Old Trainer: Tricks vs. training — and what your dog is trying to say
Dear Old Trainer: You’ve said several times you teach tricks only to the dogs in your pack who tell you they want to learn them. All three of my dogs mind well and are good dogs, but Nikki, a 2-year-old mixed breed, is more attentive than the others and hops up and follows me any time I move to another room. Is that a sign she’s a good one to teach tricks to?
Jennifer, Santa Cruz, California
A: Yes.
The first tipoff you have a special dog is how fast she learns basic commands, but there are other signs, all revealed in a dog’s body language.
Nikki is extra attentive and follows you around because she’s ready for additional training of any kind. Some dogs let you know by staring at you with alert body language, or trying to crowd out the other dogs and get all the attention, or—like Lassie telling the adults Timmy fell down the well—running ahead and returning to you.
Any time you observe altered body language or behavior your dog is trying to communicate, and when a dog talks to you it’s wise to listen.
I listened to Trig — a dog who spent his whole life in the shelter until I rescued him when he was a year old — when I noticed he maintained constant contact with me, and he taught me a new trick when I finally realized how smart he was.
Every time I stood up he ran to the garage door and wagged his tail. I ignored his suggestion at first— thought he just wanted out to play — so he finally lost patience and took action.
He grabbed my pants leg and pulled me to the door. I opened it and he raced out to the driveway and stood next to the paper wagging his tail. That’s when I understood what was on his mind. He’s so sharp he realized I go out and bring the paper in every day and wanted to be part of it.
He wasn’t sure what to do next, but I bragged on him, told him as soon as he heard me say “paper” to go get it and bring it to me, then said the word and held the paper for him to take in his mouth. He loved it. He was a little too enthusiastic the first week and I had to read a mangled paper, but he learned fast. After a few days I patted the work bench and said “drop.” Now he brings it in and places it on the bench.
It’s his favorite game and he invented it himself.
Most dogs are willing to learn the basic commands and obey them without fail, but consider tricks beneath them. And they communicate disdain as clearly as Trig and Niki convey desire to learn. Streak turns her back to me and looks at the sky. Rocky stares at me like I’m speaking Esperanto, then finds a stick to try and distract me. Suzy, the English Bulldog, lies down and snores like she’s asleep.
No sense wasting time with dogs who send that message, but if you have a dog smart enough to talk to you the way Niki does, let her teach you a few tricks.
The Old Trainer has been a trainer for three decades and has rescued, trained, loved, and placed more than 4,000 dogs. Send questions to: theoldtrainer@gmail.com