Dog tricks 101: how to teach your dog to 'act'

July 30, 2:31 PMShowbiz Pets ExaminerLorraine Goodman

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Higgins (1957 – 1975) was one of the best-known
dog actors of the 1960s – 1970s.
Most people remember him either as "Dog" or "Benji," 

Someone once told me that the key to Lassie’s success was that, instead of teaching Pal, (the original “Lassie”) to “fetch” and do other obedient-like behaviors, his trainer taught him to ‘act.’ Higgins, the dog that played “Dog” in “Petticoat Junction” and later went on to star in the very popular film, “Benji,” obviously had an extraordinary ability to convey a broad range of emotions through his facial expressions.

So – are these behaviors innate or can they be trained? Well, while they may be part of a dog’s character, you can teach them to exhibit them on cue. All you need is a clicker, some patience, a handful of treats, and a sense of humor.

SMILE: Do dogs smile when they’re happy? Some pictures of dogs “smiling” actually look quite fierce. Others, however, do seem to indicate great glee… So – do something with your dog that makes him happy. And when he smiles…. CLICK! “Good smile.” You can also point to your own, smiling mouth.

Very soon you’ll both grinning silly…..

SHY or “COVER”: After trying unsuccessfully to teach my dog this trick by simply extending his “PAW,” a trainer showed me a little secret. She put a hair clip (about the size and weight of a bobby pin) in Tiger’s hair just above his eye. He, of course, tried to knock it off. “COVER” she cried and gave him a treat. Less than 10 minutes later, he was putting his paw over his eyes consistently, without the prop.

SAD: This one’s fairly easy, if you have a solid DOWN. If his head is down, that’s SAD. Train his head down by using a toy. Raise the toy up and say “HEAD UP!” with a upwards lilt, and your dog’s eyes will bring his head up. Bring the toy down and say, “HEAD DOWN” or “BE SAD” – and your dog’s head will rest. SAD DOG.

TIRED PUPPY or YAWN: This trick isn’t so much one you teach, but rather one you ‘capture’ and then ‘mark.’ Use a clicker or a word cue: examples might be “SLEEPY?” or “TIRED.” FYI: I can’t use “TIRED” with my dog, because it sounds too much like “Tiger” – his name. You want a word that sounds distinct from his other commands.
So, when your dog yawns, either CLICK or say your cue word, then treat. Now, you can try to induce your dog to yawn by sitting in front of him and yawning yourself. Pretty soon, he’ll be ready for a regional production of ‘Snow White” playing one of the Dwarves..

 See Tiger yawn....

For more info: see Dog Tricks 101: How to Teach your dog to Play Fetch