Tricks to teach big dog

[Eclectic_Horseman]

I’ve taught my Bernese Mountain Dog a bunch of tricks, and he absolutely loves to learn new tricks. I’ve kind of run out of things to teach him, at least without big props. He does draft and a little nose work, but I’m not big on getting him into agility because he is too heavy to be jumping over and down from things (and I’m not going to invest in equipment.) I’ve pretty much exhausted the AKC tricks except for the ones that would require him to go between my legs or through my arms; because he’s too big. Here’s what he knows:

sit
stand
down
leave it
come and sit half way.
come and sit front
come and finish around to left side
roll over
play dead
back up
crawl
bring me the towel
carry the basket
Go to bed and lie down
sit & pivot
spin in a circle
speak (bark)
shake hands
high five
wave
shake head yes or no
stay
sit stay with treat on nose
fancy feet (lays down and crosses one leg over the other)
search for a treat in a container
find your dad
bow

Can you think of anything else?

[trubandloki]

I do not see bow on your list.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

Damn. I’ll add it. He does know that one.

[trubandloki]

How about Paws up? (putting his paws up on a step stool or such)

[Foxglove]

We taught each of our mastiffs to pull a wagon and of course a sled. Dog harness for pulling is different that sled-dog harness --make sure you look at the different harnesses. Secondly, wagons vary depending on usage —we had a simple two wheeled cart with shafts that our Mastiffs could pull with small children or fire wood --but because it was single axel, any real weight transferred to dog’s back --so decide before yo buy what your plan is for the card. I have seen carts designed for dogs to pull humans --carefully balanced so “driver’s” weight is over the axel --look fun, but I never had one.

It took the mastiff about 3 days to learn his commands --Stand, walk on, Gee, Haw, Stay, come-by (tight turn) --and eventually he could work completely independent as we did yard work, he’d follow along and we’d put sticks and leaves into his cart for him to take to the burn pile.

The dog’s best task was to pull the hay sleds out to the sheds --never saw prouder dogs!

I might have a pix some place!

Pix is not my dog, but set up is similar. FYI after 15 years of use (three different mastiffs), I sold the cart and harness to another Mastiff owner --he and his wife and kids still use it!

[Eclectic_Horseman]

@trubandloki

How about Paws up? (putting his paws up on a step stool or such)

That’s a good one. He does do paws up on my arm, but I never tried it on a stool. Thanks!

[Eclectic_Horseman]

Aw, sweet. He does draft. It’s a BMD specialty. I’m really looking for tricks that he can do in the house.

[trubandloki]

@Eclectic_Horseman

@trubandloki

How about Paws up? (putting his paws up on a step stool or such)

That’s a good one. He does do paws up on my arm, but I never tried it on a stool. Thanks!

You can expand on that one too. While doing a paws up have him put his head down (like bowing). (Some people call this praying, but you can call it what you want.)

Walking with his front paws on a ball (large exercise ball).
Identify certain toys.
Touching various specific things (like having different bells or items that make different noises).
Finish right (you say he does finish left)

Have you looked at the rally obedience signs, lots of different ways to do various things there.

[MunchingonHay]

Maybe look at tasks that are taught to guide/service dogs.

[luvmyhackney]

Didn’t see it on your list but I taught mine to sort toys. Balls in blue basket, stuffies in red, bones in green basket.

This week we are working on crawling under poles and harder scent games inside.

[Simkie]

The trick dog title has several lists of possible tricks, at various levels (and you could even title him? Super easy, you just have to submit video!)

AKC Trick Dog – American Kennel Club

My phone didn’t want to open the pdf links to “see the list of tricks here” for each level, but long pressing on the link and opening in new window forced the pdf to download. But for example, here’s the “performer” level.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

Some good ideas there, thanks! I have looked at rally signs- that’s where I got the pivot, but I should look again.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

I hadn’t looked at those. Thanks!

[trubandloki]

@Eclectic_Horseman

I’ve pretty much exhausted the AKC tricks except

@Eclectic_Horseman

I hadn’t looked at those. Thanks!

Darn, I would have given you that link ages ago, I thought your post that said you had exhausted the AKC tricks meant you knew about those.
I am glad someone else posted it.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

I think that I only looked at the Novice and Intermediate levels. Sorry.

[aregard]

TLDR -

I trained my poodle to recognize different toys, so I’d ask him to bring the baby, bring the towel, bring the XXX, and he had to go find it, and bring the right item.

Once they can do that, you begin hiding the toys and they have to search.

[JumpWithPanache]

Great list! Four things come to mind that would work in the house/yard:

1. A “place” command to go to a cot/bed/blanket and sit/stand/down (your choice) until released. I taught this to my youngest GSD as prep for the competition sport even though I washed her out of PSA. It comes in handy for practical matters when I need to give her more direction than “get out of the way.”
2. A “send out” command as a modification of the targeting you are already doing to object. Basically, use a target for the dog to leave you and stay at it. Eventually you can phase out the target and just send them straight away from you until you give them their sit/stand/down command as a stop.
3. Directional commands (left/right) either away from you (heel position) and then from a distance after a send out. It’s a particularly fun trick when the crackhead, I mean young dog, goes running out but doesn’t see where the ball landed and you’re too lazy to go get it
4. Drop on recall. It’s another one from the AKC obedience requirements but also one of my favorite non-negotiable commands. Since you already have recall installed, now modify it with a stop (sit/down/stand) interrupting the recall. I use a down so it doubles as an emergency stop in case the dog is running back across a road or chasing after something. You can add a further modification with interrupting your send out with a drop. A down is the most stable position as it takes the dog the most effort to get up and running again.

[chestnutmarebeware]

It’s probably a little politically incorrect, but years ago I saw a dog that was trained to fall over on his side when his owner pointed a finger gun at him and said “pow”.

It was hilarious!

[Eclectic_Horseman]

That’s what I do for “play dead”! I say “bang!” and point at him.

[chestnutmarebeware]

What about some version of freeze tag?