Max is a super fast learner and I would love to hear about what what tricks your lovely labs know to get some new ideas of what I can teach Max! He knows sit, stay, backup, rollover, touch, spin, spin the other way, paw, other paw, look at me, lay down, jump, wait, up, high five, catch, come, go get it, and I am sure there are a few others that I can't think of!
Molly’s favourite tricks are all to do with picking things up. So I scatter a few objects around, send her for each in turn, she puts them in a basket with a rigid handle and then I ask her to carry the basket around and hand it to me. Have you seen the ‘Forum Challenges’ section? Some new ideas there.
Wow, what a good boy. Apart from the usual useful actions I get Maisy to 'fetch the paper' for my husband. I am in the UK so the morning paper is delivered through the letterbox, she will take it out and take it to my hubby. You didn't mention fetch and give but you probably do that and forgot to mention it. Also 'in your bed' or 'go to bed', 'out', 'upstairs', 'downstairs'. Some people teach 'on your mat'. The best commands ever are 'wait', 'leave it' and 'this way', very useful. I don't really go for tricks as such but they do love to learn and I am always trying to find new ways of getting her brain working, there are quite a few books available on this.
Door manners (no barging). Not a trick, but very important, I always like to teach that "lead on" = "fun with me" and not end of fun. And for a jolly trick, "bow" - I stand in front of Coco & bow, he bows in return.
We do lots of stuff. At a young age most is based around life skills, so impulse control - not going through a door until told, looking back to me once through the door, not running up to people or dogs until released, waiting for a release before running of when let off lead, no mugging... the list goes on. Also lots of handling - learning to have strangers run their hands over them, nail clipping, brushing, having eye drops and ear drops applied... Recall, recall, recall. At a very young age, I spent a lot of time playing games to teach my latest that giving me stuff was a great deal for her - this really pays dividends later on! Lots of fun games to build the relationship. As for other behaviours that are useful or fun to teach when young, there's heel (walk on my left), close (walk on my right) both on and off lead, middle, getting on and off of objects (sofa, beds etc), putting feet up on things, leg weaves, bow, spin left and right, wrapping around objects, nose targeting, paw targeting, send aways... Look at the Kikopup videos on YouTube for more inspiration
Joy, I love that Molly picks up all of her toys. I will work on that one with Max! He makes a terrible mess with all of his toys in the house; they are left scattered about everywhere! He does know leave it and this way as well. We are working on his recall with distractions outside as he's definitely not 100% with that one all the time. He's great about waiting to go through doors until I tell him ok. We've also been working on impulse control and it's been helping immensely with his puppy crazies. I find that with Max, working on tricks and commands tires him out more than anything, which he needs being the energetic little guy he is. It's surely been helping a lot with his puppy crazies. Snow bunny, the life skills like you mentioned such as clipping nails and what not are top of the list too. He needs some help on that. Thanks for all the input and ideas everyone!
Hero sounds a bit like Max and picks new things up fairly quickly. Keeps him mentally stimulated as well which tires him out. We found that because Hero tends to get over excited quickly we train things which shape and get him in position where he feels confident and safe and it settles him down if we catch him before he goes over the edge. Now things are relaxing more it has also brought on some anxieties with people now allowed to come in the house again and meeting other dogs. He became a bit of a jumper recently but we have been working on these to keep his attention and stimulate him mentally at the same time: with me standing and Hero to the front, get him to walk round to my right and come to a heel sit on the left. If distractions great we get him to go fully down and he doesn't move till I say 'OK'. We've taught him weaving round legs and between them and he also does where he circles round to the right or left but then back through my legs to a sit position where he can then have a fuss or chest stroke. This one's a bit harder because it is not a natural position for a dog to adopt apparently but can make them feel less anxious in situations once they are comfortable doing this. He loves doing these so much that he can get a bit carried away sometimes and moves into the trick before instructed then looks up at me waiting for his fuss. Another one is 'Chin' where your dog is taught to rest his chin on your cupped hand. But before starting work on all of these we got him to do 'Watch' where on command he stops what he is doing or even when he is just sitting and looks at me. All of these are on Absolute Dogs and several other sites and as well as having settling effects they also help build a dogs confidence and the bond between human and dog. We're currently working on the circle to heel out and about in different locations because it isn't taking long for him to get a bit over the top and it settles him straight down so. And there are loads more things for him to learn which basically although they are tricks they are also working on basic skills for him. Hope you and Max find plenty more to learn
