Trick ideas? - Page 2

Jyl,
I was expecting to get a "Darwin" award for that . 

Charity,
Thanks!  No Darwin award just yet, maybe an honorable mention every now and then.  The sunglasses and wave are a big hit, so is opening the car door.  The car door thing is going to get me in trouble one day when he opens the door of the wrong car. 

Thanks guys, these have been great! We've been working on speak and shake. She knows "turn around" and "back up". I love the idea of waving goodbye to the bad guy, too cute!

Yogie: We're just starting in Schutzhund. She knows the basic "sit", "down", "stay", and "heel" in both English and German. I still want to teach her little tricks to help her keep busy and be able to be rewarded. She's still a pup, and she's first and foremost my pet and my friend. I don't believe in having a dog as just business, just to get them out and work work work, and then put back up and seperate from the family. I understand these little tricks won't help achieve title in Schutzhund, and I don't plan on using them there. But I do want to change it up because I work her every day. My priority is to keep her happy and let her have fun, and that's a big part of Schutzhund, they want to see your dog wanting to do things for you. The more you have fun with these little "parlor tricks" and reward her and have fun with her doing them, the more she will want to do things, whether it be little tricks, tracking, or bite work. I would love to eventually title her, but it's still all about fun for both of us.  

Macrowe1 - I am not sure what methods you use in your schutzhund training - but it is fun for my dogs - as well as full of reward for them.........  It was said that I implied that parlor tricks would mess up schutzhund - but those words were not out of "my mouth". .......

I am however not really sure how you think that parlor tricks will keep your dog rewarded......  a trick is a trick - whether it is for your amusement - or for a purpose.............  it is a action that you teach and they learn thru repetition  - how you assume that will keep it "fun" for your dog is beside me.........  It is simply an action that you can show off to your friends..........  the dog gets no more fulfillment from that action than one that you teach for schutzhund....... The reward comes from your action of treating for that behavior at the right moment.....parlor trick or schutzhund trick.....there really isn't a difference in my opinion......... 

Don't think you are alone in the priority of your dog being happy ......  I don't sit back and try to figure out how to make my dog misserable... because I want to do schutzhund...  But my dogs are working dogs - and anything I put in front of them - they are excited about...  Don't kid yourself and think that training Parlor tricks is any different than teaching anything else........  It is a behavior that isn't natural for the dog........ I just have to ask why you assume it would be anymore fun for the dog than teaching a dog to do something that is useful to you............?

I really don't have anything against teaching a dog to do parlor tricks - but just the way it was presented struck me wrong........I guess I will have my boy go to the frig and get me a beer........

Just my opinion though...
Best Regards.
YogieBear