Trick Of The Week (16/5 - 23/5)

[whatevah]

This is the final trick, due to lack of interest. Also I am busy teaching new tricks and perfecting old tricks. Have taught my dog to rub his eye with his paw, when I say "what is in your eye?". Also I will start concentrating on some jumping tricks now that my dog is getting older. Anybody else is welcome to start posting tricks of their own.

Open Drawer/Door

Uses

Good party trick, used for assistance dogs, can also be used as part of another trick such as retrieve an article out of a closed drawer and then the dog closes the drawer when finished.

To see this trick in (video) motion go to http://www.k9events.com/Jules.html

Equipment Needed

Dog, treats, clicker, hair scrunchie, or piece of rope

Method

When I taught my dog this trick, I based the method on Shirley Chongs clicker retrieve but used it on a drawer instead. I taught both of my dogs to do a formal retrieve using the above method.http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/retrieve.html

I also watched the bow wow video tape.

Step 1. (Not essential)

See if your dog likes to play tug, get him playing tug and use a command. I use "tuggy tuggy".

Step 2. (If your dog does not play tug go straight to this step).

Put a hair scrunchie or similar on the drawer, (do not use anything smaller than a hair scrunchie, we want to make it easy for the dog).

Step 3.

Put the dog (offlead) in front of the drawer, have drawer slightly open. When the dog looks at the scrunchie, click and treat. Repeat 10 times. When the dog can do this 10 times, you are ready for Step 4.

Step 4.

Withold the click, and wait for the dog to offer something else, such as touching the drawer with his nose. The dog will probably look at the drawer and then look at you and then look at the drawer again and try something different. Reward these nose touches. When the dog is touching the drawer ten times in a row with its nose, it is time for Step 5.

Step 5.

With hold the click and wait for the dog of offer something else, could be just putting the scrunchie in his mouth. Click and treat this. Test is when the dog can do it 10 times move to the next step.

Step 6.

Wait for strong pulls of the drawer, once the dog is pulling the drawer, push the drawer all the way in. You now have a dog who can open drawers.

This trick took my dog a couple of sessions to master. I found that when I put a toy inside the drawer he was super keen to open the drawer.

ADVANCED

Conbine this trick with open drawer/door and teach the dog to retrieve a toy out of the drawer, then get the dog to close the drawer/door afterwards. I taught my dog this, and he got so enthusiastic that he pulled the drawer off the track. He loves retrieving. For help with retrieving see link above.

Trouble Shooting

Won't my dog now start opening all the doors and cubboards?

You only let your dog open doors/drawers that have scrunchies attached to them.

[whatevah]

You can see the type of scrunchie I have used.

[whatevah]

Drawer is fully open, now what. This dog is 11 months old.

[Pup's mum]

If this is the last trick I'm saddened - I was having fun teaching these. However, I respect that you have other things to do. Thanks again.

[whatevah]

The views on the tricks went way down, and no one was replying to the tricks, so figured people must not be interested any more.

[carebear]

perhaps people didn't respond coz they had already taught their dog this... i know that a few of them lucy already knew, also decided to take a break for a bit on teaching tricks as trying to perfect her obedience (mostly drop from stand and a couple of others she seemed to 'forget' at puberty) and recently started agility... am keen to teach her the tricks she doesn't know yet (the close/open drawer ones for eg) in a few months... perhaps the tricks could be monthly instead of weekly to give the dogs a chance to learn the tricks really well b4 moving onto the next one?

[trifecta]

Have really enjoyed your tricks, bigbum, & agree that monthly, rather than weekly, gives us more time to consolidate training. :D

[Tapferhund]

Bigbum,

LOVE YOUR TRICKS ALWAYS !!!!!!!!!! :D :D

I don't usually post but I always check them out and write them down for the future.

[Clicking Mad]

Texas is learning this trick ... I tied an orange rope to the cupboard door handle ... and encouraged him to tug.

Unfortunately in these photos it is hard to see the rope - too similar to the cupboard in colour - trust me it's there :D

Tex taking the rope in his mouth ...

tug ...

door's open ... sometimes he keeps tugging, I thought the whole cupboard was going to tip, click/treat (just so he drops it hehehe) ...

in this one you can just see the rope in his mouth because of the black stove as background ...

and I have to admit he's a little confused with the command ... was tugging and pawing (to close the door) at the same time - BTW: I asked for a "close-the-door" in this photo ...

I've just started encouraging Chester to tug the rope too, he does pretty well. Jamie refuses to go anywhere near the rope, even when it is away from the cupboard, and even when I attached a ball :rolleyes:

Sam.