Less common commands...

[EcoMouse]

...for dogs who like to learn!

What do you train as 'basics' and what 'extras' do you like to teach your dog, if any?

We go to training classes and have done: sit, down, stay, wait, watch, drop, leave, watch. She also does paw, high 5, spin and DD is working on bang and roll over.

In the next class up we've started on touch where you send them off to touch a coaster or jam jar lid and are building in a down from a distance, so they go over, touch and then down. Also just started using scent cones which is good fun. 5 laid out in a row (basically cones with a hole in the top. You tell them to sit and wait whilst you put cones down, then walk up toneach in turn and put your fingers into all in turn, dropping a treat into one of them. Back to dog, hand lightly over nose and tell them to find it. They go over and stick nose into each in turn then work up to doing a down by cone with treat in. Next step will be using scent on a tissue so you put a tissue over nose and tissue with same scent in a cone.

Also whistle trained for recall (2 blasts for come) and I think I'm going to train one blast as stay or sit. Our trainer got us using clicker training with avword instead of clicker which works very well.

Didn't get around to 'go find' yesterday Wynken but will try it today! Recall is my goal for this week . Will go to park armed with clicker and yummiest treats ever. Tell me about the whistle - is it a special dog whistle and do you train the same way as with the clicker ie whistle and reward?

Recall is always my goal atm, she is going through her teenage stage ! If you google ACME gun gog whistle they should come up. The training info online says that you whistle when you give food for a weekand work up from there. But I found that I whistled a couple of times with food, then moved on to telling her to 'come' which she knew and blowing the whistle twice as soon as I'd said it. The moment she started to come over I clicked and treated. I bought it on a Friday and by the Sunday she would recall to the whistle only out in the woods. I alternate it with calling her as I want her to respond well to both.

Thank you! I've seen whistles in the pet shop - the kind that we can't hear but dogs can. I'm guessing that would be the same thing right? Will buy mine later today. Am puppy-sitting a friend's pup (a 16 week minature teckel) with mixed results. They have fought non-stop for the past 90 minutes. Tails are still wagging and I know its play-fighting but lots of nips and growls. Am feeling quite exhausted and not sure whether I should separate them or let them work it out

This is the type I have, you can hear these. Puppy sitting sounds utterly exhausting, I can only cope with one at a time ! Not sure about the separating, my dog will not give up and I have to take her away when I can see the other dog is ready to flake. If there are yelps of pain I would definitely separate, otherwise move them when you need a break maybe ?

Well the pups hve finally calmed down (worn themselves out more like). The play fighting was pretty balanced so I just let them get on with it in the end. Tiring stuff though - I think they'll be fine in the long run together but needed a much shorter introduction. Friend is still not back but at least the dogs are in the garden now and basking in the sunshine/eating my pansies!