. Targeting is preferred and provides a more solid training base.
- Weave - In this move the dog weaves through your legs. Start at a stand still and lure or target your dog from your left side to the front and through your spread legs. Reward. Continue to practice until your dog goes comfortably through your legs. Some tall dogs are never comfortable with this trick. The next step is to teach your dog to go around your right leg and back to the front before proceeding back through your legs and back to the original position. Once your dog can perform this trick at a stand still, start to do it at a slow walk. For a very fancy heeling pattern, start with your dog heeling on the left, send him/her through your legs several times, and finish with your dog heeling on the right.
- Heeling on the Right and Left - For dance work, you dog should be comfortable on both sides. Having skills on both sides is also needed for agility. Right heeling is taught in the same way as left heeling. Make sure to use a different cue, and if competitive obedience is in your pet’s future, use different body language.
- Switch Sides - Once your dog can heel on both sides, you need to teach him/her to move to the other side. The easiest side switch is for the handler to turn into the dog as the dog turns into the handler. This can be taught with a target or a lure.
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