Bart Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Is anyone interested in experimenting with training their BC's to do things out of the ordinary. These are not tricks. For example my BC's will balance a ball or their toys on a narrow beam, retrieve their toys by Name, Picture and by Symbol. Scent their toys and then find them by memory, use a chair as a tool to get a toy that is too high for them to reach. One of them does Agility by following a rope. They also sort things, i.e balls go in a coffee can, socks in the laundry basket and hard toys in a box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted August 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 I guess Not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oreo's mom Posted August 10, 2005 Report Share Posted August 10, 2005 I wish I could get my border collies to do all those different things. I'm pretty sure they could learn them w/out a problem, it's just me taking the time to teach them. We took a "creative intelligence" class (tricks) with Oreo and had to pick 4 tricks and come up with all the steps to teach him these tricks. We taught him to carry a plastic sword, to pray, to play dead and balance and then toss a plastic ring on his head. One of the suggestions was to teach your dog to open the frig. Why on earth would I want to do that? The microwave and the frig are about the only places left the dogs don't get into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted August 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2005 how many do you have? it was much easier than you think, one of the behaviors with the coffee can they seem to do on their own. Would you like to try? I would rather have games for my bc's to do than try to wear them out with endless walks and throwing a frisbee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heather &sam Posted August 10, 2005 Report Share Posted August 10, 2005 sounds like fun-- and yes my bc would love that- I'd need instructions on how to teach those tricks if you feel like posting them. Certainly might come in handy around here in the long winter months when we are trapped inside so much... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oreo's mom Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 We have two - a three year old male who's just starting to compete in agility and a 2 year old female. She actually seems to learn better by watching what Oreo does. Please post the steps you used to teach your dogs these behaviors - they sound like fun. I agree, mental challenges are a good way to use up some of their energy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted August 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 Check out the topic BC Game 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miztiki Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 What you suggested is right up my alley. Would you like to have a contest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted August 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 yes, I have been looking for more players, which games and where do you live. We had one today with the balance board. Each handler placed a tennis ball on the ground a few feet away from the board, and on start we told our dogs to get the ball and put it on the board. It was a lot of fun actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miztiki Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 Well, I thought it would be fun if hubby and I had a contest. Boy and I against him and Fynne. Heck, I'd even let him watch me train Boy and get a few pointers. Boy hates putting things in his mouth and doesn't like balls, so that should help even up the playing field between us. I've got an empty coffee can now and I'll get some balls tomorrow. Something I've been trying to teach Boy since he started treatment is to touch an object with his paw and even touch something by name. The touching part is super easy for him but he's not doing so well on the name part yet. It will hit him like a ton of bricks eventually and then he'll "get it". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted August 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2005 I have taught my dogs to retrieve by name, picture and symbol. For example I took a picture of his monkey and showed it to him with his monkey in plain sight. When he was reliably retrieving the monkey I then used Word Art to create a large M and small ky underneath. Then I laminated the page and stood it up against the wall. Next I showed him the picture and clicked when he went for the symbol. Did this quite a few times but later tried it with his slipper and it didn't take so long. Now I put several toys in plain sight and showed him the symbol. He is about 85% reliable in retrieving the monkey when he is showed Mky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
border_collie_crazy Posted August 12, 2005 Report Share Posted August 12, 2005 I have tought my girls to play catch..well not exactly tought Happy started tossing the ball back to me as a pup, and up until now Misty had no intrest in it, but she decided she was missing out on something and started tossing me the ball too lol now I am working on teaching them to play catch with eachother, so far they can do a 3 toss rally, but its only been one training session. Misty also opens and closes the toilet lid flushes the toilet, brings the toilet paper lol the flushing is her faverite and she pouts if I forget to let her do it Perky is not a BC that we know of, but she is a winning musical freestyle dog so she tons tons of neat tricks. she spins, weaves, weaves backwards, crawls, crawls backwards, stands on her hind legs and spins then remains standing while the handler spins, puts her paws on a bucket or whatever you ask her too and turns around it keeping her front paws on the bucket, curtsy, sit pretty, pose, back up away from you then turn around and continue backup up ending right between your legs. and many many more Happy and Misty also know far more then what I listed, but I dnt feel like racking my brain for all of them lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanna in OR Posted August 12, 2005 Report Share Posted August 12, 2005 Bart, there is an assistance dog organization in Santa Rosa, CA (Assistance Dog Institute) that has taught dogs to perform various behaviors based on symbols. You can read about it in their newsletters at: ADI Newletter Summer 2004 ADI Newletter Fall 2004 Maybe you can compare notes with your approach! Deanna in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted August 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2005 Play catch, I have to have that behavior. Can you give me any clue how to get them to do it since it goes against their nature to give up a ball to someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
border_collie_crazy Posted August 12, 2005 Report Share Posted August 12, 2005 I have no idea, Happy just started doing it on her own as a pup and I did nothing but encourage it, and Misty also started doing it on her own, I only encourage them to do it. but one tip is the larger the ball the easier to get them to do it, its usually a result of trying to catch a ball that is to big, Happy can throw a tennis ball to though, but I usually use a larger ball like a basketball or a volleyball. Misty actully does it with her paws, she stands on her hind legs and catches it in her paws and uses her mouth to toss it back, Happy used to do this but found it easier to just use her mouth. its really something that the dog has to figer out themselves all you can really do is encourage it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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