51 Puppy Tricks. Step-by-Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Puppy

275 Pages·2009·10.48 MB·English

by  Kyra Sundance

“It’s my turn now, play with me, I can do it!”
51 Puppy Tricks
Step-by-Step Activities
to Engage, Challenge, and
Bond with Your Puppy
Kyra Sundance & Jadie
Photography by Nick Saglimbeni
He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his
life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last
beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
—Anonymous
“I’m gonna take a nap now.”
CONTENTS
AUTHOR’S NOTE
INTRODUCTION
1 PRELIMINARY SKILLS
respond to a clicker
touch my hand
watch me
settle
kennel up
come
stay
find me
2 BODY POSITIONS
sit
down
crawl
roll over
paws up
bow your head
tug
kisses
head cock
walk on a loose leash
shake hands
bark
sing
3 COORDINATION
tunnel
teeter board
spin
figure-8s
volleybal
jump over my leg
hoop jump
hide yourself in a box
wipe your paws
flying disc
4 COMMUNICATION
ring a bell to go outside
get your leash
bring your food dish
sit before chowtime
leave it
which hand holds the treat?
shell game
find the hidden veggies
close the door
turn on a tap light
5 SHAPE BEHAVIOR
soccer
beginning fetch
fetch the newspaper to hand
open the door
hide your eyes
skateboard
6 CHAINING
tidy up toys into toy box
litter in the step can
soda from the fridge
mail from the mailbox
APPENDIX: TRICKS BY SKILL LEVEL
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ALSO BY KYRA SUNDANCE
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
We hope this book inspires you to not only teach tricks, but to “Do
More With Your Dog!®”
—Kyra Sundance & Jadie
AUTHOR’S NOTE
When you bring a new puppy into your household, he becomes part of
your family. By making the effort to work with your puppy on his
first tricks, you’re taking a strong step toward developing a closer
bond with your dog.
In this book you will use positive training methods to build a joyful
relationship with your puppy, where he is a willing partner in the
training process. Trick training builds relationships by deepening
communication pathways, trust, and mutual respect. It offers a way to
bond with your puppy as you strive toward common goals and delight
in your successes. The trust and cooperative spirit developed through
this process will last a lifetime.
Measure your puppy’s success not only by the tricks he has learned,
but also by improved attention and focus. Not all puppies will learn at
the same rate, but remember, he’s your puppy and his success need
only be measured in your eyes. While it’s motivating to have a goal of
a finished trick, the best thing that comes out of training your puppy is
the bond that develops through working together. Don’t be so focused
on the goal that you miss the joys of the journey!