Teach Your Dog To Beg

[whatevah]

BEG

Uses

Good party trick. Looks cute

Equipment Needed

Dog that is 12 mths or over and is in a good physical condition, with no problems with lower back or hips. Not good for long backed breeds. Food/clicker.

LURE METHOD

Step 1.

Off lead. Get dog into sit position. When dog is sitting make sure it is a straight sit. The dog won;t be able to hold a beg position, if it is a puppy sit. I have tried.

You will be in front of your dog.

Step 2.

You stand or kneel in front of your dog depending on its size. Get a piece of food the dog likes and slowly, very slowly lure the dog into position. Reward for small bits at first, like the head going up, then the dog standing up.

Step 3.

When the dog can balance start increasing the time before he gets the reward. I tell my dog "wait" when he hold a beg for a second, I say "YES" then reward it.

Step 4.

I used to click when the dog was in position, but my signal for beg is two hands in a begging position, so that when you click the clicker may be near the dogs ear. The dog may not like that, so I used the YES word instead. You may also want to only reward while the dog is in position. I did a little bit of both. Also once the dog has the idea, stop luring and only give food once the dog gets it right.

TARGET METHOD

Step 1.

Teach the dog to put his nose on your two fingers, click and reward that.

Repeat about 30 times.

Step 2.

Have dog in position, and put your fingers just out of the dogs reach, when he raises up to touch your fingers, click and reward.

Step 3.

Gradually raise your hands higher and higher.

Step 4.

When he is comfortable with the position start to ask for longer and longer begs.

ADVANCED

Add more distance so that the dog can hold the beg while you are a couple of feet away. Get the dog to hold a toy in its mouth and beg at the same time.

TROUBLE SHOOTING

Dog cannot hold position for long. That was my problem too. The dog needs to build up strength in the rear legs. Also raise your hand up slower and put it slight over the top of the dogs head. This trick took months for my dogs to learn. You just have to perservere or teach an easier tick and come back to it.

FINAL NOTE

You may know a better or easier way that has worked for you, please share it with the forum and post some photos.

Edited June 20, 2005 by Toilet Duck

[Clicking Mad]

Cool!

I didn't notice this post until today ;)

I have got the beginnings of this actually, just have never really rewarded it.

Will give it a go over the next month and see what I get.

Will post any pics as we can :D

Sam.

[Divine Angel]

Any tips on getting a dog into the "pray" position? The beg would be the first step, and then pray???

[Koza]

I helped first, lifting the front paws. They get it fairly quick

[jazzmom]

Hi. I've been trying this with Jazz for like a month. Now u guys tell me a puppy can't do this

Anyways, he understood that butt has to be well on the floor, but he keeps his equilibrium with his paws on my hand.

I guess we have to wait for his hips to be stronger.

But, just to brag, he's mastering the cutest "bow", so I guess we are on the right track with the party tricks.

Edited May 31, 2005 by jazzmom

[Clicking Mad]

Divine Angel:

I think with the "pray" you need the dog to have their paws leaning on something for balance.

I taught my dog using a combination of a paw target and a nose-to-hand target. You can find how to do these in the "Tricks of the week" section.

Chester has paw targetted the flat surface and then you can see me holding my hand between his front paws for his nose to go down

a short hold

We are still solidifying this trick :D extending his hold in the position.

That's how I've tried it anyway To get a "pray" from a "beg" position would be a little awkward for the dog IMO ... look at Koza's dog and imagine she had her head down? ... looks odd ...

Koza: great picture!!!!

jazzmom: The reason for the 12mths and older rule before trying to teach your dog this is because their bones have not grown fully and the stress of holding their own weight can be damaging. Do you have any pictures of her "bow"? maybe you could add one to the "bow" trick thread?

TD: do you have a picture of your guys doing it?

Sam.

[Sayreovi]

I have tried this trick but Nova seemed never to be able to get it, he understands the idea and tries but i think his build stuffs him up. Cant wait till Darcys older so i can try that on him

[Guest cloverfdch]

Beg is my Mums JRT xs, favourite trick. She always offers this trick in hope of getting food she should not be eating .

She has great balance and can "Speak" at the same time.

[whatevah]

TollersOwned,

It could be the breed as I said it took months to get Moses to do it, he is now holding the beg for longer, I just perserved.

I was at canineMelbourne freestyle meeting and one lady suggesting holding the hand signal in one hand and clicking with the other hand. As I have been doing the signal with two hands and saying "yes" when he gets it.

Edited June 20, 2005 by Toilet Duck

[Sayreovi]

It might be, will continue to try it but it may be his shape as he is longer and stockier in body than Moses

[Divine Angel]

Thanx Clicking Mad!

LOL- your doggie doesn't have as many spots as my mum's puppy- compared to Ro, Chester looks almost albino! :rolleyes:

Jas is only 9 months old now, will have to wait

[whatevah]

Fantastic photos of the beg, keep them coming. I might get a couple of my dogs.

Edited June 20, 2005 by Toilet Duck

[mrose_s]

lol, cant do it with buster because he sits on his bum not his legs, so if you go up he just falls backwards, lol

[whatevah]

Here is another photo of Moses begging. He looks like a meer cat.

Edited June 20, 2005 by Toilet Duck

[Staranais]

OK - suggestions please!

I've tried to teach Monsta to beg this weekend. But when I lure him with a treat, instead of going into a "beg" position he jumps straight from a sit to standing straight up on his hind legs. Like he's trying to dance. It's kind of cute, but not what I'm after right now!

Has anyone else encountered this? How did you teach your dog that beg means bum on the ground?

[Clicking Mad]

amhailte:

yep am having the same thing happening.

I actually reinforced it heaps, cause I liked it so much. My dally does this really tall stand on his back legs on command now - only took about 2 sessions. But it has totally ruined my attempts at getting the beg. Gonna have to be more imaginative now

Sorry can't really help, but what I would say is: be patient - they can't stand there forever; and be quick with your timing - if for just a second they are in the position you want have your finger on the clicker (so to speak).

That will be my plan when I can get out and do some training with them again - hmm should be right now probably ;)

eta: oops :p actually meant to say that Moses looks like an adorable and irresistible begger

Sam.

Edited June 20, 2005 by Clicking Mad

[Clicking Mad]

Okay, after a quick serious attempt at trying to get the "beg" from Jamie and Chester, these are my observations on how to stop them standing up.

Dog sitting nicely, food treat into fist, fist moves slowly from their nose/muzzle/stop, back, down, close to their head without giving any space away - keep your hand at that height, do not release to any pressure to move your hand up (that was where I seemed to be going wrong before - I was giving too much room to move), two front paws lift off ground, click, fist opens and releases reward. It took a few practise runs, but this was how it worked best for them

Now more practise, and a hold to work on

Hope that helps ;)

Sam.

[Staranais]

Thanks Clickingmad, I'll try it!

[whatevah]

As I said this trick can take months to teach, it took my dog 3 months and now he is even offering it, very cute. I have even added in the wave. He gets up into beg position, and then waves one of his paws whilst begging so cutttteee. One secret if the dog is going too far back and losing balance or jumping up hold the lure just above the nose or the head but not too high up.

ADVANCED

So for those that have mastered the beg and also taught wave you could add the wave in as well whilst dog is begging. If the dog goes back into sit to wave, then tell him beg again. He should soon put it together.

You could also get the dog to hold an object whilst in beg position. If you dog already sit and holds you could then add the beg and hold.

[glenc]

Has anyone else encountered this? How did you teach your dog that beg means bum on the ground?

have you tried a double paw shake... that can get the dog used to staying that position

G

BTW asher prefers dance to beg as well... must be a bully thing, bunch od john 'saturday night fever' travolta's the lot of them