Teach your Dog Tricks
By teaching your dog to do each trick, you can have him/her capable of being a movie dog (or just a fun pet). Some of these tricks help the dog in other sports such as agility and in obedience. Likewise, agility work can be incorporated into movie work. For example, dogs that can jump obstacles can be taught to jump in and out of moving cars, leap over people or other dogs, or jump in and out of windows. A-frame work can be used to teach the dog to go over fences or other high obstacles and dog walk training can be used to teach dog to walk along narrow walls, etc. The circle obstacle with the hole covered with saran wrap can be used to teach the dogs to jump through a window. This list doesn’t include tricks such as retrievals which are used often in movies or bite work. Bite work should only be done by a trained handler as you must do it properly to be effective. None of these tricks require special equipment. They are meant to be fun for you and your dog. This list includes some instructions on how to do them but there are many ways to teach the same trick. Use the one that works for you and your dog.
PLAY DEAD/BANG
Agility Use: to get dog to down on table if you are having problems with this obstacle
How: With dog in sit or stand stay, point finger and pull hand up while saying bang. This action is similar to the down hand signal. Dog must lie down on side with head down. You may have to do in stages – down and side.
Circle
Agility Use: to improve corners and turns and weaving – helps increase flexibility
How: With dog in stand stay in front of you, give “circle” command and entice dog with food treat or toy to turn in circle. Don’t encourage to “chase tail’. Give reward when dog turns fully. Gradually give command from greater distances. For distance, it helps to put reward on end of pole and use to get dog to turn in circle.
BOW
Agility Use: before doing agility, this is a good stretching exercise. Can also help on down
contacts.
How: With dog in stand stay, handler in front of dog, with reward (food treat) in hand. Move both hands in towards dogs front paws (above paws) while saying “bow”. As dog extends head down for treat in a bow position, reward. This trick is eventually down at a distance and can be down from the side with a single hand command.
CRAWL
Agility Use: Helps dogs who will not go through tunnel
How: Dog in down stay. Hold treat in right hand with left hand on dog’s withers (farther back on large dogs). Move hand with treat up and down (short movements) while saying crawl. As dog moves forward, hold him/her down with hand on back. Move treat hand away from dog so dog has to follow to get treat. Reward initially after any movement and then require longer distances. If dog has trouble crawling, this can be down under someone’s legs or under a solid chair or low agility table.
BACK UP
Agility Use: positioning dog at start, repositioning if dog slightly overruns weave poles, general control
How: Handler in front of dog. Step into the dog, move hands towards dog in a pushing motion (palms up facing dog). Dog will have to move backwards as you move into it. Reward with “good back” as soon as dog takes one step. Best way to reward is to toss treat into dogs mouth. If you let him take it from your hand it is hard to get distance on this one. Leash can be used to move dog back if he has trouble. Wall keeps dog straight. Gradually stop moving towards dog as you give the verbal command and hand signal. When learned properly, the dog will back away from you in a straight line for extensive distance (depending on comfort zone of your dog).
TOUCH/TARGET
Agility use: use to send your dog to an obstacle or to encourage touching contact
How: Train this one by first having dog touch a piece of paper stuck to the wall. Take dog to wall, command “touch” or “target” and touch the paper. When dog jumps up and touches the paper, reward her. Then place an object on floor and send dog to “touch or target. Reward when dog moves to object and touches it.
TURN OUT LIGHT
Agility Use: same as target – a fun trick to do that helps dog learn to go away from handler and touch or manipulate an object
How: Hold treat at light switch (make sure dog can reach the switch when on back legs. For short dogs, place on sturdy table at light switch). Give command “turn out light” or “light off”. When dog jumps up to get treat make sure her paws hit the switch. Reward with “good light off/out”, or whatever your command was. Gradually start to stand away from switch and send dog. Toss treat when dog jumps up and paws at light. You can also teach this by placing the treat on the switch so dog has to knock it off. This method may, however cause the dog to use the mouth to hit the switch more than the paw so it is preferable to hold the treat in the hand.
JUMP OVER DOGS
Agility use: Practicing jumping obstacles, socializing with other dogs, being handled on obstacles from both sides
How: This is an interesting trick to do once you have a group of dogs that meet certain qualifications:
• Get along (i.e., non aggressive with each other)
• Keep a still down stay
• Good at jumping low obstacles
If you have this combination, this trick can look very impressive. First start with pairs. Have one dog in a down stay with the handler holding the leash short and a treat in hand if required. The other handler gives the “over” command and while on leash has the dog jump the one who is down. Repeat in opposite direction to get dog used to jumping on both sides of handler. Then switch dogs. When the pairs are reliable, put up to 6 dogs in down stays about 3 feet apart (depending on size of jumper). One dog (on leash to begin) jumps all of the other dogs. This is repeated several times for each dog and then they change places until all dogs have had a turn jumping.
WALK UNDER
Agility Use: apart from teaching a long stretch exercise which is good for warming up, there isn’t too much related to agility in this one but its fun and looks good.
How: Same qualifications for dogs as Jumping Dogs. Once all of the dogs can bow and hold it, line up dogs very close together and give the “bow” command at same time. Tell dogs to “stay” – handler holds treat close to keep attention. You need to use a very small dog such as a terrier for the next part. While the larger dogs are in bow position, the small one starts at one end and walks under their rear legs. Trick is to keep the large dogs from lying down. This takes great concentration and muscle control by the large dogs.
