Dog training: Tricks

Tricks are both enjoyable and extremely useful. Really, dog tricks are not much
different from a person performing gymnastics, doing algebra, dancing, sinking a putt
or playing the piano - all learned physical and mental skills, practiced to perfection.
Similarly, dog tricks are no different from basic obedience commands. Although a lot of
dogs perform obedience exercises more reliably than tricks, and a lot of dogs have
more fun performing tricks than obedience commands, it need not and, indeed,
shouldnt be that !ay. Tricks should be as precise and reliable as obedience commands
- as precise as scoring a perfect "#. And basic obedience should be as much fun as
performing tricks - as much fun as dancing.
$o! often do !e see dogs fail to %Sing% or %Speak% on late-night television Stoopid &et
Tricks' $o! often do !e see dogs re(uire six re(uests before they deign to rollover
and play dead' Sloppy) *o reliability, no proofing. +hether a trick or as basicmanners,
the dog should be trained to do it on the first re(uest. ,f an American -ootball
(uarterback re(uired six re(uests from the coach to execute the right play, he !ould
soon be sent to the dog house and so should the o!ner if the dog doesnt %Speak%
follo!ing a single command.
The good thing about tricks is that everybody smiles, laughs and giggles . the best
re!ard of all. ,n fact, in no time at all, performing the trick becomes the re!ard in
itself, i.e., the trick becomes self-reinforcing. And the trick becomes a re!ard for
other exercises. Asking the dog to %/ive us a hug% is a great re!ard for a good do!n-
stay on greetings, and allo!ing the dog to jump through our arms becomes a
re!arding finale for a lightning recall. 0ut ho! many times do !e see highly trained
dogs performing ultra-precise heels, recalls, sits and stays . machine perfect but
!ithout sparkle . !orking !ith o!ners !ho give praise that could free1e a frog in
-lorida' $ey) *o one died) +ake up you Scrooges) This is life) 2njoy it) *o !arm-up
laps, no reruns. $ave fun !ith your dog. *o!)
Dog trick: Rollover
$ave your pup sit and lie do!n, and then, keeping the food lure extremely close to the
pups body, instruct the pup to %Rollover,% and move the lure back!ards along one side
of its mu11le to the top of its neck and over its shoulders. ,t may help if you tickle the
doggies doodads !ith the other hand. 3&hysical contact in the inguinal region causes
most dogs to raise a hind leg.4 As your pup rolls over onto its side and back, keep
moving the food lure so that it rolls completely over into the do!n position once more.
5nce your puppy has mastered roll-over, a variation is to have the pup roll in the
opposite direction !ith the obvious re(uest, %*o!, roll the other !ay.%
Dog trick: Bang
Another variation of rollover is to have the pup stay on its side or back and play
possum. -irstly, try this from the do!n position. Say %0ang,% point your finger like a
pistol, move the lure as above, but as soon as the pup is on its side or back, say %Stay%
and keep the treat stationary. Secondly, try this from the sitting position. After saying
%0ang,% give a do!n signal follo!ed by the rollover signal. Thirdly, try %0ang% from
a stand-stay using the combined do!n- and rollover-signals as before. -inally, try it
!hen the pup is !alking. 6ids just love this one. So do many adults. %0ang% is the
essence of the 5mega Rollover.
Dog trick: Beg
$ave your pup sit-stay, say %0eg% and raise the lure a heads length above the puppys
nose, so that it lifts its front pa!s of the ground and sits back on its haunches. ,f the
pup jumps up, lo!er the lure and move it back!ards a tad. ,nitially, it may be easier
practicing this exercise in a corner, so the puppy may lean against the !alls to keep
balance.
Dog trick: Back-up
+ith your puppy in heel position, sand!iched bet!een yourself and a !all, instruct it
to %0ack-up,% and then move the food lure under the pups chin and into its brisket.
Alternatively, this exercise may be taught in a narro! passage!ay, such as bet!een
a bed and a !all. ,t is good to alternate %0ack-up% !ith both %-or!ards% and %Stand-
stay.% The concept of for!ards and back!ards is a good one to learn in other body
positions, such as the sit-stay. %Sit -or!ards% and %Sit 0ack% are fine-adjustments to
ensure that the dog is ideally placed to set off heeling for example. %Sit 0ack% is also
good !hen the dog is too eager to get out of the front door.
Dog trick: Grovel
Start !ith the pup in a do!n-stay, and inch the food lure along the ground a little !ay
in front of its nose. ,f the pup stands up, just try again. Alternatively, move the food
lure under some lo!-slung barrier, such as a bed, coffee table or even under your leg.
%/rovel% is helpful for dogs !ith creeping do!n-stays. 0y alternating %/rovel and
%7o!n-Stay,% the dog at long-last grasps the essential difference. *o! of course,
%/rovel,% previously the problem that distracted from obedient stays, has become
there!ard for good do!n-stays.
Dog trick: Give us a hug
Start !ith your dog in a sit-stay. Say %/ive us a hug,% energi1e the dog by !aggling a
food lure in front of its nose, and then, slap your chest like a gorilla. ,t is !ise to
alternate %/ive us a hug% !ith both sit-stays and do!n-stays. Thus, the dog learns the
difference bet!een enthusiastic and controlled greetings. This !onderful trick is a
simple solution for puppies !hich like to jump-up. -irst, !e train the puppy to sit !hen
greeting people, and then, !e may teach the adult dog to jump-up, but only on our
terms, i.e., only on cue, !hen the time is convenient, and !e are prepared to enjoy
the dogs advances. -or example, probably only certain doggy-people !ill invitethe dog
to jump up, !hen they are !earing dog-proof clothing. 3The dog-disinterested may be
instructed to say %Steady,% %5ff,% %0ack-up,% %/o to your mat% and %Sit.%4 5n returning
home, instruct your dog to do!n-stay. -ormally greet the dog, and then change into
dog greeting clothes, and once prepared, ask the dog to jump-up and hug. *o!,
jumping-up 3something the dog likes to do4 becomes a re!ard for a good stay-
greeting. Training a dog to shake hands on re(uest is a similar ploy to combat an
annoying pa!ing habit.
Dog trick: Bow
,nstruct your pup to stand, and move the food lure do!n to the ground to come to rest
a fe! inches in front of the pups front pa!s. The puppy !ill lo!er its fore(uarters until
elbo!s and sternum touch the ground. +ith some pups it is necessary to place the
other hand underneath 3but !ithout touching4 the pups belly to prevent the
hind(uarters from collapsing into a do!n. The playbo! posture is a solicitation to play
- an atmosphere cue !hich communicates that subse(uent behaviors are playful. This
is a !onderful trick for children. ,f a child can successfully entice the dog to bo!, the
dog is saying it likes the kid and !ould like to play, and as such, it is unlikely the dog
!ould be frightened or irritated by the childs antics. Also, %&laybo!% is a !onderful
instruction to give to your dog !hen it meets other dogs.
Dog trick: Turn around
$ave your puppy stand-stay facing you and move the lure in a hori1ontal circle over
the pups head, so the dog turns in a full circle to come and face you once more. 5nce
your pup learns to turn around, you can teach it to %Turn . The 5ther +ay.%
Dog trick: Dance
,nstruct your pup to sit and beg, and then raise the lure a couple of head-lengths, so
the puppy stands on its hind legs. 5nce the pup can balance for several seconds, it
may be enticed to !alk for!ards or to circle as above.
Dog trick: Fetch
Retrieval is an excellent !ay to teach vocabulary. 8our dog may be instructed to
retrieve many different articles, for example, tennis balls and golf balls 3make that dog
earn its keep4, ne!spapers, neighbors ne!spapers, slippers, etc. ,n so doing, the dog
learns the name of each item. 7iscriminated retrieves have many useful applications in
the home. -or example, stand by your dogs toy box, and have the dog tidy up the
house by retrieving every dog-toy in sight and depositing them in its toy box. Also,
dogs are great at finding lost keys, lost baseballs and lost dogs.
-irstly, teach your dog to retrieve exciting objects, such as a tennis ball, che!toy,
bone, or slipper using the %5ff% . %Take it% . Thank you% triad. Then, !ork !ith less
exciting articles. 5nce the dog reliably retrieves each article by itself, instruct your dog
to retrieve one of t!o articles, then one of three and so on. /ive the dog the sun,
moon and stars each time it successfully brings back the re(uested item first try. ,f it
touches, picks up, or brings back the !rong item, just keep repeating the original
re(uest until it gets it right, !hereupon re!ard the dog, but this time only moderately.
The dog soon learns that incredible re!ards are available for retrieving the correct
object first try, lesser re!ards for eventually getting it right and 1ip for getting it
!rong. 9se life re!ards. -or example, if the dog correctly chooses to bring its leash, it
gets to go on a !alk, or if it correctly retrieves its tennis ball, you !ill thro! it.
*2:2R punish the dog for making the !rong choice. *ot only !ill punishment deter the
dog from making further !rong choices, but also it !ill deter the dog from making any
choice at all, i.e., the dog !ill stop retrieving. ,f you become frustrated !ith your dogs
poor performance 3i.e., your poor teaching4, retrieve the articles yourself, sit do!n,
calm do!n...and try again tomorro!
&hrasal verbs about pets
Run a!ay; move fast and (uicky
, can<t catch my puppy, he <s al!ays running a!ay
=et out;allo! a person to leave a space.
+ould you let out the dog, please' , can<t stand the smell
>uck out; clean
, used to muck up my dog?s poop at home as a punishment .
=ook up for; look carefully around.
,f you go to a forest, look up for lions .,<ve heard there are may around.
Function
The present perfect is used when the time period has not finished.
I have seen three movies this week.
(This week has not finished yet.)
The present perfect is often used when the time is not mentioned.
Gerry has failed his exam again.
The present perfect is often used when the time is recent.
Ikuko has just arrived in Victoria.
The present perfect is often used with for and since.
Greg has lived here for 2 years.
Greg has lived here since !"#$.

Choose past simple or present perfect 4
Choose the past simple or the present perfect tense:
1) I (never/go) to Vienna..
%heck &how 'nswer
2) My great great grandfather (have) five
sisters..
%heck &how 'nswer
3) e (live) in Manila for a year !hen he !as
a st"dent..
%heck &how 'nswer
#) $h no% I (lose) my !allet%..
%heck &how 'nswer
&) (yo"/see) '"lie today((.
%heck &how 'nswer
)) *t the !ee+end, they (play) foot-all, then
they (go) to a resta"rant...
%heck &how 'nswer
.) I (read) si/ -oo+s this !ee+..
%heck &how 'nswer
0) *my (live) in 1ort"gal !hen she !as
yo"ng..
%heck &how 'nswer
2) 3he (visit) her grandmother last month..
%heck &how 'nswer
14) 5he Vandals (invade) 6ome in the year
#&&..
%heck &how 'nswer
11) 3he (live) in seven different co"ntries, so
she +no!s a lot a-o"t different c"lt"res..
%heck &how 'nswer
12) I (go) to the cinema last night..
%heck &how 'nswer
13) $!% I (c"t) my finger%..
%heck &how 'nswer
1#) (yo"/see) 75he 8ing7s 3peech7(.
%heck &how 'nswer
1&) 'ohn (never/"nderstand) the present
%heck &how 'nswer