Trick Training 2

      Dog training methods are not canned. There is no one way to communicate your message to your dog. “Think creative,” Fred used to say.

      By comparison, Packy was a fast learner. I don’t know if it’s because he’s younger – or if it's his breed.  Dachshunds are always known to be smart, intelligent, and independent. The first trick I wanted Packy to learn was how to play dead. When we had the dog school at the park years ago, I used to see Jonathan teach Toby how to play dead by saying, “Bang!” and aim his forefinger at the dog as if it were a pistol. His son would push Toby down.

      But Toby didn’t seem to learn it. Maybe it was because there was no praise or reward at the end. The training structure was not complete.

      So I thought I’d apply it to Packy. But done in a complete way.  Now how do you get the “dead” message across to a dog? I thought of pushing the dog down.

      I called Packy to me and said, “Bang!” complete with the pistol action of my hand. Packy looked up at me bewildered. I pushed the dog down on the floor and turned him over.  “Good boy!” I exclaimed, and when Packy rolled over and got up I gave a treat. We did that three times that lunchtime.

      Again, we did it three times again after dinner.

      The next day after my lunch, I called Packy to me and said, “Bang!” complete with hand gesture. Packy dropped on the floor and turned on his back.

      I was surprised. He learned the command by the next day!

      The next succeeding days were spent “polishing” his form (which I'm still working on).

      My other problem with Packy was his frequent barking, being a small hunting dog. His yappy behavior  was beginning to rub on my otherwise quiet Dalmatians, making the latter more noisy than usual. Packy knew how to “Speak” but making him quiet was a challenge that racked my mind. How do you bring that message across to a dog?

All is quiet when the world's yappiest dog is asleep...

      I used to have occasional chats with Fred Alimusa, the country’s first dog behaviorist, over coffee (or his Scotch and chicharon) and in one of my talks with him, I got the impression dog training methods are not canned. There is no one way to communicate your message to your dog. “Think creative,” Fred used to say.  “Think of how you can get your message across for the dog to understand.”

      Freed from misconceptions, I thought of reviving Packy’s “Speak” complete with the accompanying hand gesture. Packy would deliver his sharp Dachshund bark or two with gusto. But suddenly he will hear the “Quiet!” command complete with another hand gesture. Packy would look at me in bewilderment but the sudden silence is the response I want. “Good boy!” A treat follows.

      We’d do it three times after my lunch then three times more after my dinner. 

      Packy got it immediately. The next day when I said, “Quiet!” with my index finger up at him after a round of raucous barking, the dog silenced.

      The “Quiet” command helped us a lot in our daily life with this dog. Whenever the doorbell rings, a vendor passes by, a cat is seen on the roof, or there are birds at the trellis, Packy would fill the air with his loud and sharp barking. We’d let the dog release its tensions for awhile but we can’t let him do it to his heart’s content. Soon it’s the “Quiet!” command and the dog knows what it means.

      I’m still thinking what other commands I can teach this very intelligent dog.