[thach8]

QUOTE (MandyMc65 @ Jan 6 2010, 02:12 PM)

Aww Thanks! Jax definitely loves his tricks and glad to "inspire".

He also knows several more. In addition to the video he knows Touch Hand or Item, Leave It, Take It, Stay (in whatever position), "What is it?!", Go to your crate/bed/bag, Mat/Place (which is go to a specific blanket, lay down & stay), get your toy, stop, wait, come, perch (put 2 feet up on a box). He sort of knows perch with movement, but that is a bit difficult. He puts his front paws on the phone book and then has to move just his back legs to go around the book in a circle. He also learned to turn off the lights - I put a string around the switch and he pulls the string to turn the light off. We also do Rally stuff, so he knows those - heel position (sit, down, stay, fast, slow, etc...) front position, around (go from the front of me around my back into heel). We are working on him getting me the remote and a couple others right now.

Kenzie is just now learning the rally stuff but she also knows Touch, Leave It, Take It, Mat, Crate/Bed/Bag, Sit, Down, Wait, Stay, Come and "Bang".

Everything I teach is done with my clicker. A lot of it I set up Jax to shape the behavior. For example, to teach him to pull my sock off, I started with putting the sock down on the ground. He looked at it - click/treat. Then I slowly want more, he touches it - click/treat. Built that to grabbing it with his mouth - click/treat, Then tugging on it - click/treat, then put it on my foot and start back at touch it, then tug it, etc... This was his first trick he learned that includes grabbing something, so I set him up to do it when he was super excited. He is used to the shaping process, so he tries a ton of things as soon as I put an item down when I have my clicker out.

When shaping a behavior, you want small steps to build on what the final picture will be, aka successive approximations. Once you get the hang of shaping, you can come up with anything! It does take some patience to just let your dog do what they want rather than helping them immediately.

Touch (dog's nose to your hand) is one of the easiest ones to teach and is great for helping you & your dog learn the clicker. It's also very convenient to have. I've used it to teach other tricks and as a back up "come". I can explain it if you would like, just let me know![/B]

Thanks for that fantastic intro to using clickers and training! I LOVE Jax's video too! He's not just a pretty face I really want to teach Diamond 'bang' as the next trick......I can't get her onto her side unless she's ready for bed. After seeing Jax's bang....I was sold on the trick as the next one.

I'm trying to build up Diamond's tricks. I think it's a great mental stimulation for them now that I have some free moments.
She knows sit, down,kiss, paw, wave and beg. But of course, I have to have treats in my hand or else...at this point....the trick won't be happening