We would like to remind our clients that teaching Buddy to sit and crawl on his belly are both just as much a “trick.” These behaviors are ones that Buddy can physically do, and we teach him to do them in response to a verbal cue or hand signal. By changing our mindset and enjoying the process, we can have a dog who performs basic behaviors with the same enthusiasm as fun tricks like rolling over or catching a treat off his nose.
To achieve the best results, it is recommended that you try using a clicker. During the process of teaching your dog tricks, make sure to acknowledge the enjoyment that accompanies it. Additionally, it is important to ensure that you have an equally enjoyable experience while teaching your dog more serious commands such as sit, down, stay, and come.
The process of charging the clicker involves thinking step by step.
Begin by placing the clicker in your pocket. The loud Click! sound that the clicker makes may startle certain dogs. However, by initially storing it in your pocket, the sound will be muffled until Buddy has the opportunity to associate it with the positive reinforcement of receiving a treat. Once you are confident that Buddy is comfortable with the sound, you can progress to holding the clicker behind your back for a few clicks. Afterward, hold it in front of you to produce a Click! sound while simultaneously providing a treat as you continue with the training. In the event that your dog appears excessively frightened by the clicker, you have the option to utilize the softer Click! sound of a ball-point pen or simply use the verbal cue “Yes!” as a marker for the reward.
The process known as “charging” the clicker or “conditioning the dog to the reward marker” involves teaching the dog that the Click! sound always signals the arrival of a treat. To charge the clicker, simply click it, pause for a half-second, and then give Buddy a treat. At this stage, Buddy doesn’t need to do anything specific to receive the Click!, as long as he’s not engaging in undesirable behaviors like jumping up. After six to 12 repetitions, most dogs start to associate the Click! sound with the treat. Once you consistently click and treat every time Buddy performs a particular behavior, he will learn that his actions can cause the Click! to occur, specifically when he sits, which is what we desire. This aspect of the process typically takes less than 15 minutes. Once Buddy understands that he has control over the Click!, he will begin offering behaviors in order to elicit the Click!, and you can start having fun with it.
To teach your dog “Shake paw,” there are multiple methods available. Some dogs naturally lift their paws, allowing you to capture this behavior. Each time Buddy lifts his paw, make a clicking sound and reward him. Repeat this process, clicking and rewarding for every paw lift. Once you notice Buddy deliberately offering his paw to receive the reward, introduce the verbal cue “Shake!” along with the click and treat. Use your open palm as the hand signal for “Shake.” After practicing the verbal cue enough times to establish the association, try requesting the behavior using only the word without any hand movement. Give Buddy a few seconds to respond, and if he doesn’t offer his paw, extend your own hand to prompt the shake. By consistently repeating this sequence, Buddy will quickly learn to respond to just the verbal cue.
After Buddy has learned the command “Shake!”, you can advance to teaching him “High Five” or “Wave” by giving him similar variations of the initial command. For instance, to teach Buddy “High Five”, extend your hand for a “Shake” but swiftly change it to a High Five gesture just before contact – with the palm facing Buddy and the fingers pointing upwards.
To add a flashy dance step to your heeling, you can incorporate a fun and easy trick called spin and twirl. You have the option to shape Buddy’s spin by clicking and rewarding for a head turn, gradually increasing the range of head and body turns until he completes a full rotation. However, it is typically easier and quicker to lure the spin. For a counterclockwise circle, use the cue “Spin,” while “Twirl” signifies a clockwise rotation. You can assign different meanings to these cues or use entirely different words, as long as you remain consistent.
To perform the “Twirl” trick, begin by holding the treat in your left hand and move in the opposite direction. In case Buddy initially hesitates to complete a full circle, shape the behavior by clicking and rewarding for partial turns. Gradually increase the arc until Buddy can successfully complete a full circle.
This step involves a bit more complexity. If your dog is already trained to respond to the command of “down,” instruct him to lie down. (Remember to use the clicker! and reward him for doing so!) If he is not familiar with the command “Down!”, wait for him to naturally lie down, or entice him into a lying down position by holding a treat in front of his nose while he is sitting, then gradually lowering it towards the ground. Continue to click and reward him as he follows the treat towards the floor until he is completely lying down.
After your dog has learned to lie down comfortably, entice him to shift onto one side by guiding the treat in a curved motion from his nose towards a spot slightly higher than his shoulder. Certain dogs may accomplish this effortlessly in the initial attempt, while others may require additional motivation through the technique of shaping. In this technique, click and reward your dog when he takes small steps towards the desired direction, until he eventually manages to roll onto one side.
To begin, say your prayers. This is an enjoyable and adorable trick that is highly rated for its level of cuteness. Position Buddy in front of a chair or stool that reaches approximately the middle of his chest. Use a treat to entice him to lift either one or both of his front feet off the ground by raising it above his head. Then, urge him to place his feet on the seat of the chair. In the beginning, you might need to click and reward for very brief instances of paw resting until he gradually keeps his paws on the chair for longer durations.
Begin by luring his nose with a treat while he is sitting confidently with his paws on the chair for extended periods, causing him to look down between his paws at the floor. Click! and treat. Progress to the point where he can look between his legs without removing his paws from the chair. At this stage, introduce your chosen verbal cue or phrase, such as “Say your prayers” or “Meditate!” gradually reducing the use of obvious cues until he can run over to a chair, lift his feet, and “say his prayers” solely in response to a verbal cue or hand signal.
You can easily teach Buddy to crawl because he already knows the command “Down” from your Roll Over trick. It is recommended to do the training on carpet or grass because many dogs refuse to crawl on a hard or rough surface. Begin by asking Buddy to lie down facing you and holding a treat in front of his nose. Slowly move the treat toward you while keeping it just an inch or two above the ground. Take a step back as Buddy tries to follow the treat, causing him to move forward slightly. Click! and reward him. Repeat this process until he gradually crawls a greater distance.
If the dog jumps up after the treat, it could mean that you have moved it either too far or too quickly. It is important to slow down and remember to Click! and reward small increments of the Crawl behavior so Buddy can understand how to do it correctly. Many people make the mistake of trying to progress too quickly while training their dogs. Instead, start with small behaviors so that Buddy can succeed. As long as he continues to succeed, he will be more willing to continue trying.
After Buddy becomes adept at crawling longer distances, you can gradually reduce the use of the lure and decrease the hand gestures. Eventually, you can introduce a verbal cue or a subtle hand movement to prompt the behavior, similar to what you did with the previous tricks.
Conclude your routine by taking a bow together with Buddy. Position Buddy in front of you or by your side. Place a treat in front of his nose and guide it downwards towards his chest and eventually towards the floor. Pay attention to this part, as if you’ve taught Buddy to lie down by moving a treat towards the ground, he may attempt to lie down during this bow. Keep a close eye on him. Once he slightly bends his elbows, use the Click! command and elevate the treat so he returns to a standing position, then reward him. If you’re slow, he is likely to lie down; refrain from using the Click! for the downward motion. The faster he lies down, the quicker you must be to click for his elbow bend and raise the treat before he lowers completely. Gradually prompt Buddy to lower himself more and more until he can bow with his elbows touching the ground and his rear end raised upwards.
Once you are confident in achieving a half-bow or a better position without Buddy fully going into a Down, you can begin using the verbal cue. We recommend using a different word than “Bow,” as it sounds similar to “Down” and may lead to confusion due to the similar luring motion. One of my students prefers the word “Bravo!”, which we find favorable. Other options include using “Take a bow,” with the emphasis placed on the word “Take” rather than “bow.”
How to Clicker Train Your Dog
Preparing to Clicker Train Your Dog
To learn how to use a clicker, you can purchase one from a nearby pet store. A clicker is a small plastic device with a button or metal tongue that produces a clicking sound when pressed. The essential aspect of clicker usage is timing it precisely when your dog displays the desired behavior. Whenever you hear the click, it is crucial to provide a reward such as food, toys, or verbal praise.
To start, introduce your dog to the clicker by teaching it what the clicker signifies. This process is referred to as “charging” the clicker. In a quiet room with your dog, hold a treat and the clicker in separate hands. Press down on the clicker once. As soon as your dog looks at you upon hearing the click, promptly reward it with the treat.
Take note of how your dog reacts to the clicker. Certain dogs may be more sensitive to the noise produced by the clicker. If your dog runs away upon hearing the clicker, it is likely that the sound is too harsh for him. To decrease the intensity of the sound, you can wrap a towel around the clicker. Alternatively, you could utilize an alternative clicking device, like a ballpoint pen, which would produce a quieter clicking sound.
First, select a calm area where there are no distractions or other individuals. Once your dog understands the noise made by the clicker, you can utilize it for teaching various commands such as sit, down, and stay. Additionally, if you have access to a backyard enclosed by a fence, you may choose to train your dog using the clicker there as well.
To train your dog using a clicker, click when your dog is behaving well. A technique called “catching” involves clicking as soon as you notice your dog doing a good behavior that they are already proficient at. For instance, if your dog is in the same room as you and chooses to lie down for comfort, click as soon as they lie down and promptly give them a treat. Wait until they get up to eat the treat, then wait for them to lie down again and repeat the procedure.
You can shape a new behavior step by step using a clicker and immediate reward. For instance, if you want to train your dog to go lie down in a specific area, you would click and reward him as soon as he turns his body towards that area. Then, you would click and reward him at each subsequent small step such as beginning to walk to the new spot, arriving at the new spot, starting to lie down, and fully lying down on the floor.
Utilize a food lure technique, where a treat is employed to entice your dog to perform the desired behavior. Typically used when training a dog to lie down, you would position the treat directly in front of your dog’s nose and gradually lower it towards the floor. Your dog will obediently track the movement of the treat until his elbows touch the floor. At this moment, promptly click and provide the treat as a reward.
To rephrase the text with a verbal cue: When training your dog using clicker training, it is important to incorporate a verbal cue. Before asking your dog to perform a desired behavior, you will say the cue word and then wait for your dog to respond appropriately. Once your dog successfully performs the behavior, immediately click and reward him with a treat.
