New tricks for old dogs

[allfurcoatnoknickers]

I've got a Jack Russell a JRTxBeagle, a toddler, a sprained ankle and a husband on a business trip for a week. A walker is coming to take a dogs on a big walk every day, and we have a small garden they can potter about in, but I'm worried they'll be bored!

With that in mind, what are your favorite fun/silly/useful tricks your dogs know and how did you teach them? I'd like to give them some brain work to stop them causing trouble. They know "sit", "lie down", "sit pretty", "shake" and "OMG DROP THAT NOW".

Bonus points if the toddler can get involved too.

(Title is an exaggeration - they're 4 and 6 . )

Roll over, spin, middle, high five, paw?

We've never mastered roll over! There must be some knack to it I don't have. I'll have to give it another shot.

I love 'touch' where he bops his nose against the palm of my hand to get a treat. Sometimes he only just touches it lightly and I make him do it again and he does a really big push to make a point .

The one he loves the most is 'spin' as he now does that with no command if he really wants something or does two at a time. To teach that you need to get them to follow your treat in your hand as you encourage them to turn around.

I teach mine 'through' which means they come in from behind as I stand there, and sit between my legs. Can be very handy when out and you want the dog to come close to you and just wait.

Another good one (esp handy for getting photo poses on tree stumps) is 'bench' which just means, jump onto this high surface.

A bit of scentwork is also good if you're stuck indoors. Bonus if you can teach them to find and fetch things like gloves and keys.

Tap was quite an easy one to train our dog to do.

We just picked his paw and lightly tapped the floor with it whilst shouting "TAP, TAP CLEVER BOY" and giving him a treat, and he taps to order now.

Beg was a bit trickier but he does a lovely one now.

Jump was very easy.

Rollover took a lot of persevering with. You have to get them to lie down first, show the treat and have them following the treat which makes them rollover.

I hide treats around the living room and get him to sniff them out.

Still trying to get him to master "LEGS" which is just walking under my legs when I'm stood up, he just looks at me like I'm an idiot and just walks round me

@Grumpyosaurus your "through" is my "middle" my pup picked it up really quick and she seems to enjoy it.

Upturned plastic cups and hide a treat under 1...let them sniff it out!

Just be wary what you teach them - I taught my cat to sit and his theory went "well I just sit here forever an then u get treats right?"
I also taught him paw which was surprisingly easy

Rescue dog I rewarded at the wrong time so now if I say "you got fleas?!" She spins round and scratches herself

I've taught my dog these if any appeal to you! Just followed YouTube tutorials.

• other paw (alternating paws for shake a paw)
• high five (one paw)
• wave (easy to teach after high five)
• high ten (jump up + both paws! love that one!)
• touch (the palm of my hand with his nose)
• bang! (play dead - he kinda sucks at this but tries haha)
• roll over (easy to continue from play dead)
• bow
• spin / spin while standing on back paws only
• sit / lie down > back up (shuffle backwards in sit/down position)
• pash (kisses!)
• howling! (actually taught him how haha)
• learning names of toys, fetching by name
• carry (carries his lead or the mail from front door to his bed)
• go under / jump over (an object)

working on -

• balance treat on nose
• balance ball on head

things I want to teach -

• burrito (wrapping self up in a blanket with roll over)
• army crawl
• put toys away / in basket
• figure of eight
• middle (between your legs, looking up at you)
• jump through my arms / a hoop

Also impulse control games - waiting in place before running off to sniff / fetch / find things / eat a treat. Soooo tiring.

Swap games - fetch one toy, grab another, drop it, swap it, leave it, bring it (more brainwork than just playing straight fetch)

Good luck with "OMG drop that now!" I don't think my Spaniel will ever master it ahaha :D

Paws up - front paws up on whatever you're indicating (box, stool, tree trunk etc)
Away - we haven't mastered this, but it's basically getting them to go away from you in a straight line till you tell them to stand/down/sit.

Agree on nose touches. I use them as a 'say please' if they want something.

For the beagle (and probably the JRT) scent games will be good. Shut them out of the room, hide ten treats, and watch them find them. Teach a 'find it' command. They'll probably need significant help at first as they learn that searching pays off.

@dustofneptune That one's generally in use when they murder some kind of rodent . I love all those suggestions though! Thank you.

We can't tell if the JRTxBeagle is an idiot or a genius, so maybe this is the week I finally figure it out...

Dog tax.

@allfurcoatnoknickers ahaha I vote genius-rebel hybrid based on the doggo tax ;)