Old Dogs Can Learn New Tricks

I love to teach my dogs new tricks. My older dog knows all the basics, shake, high five, roll over, speak, balance the biscuit on the nose etc… and as silly as these are, people love to see them and most importantly, he loves to do them. I can hold a treat in my hand, go to the usual place we practice and he will start going through his whole repertoire of tricks hoping to find the one that will get him the treat. The puppy is still learning, “shake” seems to be the first thing he tries. Tricks are a wonderful way to keep dogs mentally stimulated at any age. Dogs always enjoy learning and to be given a job. I have some trouble convincing some of my students on the benefits of teaching their dogs tricks however.
I believe it is the word “trick” that is immediately associated with little dogs dancing in circles wearing tutu’s and playing dead when the owner shows them a finger gun. I do think these are cute. Silly and cute. And therein lies the problem. Some people do not want their dogs to be silly and cute. So I am coming up with a new version of tricks and giving them some clever name that has more to do with behaviors than tricks (still working on that though). For example, Luey has learned the verbal words for a ball and his favorite stuffed toy we call “green dog”. I can ask him to go get a ball and he is reliably bringing back a tennis ball. I can ask him to go find green dog and he will find the prized stuffed toy. A dogs ability to learn multiple items has been well established. I would like to take a behavior like this and translate it into a behavior that any student can find interesting. It may be teaching the dog to distinguish between a beer can and a beer bottle, or it may be a sneaker vs. a high heel shoe. Who wouldn’t be impressed when your dog skipped over the stinky Nike to retrieve a sexy red Jimmy Choo? Better yet, teach her to retrieve someone else’s Jimmy Choo’s (in your size of course).
Tricks do not have to involve any rolling over or costumes. They can be any behavior you wish your dog to perform on command. As with most things, some dogs will learn faster than others and certain behaviors come more naturally to certain dogs or breeds. I believe that a dog will learn just about anything that you keep motivating and rewarding. You are really only limited by your imagination and maybe your patience level. To get started, learn a little about the differences between luring and shaping. You will probably need a little bit of both. Remember that learning needs to remain fun and seem like play. Soon your dog will be bringing you your slippers and paying your taxes. Okay, that last one is going to require a lot of treats…