Games you can play with your dog during walks

Where is it written in stone, that a walk means leashing your dog up, walking out the door, going around the block and that's it? Where is it written, that you cannot have fun playing instructional games with your dog?

This film shows just a very few of the things you can do if there is, for example, a school near you where you can walk off-leash with your dog. The things "trained" (practiced / played) here are:

"stop", "jump" and "sit" at a distance
(you'^ll see that Vela decided first to lie down instead of sitting. You'll also see, there is no reward for this. The reward for sitting after re-issuing the command, was continuing the game. The "punishment" for NOT sitting, was NOT continuing the game. See - there are rules, even with so-called positive training)
"wait"
"come" - with encouragement to look for the holes
"sit-stay" where handler is out of sight
double-whistle recall where handler is out of sight
"fetch"
"out"
"wait" under great distraction (excitement of wanting to fetch
"leave" - three different object in succession

Where Vela picked up the bottle and I threw it away - well, we've worked on that one and now she can pick up a bottle (or other object) and put it in the trash: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEGPU0C5AzU


I do NOT show how all these commands were trained. But I can show you this. I DID however show, that once learned individually, they can be built into games to be played during walks, thus making boring old walks exciting and fun for both dog and human partner. And having such fun with each other further strengthens the bond we all want with our dogs. For those who think that positive training means giving tons of rewards - check out how often I give my dog food rewards. There ARE other dogs-rewards than just food - for example PLAY!!!

For more information and consultations, lessons in northwestern Switzerland and southwestern Germany, contact Leonard "Buzz" Cecil at http://www.auf-den-hund-gekommen.net

languages German and English

Leonard "Buzz" Cecil, CTDI* is a member of:
AABP, APDT, IPDTA and PDTE
*Certified Trick Dog Instructor


"There is not a shred of doubt in my mind -- I would much rather have cookies in my jacket pockets than a chain around my dog's neck." -- Pat Miller

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• clicker
• dog
• Flat-Coated Retriever
• recall
• fetch
• positive
• sit
• stay

[MultiAnimalcrackers]

Excellent vid again Leonard....was that a closed amusement centre you worked her round?? like the idea of picking up the pop bottle...next bit of fun would be to teach Vela to put it in the bin..that would be cool:))

[musicofnote1]

@MultiAnimalcrackers, MyGSDLove, abirdslife - thanks for the roses guys. I see so many people here just walking their dogs, no contact with each other ... well, I like doing stuff with Vela and I'm pretty sure she likes doing stuff with me. Of COURSE she gets alot of "sniff-time" too! This was the back side (away from the street) of a middle school in the next town, as well as the courtyard. The bottle episode was at the tram station in front of the school, which is fenced off from the street.

[musicofnote1]

@MultiAnimalcrackers - just got back from a nice walk with Vela, with my pockets stuffed with old half-chewed pop bottles. Well, Vela now can take a bottle and put it in the trash with a big prompt. Next step, fade the prompt and put it on cue. But she got it really quick. Scary sometimes, how quickly she learns. Keep ME on MY toes.

[musicofnote1]

@truthaboutforever7 - Thanks, she's a liver Flat-Coated Retriever.

[kikopup]

Oh what fun! I love the find the hole game! Well done Vela! Sadly I cant let my dogs off leash where i live- there are loose dogs in our neighborhood that kill other dogs as well as Snakes Hawks and Coyotes. I do go to certain parks though were I play off leash games. So much fun!

I loved watching Vela, she is so joyful!

[ZiptieTheDog]

Your dog is soo good! Loved the video! 

[MultiAnimalcrackers]

@musicofnote1 awesome:)) walks interacting with your dogs is such fun...they do help keep you on your toes...but hey that helps to keep us young...lol!

[plumwoodposse]

Another thumbs up to Vela and Leonard/Buzz!  Great Fun and Great Job! :-)

[pamelamarxsen]

What a beautiful place to walk Vela! You are both so lucky to have such a great place to have fun together. Love watching her work out where the hole in the fence was. :) YAY, Hide n seek. I love playing this with my dogs!  What fun! Love the entire video! I love your relationship with Vela. She is a beautiful HAPPY girl! Nice video!!

[abirdslife]

NIce and a good fun idea :o)