Needing new tricks

[chumleysma]

Chumleys therapy visits at the retirement community and court house are going pretty good, but I'm growing bored with showing the same old tricks. Does anybody have any new trick ideas for us? He learns tricks with the clicker because he understands what it means. So far he's got touch, jump, back up, sad, bow, high five, go to your place, where's your water bottle, and where's your bowl. He can't seem to accomplish any tricks that require picking up or holding with his mouth as his desire to have his mouth ready for the treat overrides holding something in his mouth. I've had some mouth success replacing his treat for a massage, but it's not really what he wants to do...just not his thing.
So, could anyone help give me fresh, new ideas?...much appreciated!

 

[ElvisTheNewf]

If he can touch and bow, maybe he can "say his prayers"? I've seen dogs do this where they bow down and put their head on or between their paws.

Can he already touch with both paws? Elvis is left-pawed but maybe Chumley can do it with both?

And my favorite trick - if he knows "down", then can you "shoot him"? Point a finger gun at him and have him drop down?

 

[CathyC.]

closing doors and drawers is pretty simple to teach but I'm not sure you'd have a door or drawer to close where you visit?

Pulling was easy to teach, too and can morph into pulling a basket around or tugging off your socks (seniors would appreciate the usefulness of that!)

Find it is fun

Roll over

Bang play dead is classic but not up my alley

Crawl?

Spin around/chase your tail

Bark on command. For yes. Shake head for no. Then weave an interview routine around the tricks.

Jump through a hoop? Crawl through a tunnel?

Balance a treat on his nose before eating it?

Leave it with food treats you place around him then release so he can eat them?

Differentiate between two items by nudging the right one with his nose

 

[R Taft]

I would concentrate on the carry one..just don't give her a treat until she hold longer, increase the time, bit by bit and ask her to carry stuff for you..say a bucket with something in it, that she can "give" to people.

Also teach scenting tricks......Use alphabet blocks. Scent three (say c, a and t) and put them all out. Teach the dog to pick three (start with one and work your way up) and so they can spell cat.

Or picking things up when you drop them...Drop an article (phone, purse) and the dogs picks it up and gives it to you. Just trained by click and treat.

We also do the sneeze and give a tissue...trained by click and treat a tissue from box and go on to it being a sneeze (cue) and tissue. All of these are fun for the dog and quiet, which i am sure is what you have to be in the environments you work in.
There is a great book 101 Dog tricks by Kyra Sundance..it has so many lovely ideas, i really like tha tbook. i think it is available as a e-book too

 

[chumleysma]

I love these new trick ideas! So many tricks would be possible if I can train pick it up and hold. I'm going to try again. I'm also going to try yes/no and praying so if we succeed I'll show you a quick vid of it.
Ronnie, I have never had a scent class so I don't think I understand how to introduce the block trick. Do I click cinnamon for the "c" block with no other blocks around, then advance to click only for retrieving in the proper order cinnamon and peppermint for "a" so on and so forth? He must understand that no longer will just cinnamon get you a click/treat, but cinnamon then peppermint will get a click/treat, so on and so forth. I sure hope the dog is smart enough to put the scents in the proper order each time.

 

[takemebacktotulsa]

We have the book Ronnie recommended (101 Tricks) and really love it. Take and hold will open up a door to the trick world, but there are a bunch of tricks in there you guys could do while you're working on those. We do peekaboo and I taught my dogs to weave through my legs (it's harder with a taller newf though!). Good luck!

 

[chumleysma]

Prayers are out...he refuses to put his paws up on anything. Yes/no is out as he couldn't make the connection with no shaking the head left and right. He did learn to knock items off the table on command. My husband didnt like that trick. We worked on picking up a basket but he will only put his mouth on the handle...no more. After that he was bored and wanted no more.

 

[DAWNMERIE]

Teach him to whisper, everyone gets a kick outta that one. I did work with him that OC weekend that was cut short, but he might have some recollection. We never perfected but I do think he got the jist of his voice getting softer.

 

[CathyC.]

Well putting his mouth on the handle is good! That is the first step. Usually I give a few clucks and treats at first just for showing interest in the object. Then I progress to mouthing it. Then clicks for picking it up. Then clicks for picking it up and teach thank you or give on release (which they readily do for the great!) and finally after lots of practice the treat is only for putting the item in my hand. After that, I beginning walking around with my dog following me holding the item whle I chant hold it.

Make sure to use really high value treats since this skill hasn't excited him.

Did you try tape on the muzzle to get him to put his paws on his nose? It works but you need a lot of tape to practice with as it is only good for one trial.

 

[chumleysma]

Tape on the nose is a brilliant idea! I will try it. Dawn...to this day I've worked on whisper, but I'm just not teaching it right. He's not a whisper expert like Zeke. Isn't this just the dumbest trick you've ever seen...and I'm sooooo sorry for my husband's taste in music.

 

[chumleysma]

Look what we found on Chumley. Once again, you never know they're there with your eyes.
Hubby found it with his fingers so go over your Newfs with your fingers.

 

[CathyC.]

I can't see videos on my iPad unless they are on youtube.

What is the whisper trick? I've never heard of it before and can't imagine what it entails nor how you'd train it.

 

[CathyC.]

Oh! I could see that video! It is a funny trick but could be a pain when he does it to someone's open water bottle! Next, try to teach him to put it back up! Beautiful pup, btw!

 

[CathyC.]

Is that a hot spot?

 

[chumleysma]

I know, right?....dumbest trick I ever taught the dog. Hubby is mad, says he'll go around knocking things off tables, but he has not for whatever reason.
I have no idea, but I suppose it would fall into hot spot category? When first found, it was encrusted over with gobs of dried serum, took forever to clean it up.

 

[R Taft]

OK.maybe you are having a problem with clicker training...i would suggest to go to Youtube and search kikopup . https://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup .she is awesome and has a HUGE amount of videos . to start clicker and also sooooooo many tricks. i find that a new thing can take up to 14-21 days to teach, so be very patient. you have to take very small dogs with some dogs. if I can teach katy to get a dring from the fridge, you can do most things..katy is quite slow, each part of the chain took weeks. tessa learned in a fortnight, so you see it can depend on the dog

 

[chumleysma]

Thanks for helping Ronnie. You are right...I have a short attention span and easily overwhelmed/frustrated, thus give up easily. Hubby says I never finish anything. I'm not giving up though. Just give me time and I WILL have something to post as our success. Late for work, but WILL check out vid after work.
If you're still around Dawn, can you find the whisper vid of Zeke?

 

[DAWNMERIE]

Yes, that's a hot spot, and yes I can find the video I honestly thought that Chumley understood the concept at OC, it's should just be a matter of perfecting it. I used my fingers to indicate I wanted less talk and lowered my voice at the same time. But I really had motivation to get it accomplished as he was a PITA, kept getting im my face and yelling and spitting at me. I'll post it shortly, if you'd like.

 

[CathyC.]

OK.maybe you are having a problem with clicker training...i would suggest to go to Youtube and search kikopup . https://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup .she is awesome and has a HUGE amount of videos . to start clicker and also sooooooo many tricks. i find that a new thing can take up to 14-21 days to teach, so be very patient. you have to take very small dogs with some dogs. if I can teach katy to get a dring from the fridge, you can do most things..katy is quite slow, each part of the chain took weeks. tessa learned in a fortnight, so you see it can depend on the dog

Great videos. Thanks!

 

[R Taft]

Just re-read..I meant small steps not small dogs LOL