[DKT113]

Kinder Puppy has been really fun ~ to this point we have breezed through.
"Look" to get her attention has been amazing ~ super helpful when she grabs something she shouldn't or is gonzo in her own little world in the yard.
"Sit" she obviously knew before class as that's just one I think everyone works on regardless how much "training" they are going to do.
"This way" ~ very cool for helping with the lead.
"Stand" she grasps it, I just haven't figured out the utility in that one yet, but we do it because it was requested. If she was a larger breed it would be very helpful I think.
Each week we are introduced to a piece of agility equipment so that those who have an interest can get into it when their dog is ready. They don't use is, it's just an introduction ~ but its been fun watching how the different dogs act when introduced.

This week we continue with "look", "this way", "sit" & "stand" mixing up the order and "down / relax" was introduced. This will be our stumbling block. She said practicing on something elevated might work so I am able to lower the treat to where she has to drop. She also said if I sit on the floor and lure her under my leg at the knee area giving her limited space I might have success with that method. She doesn't believe in force she likes the pups to learn naturally which I like that approach, but "down/ relax" is difficult. Rio can get her head down to the treat without getting into a down position and Filet Mignon or the most glorious chicken neck out there doesn't inspire her to hang off the edge of something yet. With that how have those who have taught a smaller breed dog has success? Just looking for something that works so we can practice and get it this week. If you have a suggestion I would really appreciate it ~ tia

 

[jesuschick]

Stand seemed a big deal in our class as well. Of course everyone else there is a medium to very large dog. The instructor spoke about how helpful at the vet when taking temp. I giggled thinking of our vet/vet tech picking up a Chi with one hand and the thermometer in the other. Stand would get wasted for that use!

Please know that I am learning so am no expert. I can tell you what I did. Down took a longer time to learn than other tricks. Likely because I did not know what to do. One still is not very good yet.
I was sort of "dragging" the treat through the air from their feet to where I wanted them to be and they just stood up, walked and followed the treat. I then tried having them sit and then I put the treat clear up by their feet. It worked.

 

[Barneys_Mom99]

I trained down second after sit. I just used the treat and moved it from nose to floor. Next I taught crawl - which is so cute. I think it helped that at first I repeated the commands in order - sit, down, crawl. Once we both got a hand signal figured out (finger to floor) it became easier to begin with down.

 

[Jennmay]

Will be watching this thread for awesome tips. Zoe is trained well she comes when called off leash will look,stay,sit ,lay and walk by my side but Holly she so far she will sit on cue lol..

 

[MiniGrace]

Will be watching this thread for awesome tips. Zoe is trained well she comes when called off leash will look,stay,sit ,lay and walk by my side but Holly she so far she will sit on cue lol..

How can you tell when she is sitting?

 

[Jennmay]

How can you tell when she is sitting?

yeah hard to imagine huh lol

 

[Rach_Honey]

May i ask how you teach look?
Honey just seems to want to run away from me lol, but she is doing very well with Sit, Spin and Down (i put her on the settee, me sitting on the floor, and when she was sitting, i slowly lowered the treat to nearly off the edge and she got it - her whole body went down ). Thanks.

 

[DKT113]

We did "look" with treat in hand
I said look and as soon as she put her focus on the hand she was treated (Immediate treat).
We then extended the time from the look to giving the treat.
From there we just practiced ~ the more chaotic the environment the better.
We also practice different places so she doesn't think she just has to perform in 1 location.

I am now to the point of not treating for every look ~ she gets some serious "lovin" upon occasion just because if I need her to look and don't have a treat I don't want her to get savvy enough to know that broad expects me to look but isn't packing a treat ~ not going to happen.

It's been great for when the white sock foot attack is in full swing & we are to the point when she is zooming through the yard if I say "Look" she comes in like a bolt of lightening. She is also getting a tiny bit more freedom in the house after she does serious potty ~ so it is nice to say Ri ~ Look and here those feet pounding to get her reward.

Taught a lot of dogs various tricks through the years & I never specifically taught look but in doing so with this dog I would say it is more "important" than sit initially. Definitely worth a go if you haven't taught it yet.

If everyone shares what they are doing and what's working for them we should have some Kick A pointers in teaching some fun things (I love the sounds of crawl).

 

[DKT113]

*Probably should have mentioned as it has been said again and again in class...

Say the command once and only once. Because if you get into
Rio sit, sit Rio, sit, now come on sit ~ our instructor has said they will pick up on having to be told multiple times before doing the action.

I know when I taught sit ~ I said it a few too many times so I really have to police myself in just requesting the action once and treating at accomplishment.

 

[jesuschick]

I taught look by showing her a treat and moving it to my nose and saying "look". I treated the instant she looked at me. Then, I just put the treat at my nose and said "Ruby, look" and she did it. Now I say look and she does and runs to me (even with no treat). So, look works like look and come. Like a buy one get one free trick! haha!

Now one of the others (they did not go to school) also looks at me when I say look. Soon I will have all of them doing it well, I hope. I do add their name to the command since I am training 3.

 

[AstroGirl]

Just a suggestion - If you youtube "kikopup" lots of videos will pop up on dog training. I love her methods and she doesnt use any harsh methods. I am currently using her technique for teaching "leave it" with my new pup and its working great, its even working outside.

This isnt to anyone in particular, just thought i should share whats working for me.

 

[DKT113]

Will definitely look her up I enjoy a fellow named tab289 (his enunciation bothered me originally, but I adjusted) but I think he is fabulous. Will look for kikopup tonight ~ thanks for mentioning her.

 

[AstroGirl]

My, pleasure

I've never heard of Tab289 but i will check him out for sure. Thanks for mentioning him as i'm always open to seeing different training styles and methods. I hope he isnt very hard to understand, i have a bad time with heavy accents and the like.

 

[lulu'smom]

We have training confused. Lulu says, "Yip." I do what she wants.

 

[Kaila]

Instead of luring, you can do what's called "catching a behavior."

Put a treat on the ground, letting the dog see it first, and then cover it with your hand. The dog should be eager to get to the treat and might paw at your hand, lick it, nibble at it, bark, etc. (If you're not getting ANY of these behaviors, then you're either using food to teach a play-motivated dog OR your treats aren't good enough.)

The idea is to sit and wait until the dog offers you the correct behavior, or at least makes a move in the right direction. At first you might get a "bow" instead of a "down," but you should reward the effort of putting the head and elbows on the ground. If it's not quite a "down" to start, raise criteria rapidly-- maybe a "bow" is good enough the first time so she gets a treat, but the next time you need to see more.

 

[DKT113]

We made the "breakthrough" last night with "down" Her best friend KnK was spayed yesterday so being she didn't have her playmate and all that energy she pal-ed around with me and we got it. Shouldn't say we "have it" ~ but she can do it and we'll continue working on getting it so its like a comfy shoe It's like she has a neck like a giraffe for this one maneuvering the treat took some some definite finesse. And there isn't a shot of her doing it without a treat yet, but I hope by Monday Night's class she be pretty solid with it. I by no means need her to be Valedictorian, but I don't want her to be the reason class is stalled because she isn't up to speed with the others. So far though she is holding her own. It's fun regardless.

And Kikopup ~ I saw a video of hers before and didn't know that's who you meant and didn't know she had a channel. I really like her so thanks for throwing that out there Astrogirl.