Armstrong Alexander - Teach my dog to do that: simple tricks for your four-legged friend

Contents

Foreword

by Alexander Armstrong

I never quite know what answer to give when Im asked if Im a cat or dog person because the truth is Im very much both. Ive lived with cats and dogs for as long as I can remember but I expect very different behaviours from each. If I went for a long walk and the cat was tailing me all the way, I think Id find it a bit unsettling. Equally, if every time I read the paper on the kitchen table the dog kept walking up and down the page, trying to rub itself against my face, I suspect Id see that in a less-than-endearing light. We condition our expectations of animal behaviour according to what we know but as this excellent book demonstrates perhaps we are underestimating our pets by setting the bar so low. Animals, as we have known for centuries, are capable of acquiring truly breathtaking skills. This may be sheepdogs performing feats of herding to simple verbal commands or the fabulous Pudsey wowing us, and the BGT judges, with his dexterity. But it wasnt until Id seen Jo-Rosie and Nando train a chicken to perform a challenging piece of choreography and a rook to tidy up a room and put all the mess into a basket that I realized quite how much can be achieved. There is a whole world of fun to be had with our pets; a world we can access through simple training techniques that we, and they, can pick up in no time.

The first dog we had when I was little was a beautiful yellow lab called Docchan, whod been bred and trained on a farm about five miles up the valley from our house in rural Northumberland. But the problem was we discovered that hed formed such a strong bond with Henry, his trainer, that he was always a bit miserable being away from him. Every few months hed disappear and, sure enough, wed eventually get the call from Henry to say he was with him. After a while we admitted defeat and gave him to Henry (who was as devoted to Docchan as Docchan was to him theres a screenplay in here somewhere, surely) but the whole episode taught me two things. The first was what a phenomenal brain that dog had; time and again he would find his way back to a farm five miles away from us using nothing but a kind of internal canine satnav. The second thing made me promise myself that I would never get someone else to train an animal for me if I could do it myself, because I learnt then that the connection you make with an animal through training is something awe-inspiring and truly special. Instead of merely enjoying the company of the animal you love, you are taking your relationship to a completely new level and forging a deep bond of understanding that turns owning a pet into a two-way partnership that brings huge pleasure and fulfillment to both of you.

Set yourself small but achievable goals with your dog and youll be amazed at how quickly you progress. And remember at all times: if a chicken can dance, a dog can do ANYTHING. Have fun and good luck!

Introduction

If youve bought this book for yourself, or had it bought for you as a gift, the chances are you own a dog. Lets face it, it would be an odd book to get if you didnt! So youll know how close the bond can be between a dog and its family.

We spend huge amounts of time and money on feeding and walking our best friends but training, whether for obedience or for tricks, is often seen as an optional extra. However, were here to say that the process of trick training can open up a whole new relationship with your dog, whatever their age or breed. If you follow the simple steps contained in this book, youll end up with a more stimulated, happier dog and a deeper and more fulfilling relationship with them.

With our busy lives, its more and more often the case that our dogs spend part of the day alone. In this context its even more important that we take the time to stimulate our dogs when we are with them. They may have a favourite toy, but imagine if you had only one thing you did for recreation; youd either quickly become bored of it or it could turn into an unhealthy obsession.

Tracking and chasing down quarry is such a big part of their evolutionary history that coming up with fun ways of recreating some of these behaviours can have massive benefits to your dogs wellbeing and happiness.

Just a few simple changes can quickly build a training vocabulary where the only limit is your imagination.

We cant wait for you to get started.

Jo-Rosie and Nando

The History of Dogs

T he domestic dog is the most diverse domesticated species on Earth. So how did this happen? Well, about 10,000 years ago, during the Mesolithic era, man began to settle in camps. As a side product of staying in one place, we started to leave waste on the outskirts of our villages. This waste lured an ancient type of wolf to creep towards the settlements under the cover of darkness and scavenge off the remains from our daily lives. Over time this split the wolves into two distinct lines: the more reserved, who stayed wary of man and would keep their distance, and the wolves who were brave enough to risk proximity to humans. This latter group started to reap the rewards of gaining food without having to expend lots of energy hunting. So, when we arrogantly claim that man domesticated the dog, well, actually its become evident through looking at remains and blood samples of canines that the dog domesticated itself!

As wolves realized the benefits of hanging around humans, their suspicions decreased over generations and this had another effect. Whenever there is a change in an animals temperament we know that affects the way the animal looks. Over many generations these wolves slowly started to behave and look different. We started to reward the wolves for acting as lookouts whenever they vocalized at anything unusual in the night, which would alert us to an approaching enemy. Slowly through the years we would start to breed certain dogs because of their abilities. If one dog was particularly fast, we would choose an equally impressive bitch to increase the likelihood of having a litter of puppies with a similar skill set. Unbeknown to us at the time, we were selectively breeding to emphasize part of what we now call the predatory action sequence which part of that sequence would depend on what we wanted from the dogs. Some jobs needed a keen sense of smell and the ability to track prey; others needed a dog that could outrun prey we would have trouble catching, and some dogs were needed to bring down large game in groups that otherwise man would injure himself attempting to kill. As a result of breeding specifically emphasized characteristics, we have ended up with dogs that look the same, too. And now, finally, we have HUNDREDS of different breeds to choose from. Take a look at your dog now. No, really check them out. Do you know what they were originally bred for, what mix of thousands of years of breeding make up your furry friend? Because in their DNA is the code of a specialist. They may have one or a few of these super powers: scent skills, speed for the chase, bite to grab or to kill or the ability to guard. Now, all dogs have these skills but, depending on the type or breed of dog, they will be better equipped to use them.