Tricks
When we look at the history of dogs we can easily see that most breeds were meant to work. Retrieving, herding, going to ground for rodents, running and catching prey, are just a few of the tasks that dogs were bred to do. Hundreds of years of genetic programming still exist within most breeds.
In today's world most dogs are pets, which means they simply co-exist within their homes with their owners. Nothing is asked of them except to be calm when we want them to be calm, to walk with us when we want to walk, to sit with us when we want some company. But what about the needs of the dog?
There are many negative behaviors such as digging, chewing, barking excessively, and hyperactivity that stem from boredom. Walking the dog is a great first step to alleviate negative behaviors, but do not underestimate the power of continuing to teach your dog skills beyond the basics of sit, down, and come when called. There is no denying that people with well-behaved dogs spend time with them. My definition of time is one on one with attention being paid to the dog.
Here are some of the positives of teaching numerous tricks:
1. Your relationship with your dog will grow and strengthen.
2. Your dog will keep learning to offer positive behaviors to get your attention instead of negatives like barking and jumping.
3. Your dog will become more intelligent. The more the brain is worked, the more it develops.
4. Remember to have fun. There is no need to be frustrated. A few minutes a day can be taken to teach the skills. It doesn't really matter how long the dog takes to learn them. NO ONE is judging your dog or you on his ability to perform tricks! Therefore teaching tricks should have the benefit of requiring us to be patient with ourselves and our dogs.
Some of the easier tricks to learn are:
Shaking hands
Waving
Rolling over
Sitting up
Some harder ones:
Crawling
Retrieving a Frisbee
Walking on hind legs
Skate boarding
There are many great trick books out there. I have not included how to teach tricks in this article, but I would encourage YOU to come up with ways to teach your dog skills and behaviors along with purchasing a book or two. This will make the communication much more meaningful.
Books on tricks and dog training can be purchased at www.cleanrun.com or www.dogwise.com.