In article ,
Suja wrote:
Ideas? What do your dogs do that amuses a crowd?

One thing that's absolutely trivial to teach and that
usually gets a big laugh is "What's on the wall?" and having
the dog turn its head so that it looks like it's looking.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

In article 2007012415124417709-montana@wildhackcominvalid,
montana wildhack wrote:
I can see this with looking up, so the phrase is, "Look! Up in the sky!"

I'm in the process of trying to teach everybody to look up
so that we can do a scouring-the-sky-for-snow photograph.

Still on my to-do list is to teach Saber to sway back and
forth. Put it together with his blindness and his big grin
and his nose in the air and you've got a creditable Stevie
Wonder impression.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

Melinda Shore wrote:

Still on my to-do list is to teach Saber to sway back and
forth. Put it together with his blindness and his big grin
and his nose in the air and you've got a creditable Stevie
Wonder impression.

Ha! Elliott used to do that. I called it his Ray Charles
impersonation.

--
Shelly (Warning: see label for details)
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

This started on rpd.breeds, but I'm thinking that I need to do more than
polish up the dogs' existing bag of tricks. So, I need ideas for simple
tricks that would be feasible with a few rapid training sessions daily.

Here is what they know already (it's not much). Both dogs know
sit/down/stand and stays in each of the positions, shake, speak, watch,
leave it, drop/give, out/go (go out of the room) and come/Let's go. Pan
knows to 'Pretty Sit', 'Go get it' (gets the toy that I point to), and Khan
knows to high five, wave, touch, crawl, bow, relax (lie on his side; I'm
working with Pan on this), hide (his face with his paw), heel, come around
(an obstacle), back up/go back and back here.

I've tried to teach Khan to Roll Over, but he generally flops back on the
side he starts. Haven't tried this with Pan, although I suspect that big
dogs have a harder time with this.

What I would like are simple tricks; extensions of tricks they know already
would be great too. Some things, I don't want to teach Pan; for example,
she already uses her giant paws of death too much, and I wouldn't want to
teach her to wave or high five. Definitely don't want to teach her to open
things (like doors/drawers), since she's likely to abuse her new found
knowledge. I would also like her to have a few tricks that are just hers.

Ideas? What do your dogs do that amuses a crowd?

Suja

In article ,
Suja wrote:
Pan already does Look! - at whatever I'm pointing, ears perked and a growl
building up. And how do you get them to look at a wall anyway?

You don't - you train them to turn their head. It only
looks like they're looking at the wall.

They learn the head-turning part almost immediately. It
takes them somewhat longer to learn not to cut their eyes
over at you while their head is turned.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

"Suja" wrote

I've had a hard time teaching the dogs to fetch things that aren't of
inherent interest to them, like toys.

Balim fetched her first thing today: a clothespin. My wife was hanging out
laundry on the veranda and dropped a clothespin that fell into the yard
below. Balim (6 mo old Cocker Spaniel) who was watching this, went down,
picked up the clothespin, and brought it back to my wife.

We were all flabbergasted. Balim was praised of course.

Is this something Cocker Spaniels do?

--
Bob
http://www.kanyak.com

"Suja" wrote in news:ySOth.86698$cv2.82456
@newsfe13.lga:

Haven't tried this with Pan, although I suspect that big
dogs have a harder time with this.

But it is altogether more hilarious in deep chested, long-limbed dogs.
Legs going every which way, it is to laugh.

Zoe does a very neat rollover, but Queenie's is a scream. Max would have
to stay down on the ground long enough to roll over, very hard when
you're lighter than air.

--
Catherine
& Zoe the cockerchow
& Queenie the black gold retriever
& Max the Pomeranian
& Rosalie the calico cat

"montana wildhack" wrote in message
news:2007012415124417709-montana@wildhackcominvalid...
I can see this with looking up, so the phrase is, "Look! Up in the sky!"

No phrase around our house intentionally begins with "Look"!

"Look" - or as we refer to it "the L word" - will send both schnauzers
running to the nearest window or the sliding door ready to raise the alarm
to the world.

It is a word that has Very High Power. We do not use it lightly.

Judy

"diddy" wrote in message:

When I sneeze, Tuck runs and brings the kleenex box.
You can teach your dogs to steal a dollar from your husbands pocket and
hand it to you.

I've had a hard time teaching the dogs to fetch things that aren't of
inherent interest to them, like toys. I know you started on this sort of
thing really young with Tuck, but how would you teach dogs that are not
interested in fetching/picking things up?

Nerf basketball is also a good one.

How?

Suja

"montana wildhack" wrote in message
news:2007012415124417709-montana@wildhackcominvalid...
On 2007-01-24 15:10:54 -0500, (Melinda Shore) said:

One thing that's absolutely trivial to teach and that
usually gets a big laugh is "What's on the wall?" and having
the dog turn its head so that it looks like it's looking.

Pan already does Look! - at whatever I'm pointing, ears perked and a growl
building up. And how do you get them to look at a wall anyway?

I can see this with looking up, so the phrase is, "Look! Up in the sky!"

That's a good idea. Pan already looks up in the air when she sees birds or
airplanes. I'll see if I can put this on cue. Khan's missing just about
anything that is above his head, so this can be her special thing.

Suja