Fun Tricks

In the September/October 2011 issue of Bark magazine, Karen London writes about fun tricks to teach your dog in “Practical Fun: 8 Useful Tricks to Teach Your Dog.”

As the title implies, these cute tricks have applications in everyday life. For example, the “shake” trick can be used when you trim a dog’s nails or need to check the pads of the dog’s feet.

I had already been working with Gracie on the “up” trick mentioned in the article. My variation is “hop, hop.” I use it when I want her to jump into my arms. I also use it when I want her to jump onto her favorite chair so I can remove her harness. It is great at the pet store too when I see a large dog heading our way. It gives her an opportunity to remove herself, with a little bit of doggy dignity, from a potential confrontation.

I would love to give you a link to the article, but it has not been posted yet. I did find a link to a similar article, though, by the same author. Here’s a link to the article if you are interested: http://www.thebark.com/content/eight-basic-training-cues-teach-your-dog

When you are working with your buddy, you will find that a lot of basic tricks can have a practical application in everyday settings. Be patient, and enjoy spending time with your buddy.

Rescue Mommy