Winters in Wisconsin can be tough – cold, snow, dark all the time. It’s hard to get motivated to get your dog outside and exercise. Did you know that mental exercise (i.e. training) can tire them out almost as quickly?
In the spirit of keeping things fun for both the dog and the owner, I’d like to suggest you train your dog to do tricks. It’s low pressure training – if you and your dog don’t quite master the trick, no biggie. And if you do, it’s sure to put a smile on your face. Showing off your newly trained skills to friends and family is just icing on the cake.
Trick of the week: Touch
This is an easy trick to teach.
1. Put your hand 6” to 12” away from your dog’s nose.
2. Most dogs are inquisitive, and will touch your hand with their nose automatically.
3. When they do, say “Yes” and give them a treat or two.
4. If your dog is shy, you can try having a treat in the palm of your hand for the first couple of tries. Don’t do this often, just to get them started.
5. Resist the urge to move your hand toward their nose. The dog should do the work.
6. Variation: once the dog understands the game, you can change which hand to target, and where the hand is. You can show them the hand higher, lower, further away. Start slow, changing things up just a bit- so showing them the hand 2 inches above their head, not 2 feet higher.
7. You can also use a target, like a stick with ping pong ball on the end. I have a magic wand with a star on the end. Only reward when they touch the ball, not the stick.
8. If you want, you can add a verbal cue, like “touch”. Once the dog understands the game of touching your hand or target when it is offered, you can start saying “Touch” as soon as their nose touches the object.
9. “Touch” has real world applications, too. You can transfer the touch to have them ring bells to go outside to potty, use it to help them focus on you instead of distractions, use it to help train walking politely on a leash.
There are lots of great instructional trick training you-tube videos. My favorite are videos by instructors who are trick dog certified with Do More With Your Dog. As an added bonus, you can join one of their Facebook groups, video your dog doing a trick, and they will review it for free. If you demonstrate enough tricks, your dog can get a title and a fancy ribbon.
Report back and let me know how it goes ! Bonus points for posting video on my Facebook page (PlayNTrain K9).