Dog Tricks

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, right? Well, of course you can - both young and old dogs love to play with you in this way. Teaching your dog to do tricks can be fun, but did you know it also stimulates his or her mind and increases your dog’s ability to analyze information? It does all this while giving you more knowledge on how your canine companion’s mind works. Did you know that your dog is capable of learning hundreds of words? It’s true, as long as you utilize patience and consistency while training, your dog could know far more words than you ever thought possible.

A fun way to teach your dog words is to play a game called, "Findthe Object." It’s easy to play - just line up severalobjects on the floor or a low table and point at them while referringto them by name. It is a good idea to start with a few items yourdog is familiar with, such as his or her favorite toy or a fooddish. After you place these items in a row, add something less familiarthat is not fascinating in nature - such as a piece of small wood.Ask your dog to find a specific item, calling it out by name. Forexample, say, "Find the food dish!" and as soon as heor she picks it out of the line-up, reward your dog by petting himor her and offering a treat. If your dog knows how to fetch, makethe game even more stimulating by having your dog bring you thefood dish. It is important that you do not do things such as placingthe treat on the food dish - this will encourage your dog to onlylocate that item and bring it to you.

Next, place another item alongside the other objects, one whosename is also familiar to your dog, such as a ball. Tell him to findthat item. Once he has located the second, familiar item, beginto rotate your commands between that object and the food dish. Ifduring this process, your dog chooses the wrong object, it is importantnot to scold him or her. The best thing to do in this situationis to not acknowledge the discovery at all. Simply keep repeating,"find the food dish," or, "find the ball."

Once your dog has mastered the game, you can begin to rearrangethe order and add new items, thus increasing your dog’s identificationof the object by name and stimulating his or her mind even more.By the time you are finished playing this game, you and your dogwill have had a good time as your furry friend learned a whole newset of words. It’s a very entertaining game, one that willwiden your dog’s vocabulary and teach you a little about howyour dog thinks. It’s the best form of fun - fun while learning- give it a try!

Article by Amy Christianson of OhMy Dog Supplies, your top spot to purchase interactivedog toys online.