Warm Up Before Tricks???

[MaryK]

Have started, as per videos on this site, doing warm ups with Ra Kismet before we start tricking.

My question is how long/many should we do of each exercise? I don't want to over work the boy, but by the same token don't want to do too little.

At present he LOVES the back leg stretches but is taking a little longer to adjust to the front legs, we're using click/treat of course and he's not pulling away so fast now. Maybe it's my technique?? Not quite up to scratch??. I NEVER hold his leg, so he can pull away/put it down when HE wants too. Just allow his leg to 'rest' on my hand.

Also can I 'capture" the back stretch as a new 'trick'? He really does get a beautiful line, without me having to do much at all except 'support' his leg by the paw and gently take it back. He will actually increase the stretch himself. Is this 'normal"? Seems like it 'feels really grand' to him when I do this.

 

[Dogster]

I think you should do stretches for 2-5 minutes, since trick sessions are short anysways. If Ra Kismet does like the leg stretch, of course you could "capture" it!!! But he'd have to do it by himself, initiate it by himself, eventually.

 

[Amateur]

Ever see the yoga position called downward dog ... my dog finishes it out with a cobra pose where he stretches his back legs out and rolls onto the tops of is toes and pulls himself forward .
animals like to stretch ..

 

[MaryK]

I think you should do stretches for 2-5 minutes, since trick sessions are short anysways. If Ra Kismet does like the leg stretch, of course you could "capture" it!!! But he'd have to do it by himself, initiate it by himself, eventually.

Thank you so much Dogster, will do that with him. I'm already saying 'back leg stretch' with click/treat when we do the back legs I'll just keep it for now as his warm up and then see how we go from there. He does seem to enjoy this one the most

 

[MaryK]

Ever see the yoga position called downward dog ... my dog finishes it out with a cobra pose where he stretches his back legs out and rolls onto the tops of is toes and pulls himself forward .
animals like to stretch ..

Yes I know the Yoga poses you are speaking about Would love to see your doggy going through it all, must be so cute. You're right dogs do like to stretch, they know instinctively what's good for them.

 

[Tâmara Vaz]

"" He will actually increase the stretch himself. Is this 'normal"?
That's sooooooooooo good, because my dog never understood it!

 

[MaryK]

I'm the same with the front legs, Ra Kismet is still a 'work in progress' on those but the back - he LOVES that stretch. Hope your doggy get it soon

 

[Dlilly]

I have Shiloh bow, then stand, then bow, then beg. I do that to just goof off, but I guess it's a good thing!

 

[MaryK]

That's really super Shiloh is a very clever dog What does she do when she isn't goofing off? Am going to start to string a few tricks together with Ra Kismet, keep his mind working

 

[Tâmara Vaz]

 

[MaryK]

OMD!!!!!!!!! Laika isn't just super intelligent she's a GENIUS I'm in awe Tamara you're a fantastic dog trainer and Laika well, she's GENIUS How on earth did you manage to get her to NOT eat the sausage? My boys would have devoured it before I could say 'eat'or anything else for that matter

 

[jackienmutts]

Great job with Laika!! Just watched one of your videos - fabulous job!! Will watch more when I have a few more minutes. Very impressive!!!

Mary, mine know the food on the head trick also - and we were taking a class and they were teaching that as a fun "extra" - Alf already knew it, so he got to be the demo dog. If you only knew Alfie, you'd know he's clearly not ever the demo dog for anything.

 

[MaryK]

O.K. so Jackiemutts HOW did you do it? I can picture just attempting that with either of my boys, probably have a marginally better chance with Ra Kismet He will leave food when told too, unless Zeus is around, he has the 'what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine too' attitude especially when it involves food

Alfie must be a character, good for him being the Star

 

[jackienmutts]

I started by getting something that would 'stick' to their fur (as opposed to something that would just fall or roll off) - so used things like bits of cheese, hot dog, etc - and placed a piece of (let's say) hot dog on their nose, with one hand under their chin, and asked them to "hold" for a couple seconds - then "ok" and click/treated. As they got used to it, the 'hold' time got longer and longer. Alf and Makena will now both stay still for quite a while with treats on their nose. What's even cuter is when they flip their heads just right, flip the treat in the air, and catch it. Makena is much better at it than poor uncoordinated Alf. He surely doesn't care th0 - a treat on the floor tastes just as good as one caught in the air. It's a cute, fun trick - but a good exercise in focus and self-control.

 

[MaryK]

Thank you Jackiemutts Will try with Ra Kismet I think Zeus would be a lost causeRakins will already keep still if I place his small ball on his nose, of course I do have to steady the ball as round balls and dog's noses are not exactly a good match So will start with cheese, make sure Zeus isn't around otherwise it definitely will not work, and keep it short at first. Sure is a fun trick and as you say, great for focus and self-control (which Zeus lacks big time when it comes to food).

 

[Tâmara Vaz]

.... she's GENIUS How on earth did you manage to get her to NOT eat the sausage? My boys would have devoured it before I could say 'eat'or anything else for that matter

Thank you so much for the compliments!!
This trick became one of my favorites!!Before start training I didn't think it would work, but in first session it had everything to GO!!
I did a post when I taught it:http://www.dogtrickacademy.com/members/forums/threads/i-love-this-trick.4720/

I believe several well-learned tricks helped a lot: "Balance treats on nose",Self control(I mean on ground) "Drop it on my hand" and of course "Hold"!​

Now for the secret :I use a red flannel(appears on the video "Mais truques superinteligente husky" on the trick "Toma")to train her to hold "difficulty" stuff and she likes a lot to hold this.So...I first told her to hold the flannel with the sausage inside it, then just the sausage, then praise! praise! praise! with somethig she likes more than sausage, in my case han!​

 

[MaryK]

Thank you so much Tamara for sharing how Laika managed to hold a sausage Especially your 'secret' neat

I'm inspired to teach Ra Kismet, but LOL, we will have to start with the 'basics' first!

I did originally watch the vid Mais truques superinteligente husky "Toma" so I saw her holding the flannel. Also went over to your thread on how you did it

Have to start teaching the hold first, he's so far not shown any desire to do that, but then I guess I haven't 'seriously' trained him either.

This will be a real learning curve for both of us.

LOL will definitely NOT attempt this trick with Zeus around, poor Ra Kismet wouldn't stand a chance. Zeus would have the sausage before Rakins had a chance to even attempt to hold it

Other thing, not sure what he would like more than sausage, he just LOVES food! The only thing he does love more is his soccer ball

Can see this trick is going to take a while to perfect, lots of 'basics' to catch up on before we attempt the 'real thing'.

 

[Tâmara Vaz]

Yeah!!!This trick really a lot of basics!!
Completely agree you should only try when you two fell ready

 

[MaryK]

Thank you Tamara, will start with the hold first and work through step by step