Tuesday evening Delilah and I headed to our tricks class.  What I really love about this class is there is no pressure.  If you don’t do your homework, you don’t get in trouble. 🙂

Tuesday night we began learning Sit Pretty (some people refer to this as Beg,) Over, Target (or Touch) and Balancing a treat on the nose.

Delilah has the basics of Touch, and Over is a given for her, since that’s what I say to her in Agility Class.

Ariane (our instructor) said some of the bigger dogs have a problem with Sit Pretty because of their size, it requires some good strength in their back legs (and a bit of balance too.)

I’ve seen her sit pretty, (I actually thinks it looks the way those trained bears sit from the circus) but I’ve never known how to teach it.

You hold the treat over their head and raise your hand up and back, hoping they will lift their front feet off the floor.  You reward and treat even if they only come up a little.  Don’t worry you will eventually work them so they get farther and farther off the floor.

Does it work?

The proof (as they say) is in the photo.

 

 

I knew balancing a treat on the nose was going to be a challenge.  We’ve tried this trick at home.  Sampson can balance the treat and when he is given the okay, can catch it in his mouth.

When we tried this with Delilah you have to move your hand very quickly or it will get caught in a snap.

She. Just. Can’t. Wait.

With a little instruction from Ariane, I worked it this way.  I held a treat in my left hand with it directly in front of her nose.  I used my right hand to place a treat and told her to leave it.

 

In this photo my left hand had dropped slightly and truthfully it sounded more like, leave it, leave it, leave it, leave it.  Whatever, it was definitely easier at home!

Anyhoo, when I showed the trick to Hubby, she actually sat there with the banana chip on her nose for a good 5 to 10 seconds, that may not sound like a lot to you, but believe me, that was amazing for her.

At this point I’m not letting her flip the treat and catch it, I’m actually removing it from her nose and giving her the treat from my left hand.

So ladies and gentlemen (is there a gentlemen that reads this blog?) without further ado…

 

I told you she shines in the classroom.

Do you find it easier to train the tricks by having someone show you (like me) or can you figure this stuff out on your own?

Don’t forget to order your calendars!!!