Tricks training

Thoughts about teaching your dog tricks ...

Tricks are actions taught to your dog for amusement. However, they do have value in other ways.
Tricks training is a really enjoyable way of learning to lighten up with your dog. Some people think tricks training is demeaning for the dog, but from the dog’s point of view, is there any difference between “Bang” (play dead) and “Drop” (formal obedience down)? The main difference is that in one you motivate the dog to enjoy doing it, whereas in the other, you risk putting the dog off by being too heavy-handed.

Tricks are what a dog might be asked to do on a film set. Think of the dog pressing the lift button in well known dog food ad. If this is undignified, what about the service dog that turns lights on and off for a disabled person? The basis for the training is the same.

Tricks training will also allow you to learn more training methods. For many tricks you cannot push, pull or talk your dog into it. You have to find other ways of inducing (or bringing about) the action. The art of inducing is essential to dog training without physical force. This is gaining acceptance as the method of choice in service dog training, film and television work and pet obedience.

Traditional trainers have argued that positive reinforcement, reward training, clicker training and so on is all very well for teaching party tricks, but it is not suitable for “real work”, whatever that is.
I felt really validated when I saw a documentary on TV about dogs in various roles working for people. The dog being trained to assist a disabled person was being taught pretty much the same things, using similar methods, as I have taught in specialised classes training dogs for film work and which many handlers have done for fun and stimulation as “tricks”. Pawing, nudging, opening doors, picking up and carrying things are the basis. Whether the dogs end up as therapists, screen stars or doing party tricks at home, the same approach to training is taken.