|
 
Want your dog to walk in sync with you at your side? Choose
heel. Impress your friends by telling your dog to
roll over. The all-time favorite
shake is easy to learn, and people love it! And while
you're at it, why not just learn the rest of the tricks, too? It's all here,
and it's all free! Bookmark this page now, and go get it!
For You
The Lowdown On Treats...
Heel
1.
Begin by putting the choke chain and lead on your dog.
2.
With your dog on your left side, put your left foot out first and start
walking. Say, "Gus, heel." (But use your own dog's name, of course.)
3. Make sure that your dog's speed
matches yours. He should make an effort to keep up with you - you shouldn't
try to keep up with him. The whole idea here is for you to be "top dog."
If he starts to slow down, speed up, stop, or go away,
jerk the choke chain and say, "Gus, heel" again.
4. Walk straight, and once your dog
has the idea, walk in circles and squares for experience with turning. When
you make a turn, always say "Heel" again in a cheerful voice.
5. When you've stopped, make your
dog sit. Then praise him! Make sure that you don't
train past 15 minutes - the dog will lose interest. Heeling shouldn't last
longer than 3-5 minutes. Practice heeling twice a day, and remember to teach
your dog to automatically sit when you stop - this could save him from
running into a busy street, or worse.
Sit
1.
Begin by stopping on your left foot after heeling.
2.
Say, "Sit." (Don't use your dog's name since this is a stationary command -
one you will not be making your dog move in.) Pull up with
the lead so the choke chain rises on their neck, and put your hand on your
dog's back and gently push down until he sits.
3.
Now praise your dog! Let him know when he can get up by saying something
like, "Okay, Gus," or another word you like. But remember: do not let
the dog get up until you tell him it's okay to.
4.
This command goes hand-in-hand with heel, so be sure to
practice the two together to the point where your dog doesn't have to be told
to sit after you've stopped heeling.
Down
1. Once you have your dog in the sitting
position, walk in front of him with the lead in your hands. Put the lead
on the ground and step on it.
2. Bend down to where your dog can see
you and say firmly, "Down" while you help him put his front paws down.
3. Keep your dog in the down position
with your foot still on the lead, to stop him from getting up. Make sure he
stays down for about 30 seconds. Then get up, walk around (preferably, heel),
sit and then help him with the down command again.
4. You can practice this whenever
your dog's in the sitting position. This command can be hard, but it's worth
it!
Stay
1. Begin with your dog in the sitting
position. Unclip the lead, put it around your neck and adjust the choke chain
on your dog so that it hangs in front.
2. Walk around to the front of your dog,
open your hand, and put it (palm facing the dog) in front of your dog's face.
Tell him firmly, "Stay." Then turn on your right foot, put your hand - still
open - behind your back (meaning you won't be giving any more commands), and
walk away.
3. Stop at about twenty or thirty
feet (as your dog gets better at this command, go further).
Count slowly to 2, turn around, then kneel and call your dog. Encourage him
to run. If he comes slowly or just doesn't get it at all, just try it again.
Wait
1. Heel for a minute or so before
stopping. Don't let your dog sit, though. If he does, tell him, "Come on, boy!
Up!" or put your hand underneath his stomach to gently push him up.
Then put the lead down, walk in front of him, put your outstretched
hand in front of his face and say, "Wait."
2. Walk away for a minute, making sure
your dog can still see you, and then return. This whole time, don't look at
your dog. (Sometimes the dog will think eye contact means that he's free to
go.)
3. When you get back to your dog, praise
him! Then tell him it's okay to get up. Pick up the lead and heel. Walk for
another minute and then practice "Wait" again.
Come
1. Begin in an enclosed area with your
dog sitting. Ask a friend to help you by holding your dog's collar. You
should walk away for a minute and out of the dog's view.
2. Now, remaining in the place that
you're at, call your dog's name. Remember - you want your dog to remember
that coming to you is fun, not boring, so really praise him
when he comes.
3. Try the command again twice, and
going to different areas when you walk off. When your dog starts coming to
you regularly, you can try practicing it on a long leash or chain. When he's
really good at it, practice come in a wide, open area.
Shake
1. Start with your dog in the sitting
position. Stand in front of him, taking his paw (right or left, depending on
which hand you use most often) and put it in your hand.
2. Say "Shake" as you gently shake his
paw; then praise your dog! Get up and walk around for a little bit, then come
back, sit, and practice shaking again. You can randomly "shake" throughout
the day, to get your dog into the habit.
Kiss
1. Dab some peanut butter onto your
cheek. (You can also use maple syrup, but it's messier.) Call your dog and
show him the peanut butter.
2. Say "Kiss" as your dog licks the
peanut butter off. (Now if there happens to be something wrong with your dog
and he doesn't start licking it off, you might as well bypass this
trick!
Roll Over
1. Begin with your dog in the sitting
position, and have him lay down. Then say "Roll Over" and slowly help him
to roll over. (You can also use a favorite toy to keep in his view as you
do this.)
2. When you've finished, tell him,
"Up, Gus!" and then have him sit. If you used a toy, let him have it now.
Give him lots of praise!
Turn Around
1. With your dog standing,
show the treat or toy. Don't let him take it, though; start leading him
around in a tight circle, holding the treat/toy in front of him, but just out
of reach.
2. When you finish circling,
have your dog sit and let him have the treat or toy - he's earned it!
Practice this trick until your dog can turn around without a reward.
Crawl
1. Begin with your dog in the Down
position. Hold the treat in front of him, just out of reach.
2. Slowly pull the treat back towards
you, keeping it about as high as your dog's nose, saying "Crawl" while you
do. If your dog stands instead of crawling, use the choke chain to correct
him and bring him back to the ground. When your dog begins to crawl, praise
him and give him the treat! Practice this trick until your dog can crawl
without a reward.
Bow
1. Okay, so this is the one trick that
can't really be classified as a "trick" - more as an occurence! The best way
to begin teaching this trick is to "catch" your dog bowing, which usually
happens when he's sleepy or has just woken up. When he does this, say "Bow"
and give him a treat.
2. To teach this trick without
"catching" your dog in the act, call him over to you and show him the treat.
Put it down on the ground and put your dog's front legs down, so that he can
reach the treat. Say bow, of course - and keep it up!
|
 Heel Sit Down Stay Wait Come
Tricks
Extras |
) Try this trick until you
get to the point where you don't have to use peanut butter anymore, and your
dog will "kiss" you on command. Good luck!