Search Results for: blog teach your dog tricks the basics

Dogs Are as Smart as Toddlers (When it Comes to Hand Signals)

Two different studies recently took a look at how well dogs learn and understand hand signals. The first study (from Eotvos University) tested dogs against two-year-old children and three year old children. Testers used a variety of gestures like finger pointing, elbow pointing, and leg pointing to help the kids find a favorite toy… and help the dogs find tasty treats. Both the dogs and the two-year-olds had no problem with the majority of the gestures. Pointing with a knee gave both groups a little trouble, as did an arm pointing one way with a finger pointing a different way … Continue reading →

The Search for the Greatest American Dog

The other night I saw a preview for a new show that’ll premier on CBS this summer called “The Greatest American Dog.” From what I can tell it’s an American Idol-like contest for dogs. Except not geared so much to their singing talent as their brain ability. The Premise It looks like producers scoured the dog-loving free world for any and all kinds of talented dogs. They picked 12 to live together in a house and compete for “Greatest American Dog” honors. I’m still not sure if they’re going to do an American Idol like start to the series where … Continue reading →

Teach Your Dog to Stay

Stay is a command that is useful in many situations — introducing your dog to new people, keeping your dog away from spilled food, and more. This can be a difficult command for young dogs; puppies often have a very short attention span and are easily distracted! Be patient with your dog and stick with positive reinforcement. If you’ll be using food rewards (most dogs really like food rewards) it might be a good idea to practice your tricks before mealtime — your dog will be hungry and more likely to pay close attention to you and the treats. Here’s … Continue reading →

How Do You Train a Deaf Dog?

Yesterday I wrote about my friend who found out her dog is deaf. She had asked me if I knew anything about training a deaf dog, so I looked into it. I searched online for resources on the topic, and I also posted a request for help in the forums. The result? A wealth of information! Training Techniques TOUCH Both the replies in the forum and the Deaf Dog Education Action Fund emphasized how important physical contact, like pats and petting, is to training deaf dogs. Which makes sense. When one sense is out of commission the others have to … Continue reading →

How Do Dogs Learn?

There are some behaviors that dogs inherit from their wild relatives. Inherited behaviors are strongly influenced by breed; for example, a border collie tends to have strong herding instincts while a greyhound (and other sighthounds) will have a strong desire to chase moving objects. Some dogs have an innate calm; others are innately nervous. My Lally seems to be the nervous type — sudden noises and movements will startle her. Human behavior around animals can help tone down or key up these behaviors. Inherited behaviors can’t be unlearned but you can work around them. When Lally gets excited, she tends … Continue reading →

Teach Your Dog How to Come

Sounds easy, right? Teaching your dog how to come on command is an easy trick that will be very useful for you. A well-trained dog will stop ANYTHING and come to you when you call. One note: when you are first teaching this trick, don’t tell your dog to come to you for an unpleasant reason. This will teach him to associate the command with something bad and can make him hesitant to come to you at all. Keep things positive when you are first teaching this trick! Stand a short distance away from your dog with a special treat … Continue reading →

Teach Your Dog How to Lay Down

If your dog already knows how to sit, it will be relatively easy to teach him or her to lie down. This is especially easy if you have some kind of irresistible treat to work with. (For my dogs, that would be anything involving chicken.) Step One: Ask your dog to sit. Always start with the basics! Step Two: Stick that irresistible treat in front of his nose. Step Three: Slowly move the treat down towards the floor. Step Four: Say DOWN or whatever command you’ve chosen as your dog begins to follow the treat and lie down. Step Five: … Continue reading →

Six Reasons Why You’ll Never Regret Adopting a Dog

Photo by Bethan Hazell I happen to love my pound hound with my entire heart and soul. I know others, such as Aimee who rescued her Lally and Moose from shelters, also feel the same. Since October is Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month, I thought I’d honor it by listing some reasons why adopting a dog will be the best decision you ever make. Reason #1: You’re Saving a Life Some shelters are no-kill, meaning the animals will stay there until the right home is found for them. But most shelters only have limited resources –space, food, and money. That forces them … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for Oct 1-7

How did Aimee and I usher in October in the Pets Blog? Well, if you missed it, you’re in luck. Here’s your handy dandy Week in Review to encapsulate it for you in a nutshell. Monday, October 1 Do you know what’s in your tank water? Aimee listed a number of things you should look for to keep your fish safe and healthy. Tuesday, October 2 Aimee detailed the basics of the nitrogen cycle in tropical fish tanks and why you should put your tank through this process before you add the fish. Do you know what you get when … Continue reading →

Teach Your Dog How To Shake

Once your dog knows how to sit on command, you can use that as a starting point for other tricks, like “lay down” and “shake”. Whether you want to call it “shake hands” or “give paw” or “high five”, teaching your dog to shake on command is an easy trick that will get you (and the pup) lots of oohs and aahs. Get your dog to sit. Hold his attention with a treat. Pick up one of his front paws and hold it VERY loosely in your hand. Say SHAKE (or whatever command you want him to learn). Reward him … Continue reading →