Teaching ****zu dog tricks. Advice needed.

raindog.promo

Hey all,

I'm minding my brothers ****zu for a few weeks over christmas and I'm trying to teach him to stand on his two back legs.
The only trick he knows is sit. I'm using dog treats. I hold out my hand with one in it and sat "up", he goes on his back legs to get the treat and I say "good dog".

When I hold out the treat he does wait for me to say "up" but when I don't hold out a treat he doesn't do anything, which leads me to believe that he's only responding to my action, holding out my hand, and not the command word.
(btw, even if i don't have a treat but hold out my hand he will do the trick)

Basically, I'm trying to get him to do the trick when I just say the command word without any other form of sign, ie - holding out my hand.

Any advice?

Thanks

teacherspet

Google "dog tricks for children" you will get loads of imformation there. All easy to teach. Even some videos.

Discodog

Can we not call a ****zu a ****zu ?

Obviously not !

Might be interesting that if you teach him something whether he will do the trick for his owner.

Cherry Blossom

Discodog wrote: »

Can we not call a ****zu a ****zu ?

Obviously not !

No but we can call it shihtzu

OP, Maybe try teaching him the concept with the sit command first if he already gets that. Tell him to sit, then click once with your tongue when he does it, when he understands the click means a treat, wait a few seconds between the click and the treat and build up the time in between untill he's working for clicks instead of treats. When you start doing the up command then still use your hand as if you have a treat in it, you can keep the treat in the other hand. Dogs understand hand signals a lot quicker than words I find.

raindog.promo

Thanks for the replies. I'll let you know how I get on.

ABajaninCork

My Shih Tzu can sit up and beg, but I swear we didn't teach him!:D

He did it all by himself one night when we weren't quick enough with his treats. He will give his paw (which I taught him in 10 minutes), and will lie down for a treat. He even sits on his haunches and waves his paws around which is really cute...

Now - if I want him to beg, I tell him to ask nicely and he does it.

mymo

I've a little Lhasa Apso here (very like the Shihtzu), and she also does the sit up and wave the paws thing. We got her giving hi fives too by putting our hands out a couple of inches from here when she does this, she'll touch her paws to your hand, and is learning left and right.
The one we're struggling with is lie down, she won't do it, if she does and we praise her she won't do it again, she just keeps pulling the begging and waggling the paws at us:o, think its 'cos we laugh when she does it.
My daughter is teaching her hello as she's always making funny noises, at the moment its "awoo woo" kind if noise for the "say hello" command. SHe got the idea from a Shihtzu we met who ask for "more" when getting treats:D
They really are funny little dogs, and very smart.

rebel10

Believe you me, if that dog doesn't wanna learn, he won't.
Ours in unbelievable, it inconveniences him if he has to do stupid tricks in order to get something of us. Usually he will wag his tail and start into a tirade of abuse directed at us for not answering his every need, be it a belly rub, biscuits, playing with his toy, whatever.
Our other dog is like a gentleman next to him!
Shihtzu's are so so adorable:D

ABajaninCork

Ha, Ha Rebel10. Mine is very good at dishing out abuse when he's ready!:D

tk123

raindog.promo wrote: »

H
Basically, I'm trying to get him to do the trick when I just say the command word without any other form of sign, ie - holding out my hand.

You're almost there if he knows what the action means it just sounds like you might be adding the cue/word too soon so he's not associating the cue with the action?
When we're teaching a new command/trick at class we get the dog to do the action then we praise and click and give a treat and lots of praise and repeat loads of times. Then only after the dog has leaned the action we add the cue. Clickers are brilliant - the dog will learn really quickly that click = good = treat and you can teach them much faster.
EG a funny trick you can teach is 'take a bow' - .Anyhoos I noticed that when our guy was playing with his ball or duck etc he naturally makes the 'bow' action so I clicked when he did it...moved his ball, clicked when he bowed and after a few goes he realized he was on to a winner lol..once he had the action I added the cue until he associated it with the action and now he'll do it on command - much to delight of our friends lol :pac:

Oh and another tip - use high value treats and practice when the dog is hungry

mymo

TK just watched that video, will be trying that myself, its a great trick.

tk123

mymo wrote: »

TK just watched that video, will be trying that myself, its a great trick.

LOL it's funny isn't it? I tried teaching it to him before and he wasn't bothered then one day as he was playing i realized he was in the perfect bow position! LOL It just looks so funnt when they do it! :pac:

raindog.promo

Youtube doesn't seem to be embedding on this forum for some reason.

Anyway, here's the end result:
Thanks for the suggestions!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtllOj3eTvk

funkyjebus

a clicker will stop this association.

raindog.promo

funkyjebus wrote: »

a clicker will stop this association.

What association?

tk123

raindog.promo wrote: »

Youtube doesn't seem to be embedding on this forum for some reason.

Anyway, here's the end result:
Thanks for the suggestions!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtllOj3eTvk

very good OP!! Well done to you and Calvin!

raindog.promo

tk123 wrote: »

very good OP!! Well done to you and Calvin!

Thanking you. It is an enjoyable experience on both sides I would say.

funkyjebus

raindog.promo wrote: »

What association?

raindog.promo wrote: »

When I hold out the treat he does wait for me to say "up" but when I don't hold out a treat he doesn't do anything, which leads me to believe that he's only responding to my action, holding out my hand, and not the command word.
Thanks

That association

doggiewalker00

He understands the hand signal - holding your fingers up
to get him to do it on verbal "Up".
1.Say the word "UP"
2.Wait 1 second
3.Then give the hand signal
4.Reward

after time the dog will perform the stand with anticipation of recieving the food.