Free Shapping - Playing the piano

[CdnRottieMom]

Last weekend I received a call from Neyla's obedience trainer that the next two classes were cancelled. She's on vacation and her replacement is not able to do the classes. Which is ok with me, there will be make up classes for the two that were cancelled and gives me time to teach her a free shaping trick or two. The last day of class we're having a competition "free shape training". This is what the trainer calls it, where you teach your dog tricks outside of the basic obedience. It's not important to me that Neyla learns tricks, the obedience part is what matters. But Neyla seems to like to learn some free shaping tricks after her obedience training. So yesterday I went out and bought her a Fisher Price hard plastic piano, like the one they have in class she tries to play. The one I got her is better because it's more balanced so when she presses a piano key, the whole piano doesn't tip upside down on her because of her size. Haven't had her try this one yet but tomorrow, we're going to get out the piano and play (LOL). If she does pretty good at it, this will be a free shape trick that we'll do for the class. If it back fires, she can do "shake a paw" ... LOL. What are some more ideas of tricks that your dog does that I may be able to steal from you and try with Neyla?

[greekblue]

Rottie Mom, I was just planning to open a similar thread because last night I was looking for fun unique games, tricks I can play with my doggie -- Niki, when I saw yours!

Well, I was today at Target and Walmart looking on kids toys for fun ideas of playing with Niki. I did not get anything, just looked.

However, from another web (I will try to post it if it is allowed) I got this idea: Shaping blocks. That person had made a box (I think kids' large shape box would work), and taught the dog to put all the different shapes inside the correct slots -- now that is an accomplishment to me.
Also, I want to teach my puppy to pick up her own toys and put it in her box by name. I got many ideas from a couple webs. Is it permited to post the webs?

How do you teach her to play the piano? That is a great idea!

[SpringerLover]

I do wave, high five/ten, bow, spin, and twist regularily... spin and wave are the most fun...

Spin is just a circle to the right, wave is sit up on haunches and wave both paws in the air...

Fun to free shape too

[Flutterby]

Aww, wave is so adorable. Wonder if I could teach this to Akina... She certainly flaps her paws about enough (it was such a cinch to teach her shake, other shake, high five, and other five because she was always pawing). How did you teach wave? And what is twist? Is it rolling over? (I use "over" for this.) I've taught one of my fosters "turn", where he jumps up on his hind legs and spins around (he would do this when I'd be bringing him his food, and it'd be held above his head level, so I just shaped it into a command).

Well, I don't really have anything else to add. I'm afraid my dog don't really do many fun tricks.


Lanie
And The Zoo
Royal Star Estates
freewebs.com/royalstarestates

[Flutterby]

PS - the dog that does "turn" weighs 60 pounds, he's not a cutesy little dance-on-his-hind-legs kinda dog. LOL

[SpringerLover]

sorry, spin is turn right, twist is turn left... they both rollover too, but Bailey is the only one that goes both ways... heh

[CdnRottieMom]

Originally Posted by greekblue

How do you teach her to play the piano? That is a great idea!

The piano only has 4 keys on it. She's not really playing it or any tune, more like taking her paw and pressing the different keys. The first day of class the trainer was demonstrating with her dog all of the neat and different things you can teach your dog with clicker training.

I don't want to teach her any spinning or turning tricks until she has finished growing. She is a large breed dog and it may take a toll on her joints and hips.

A pic of the piano I picked up for her.

[Cassiepeia]

Since I'm constantly reading about training and doing research online (I'm having withdrawals, not having a dog to actually train LOL)...I am always looking for cool things I can train my next dog to do. I've found a couple of sites which have behaviours listed, this first one is a bit of a weird one but I really like the "give your dog a job" idea and I love the idea of training a dog to do basic assistance dog things (just for the heck of it ).
http://www.iaadp.org/psd_tasks.html - Has a list of things assistance dogs need to be able to do. It might give you some ideas.
And this one is kinda fun too... 101 Best dog tricks.

Cass.

[CdnRottieMom]

The first link is a weird but cool one. Way too advanced though for Neyla at the moment. The second link "101 Best Dog Tricks" also has some cool ideas and ones that are more at her level. I see a couple in there that I can teach her as she has a few of them a quarter of a way learned.

[Cassiepeia]

Way too advanced though for Neyla at the moment.

Don't underestimate her. She might surprise you.

LOL My next dog is gonna hate me.

Cass.

[Rivsky]

Originally Posted by Flutterby

Aww, wave is so adorable. Wonder if I could teach this to Akina... She certainly flaps her paws about enough (it was such a cinch to teach her shake, other shake, high five, and other five because she was always pawing). How did you teach wave? And what is twist? Is it rolling over? (I use "over" for this.) I've taught one of my fosters "turn", where he jumps up on his hind legs and spins around (he would do this when I'd be bringing him his food, and it'd be held above his head level, so I just shaped it into a command).

Well, I don't really have anything else to add. I'm afraid my dog don't really do many fun tricks.

Lanie
And The Zoo
Royal Star Estates
freewebs.com/royalstarestates

It'll be really easy to teach your dog wave since she already knows shake - you just hold your hand out as if for shake but say wave and as she lifts her paw up move your hand away and click (or use yes or however you teach Akina) an treat.

Another way (which is the way I used) was to put your dog in a sit and have food in your hand but move it up towards the top of their head - the way their body naturally leans means they have to lift a paw off the ground. I really wish I could find the instructions that I followed for this - it was said so much more clearly than that!!!

[Cassiepeia]

To teach wave you could (if you use the clicker...not sure what you use), get her doing 'high five' click and treat for that a few times and then withhold the click/treat and wait, to get her to 'high five' twice in a row...sort of pawing, then click/treat her for doing it twice for a while and then stop again until she does it more than twice. Keep pushing her until she does it the number of times you want her to and then add in the command for wave.

I've not done that myself, but I'd love to teach my next dog to wave and that's how I'd approach it.

Cass.

[greekblue]

Thank you Rottie Mom; I will try it as soon as I have my lovely puppy.

My adorable doggie will also learn to do a number of those "tricks" as my assistance dogs.
My university will allow her to come with me in class when she is trained to obey me and stay next to me, and my doctor will complete the appropriate papers. It will be a lot of fun. I can't wait. My assistance, companion, and hope -- that is my puppy. I already have floor lights that she will learn to turn them on when we come home.

I am going to check the other website you added about the 101 tricks; it looks very interesting.

Don't we all love our doggies sooo very much!?

[britishbandit]

Originally Posted by Cassiepeia

Don't underestimate her. She might surprise you.

LOL My next dog is gonna hate me.

Cass.

Oh no, don't underestimate her!

And Cass, your next dog isn't going to hate you...LOL. In fact, with all the plans you have for when it does happen, I'm sure he/she will have a very happy and fulfilled life!

[CdnRottieMom]

BB & Cass -- If I taught Neyla how to dial 911 in case of an emergency and she mastered it, she would have a field day with that trick. I can just picture it, "Hello 911 operator, my mommy won't let me have a cookie before dinner time, my mommy says it's too late to go outside and play". I would have the police at door ready to write me up a big huge fine.

Cass -- Your next dog is going to love you. That will be one lucky dog to have a loving forever home.