# New tricks, new problems. (Spin/Paw)



## hollyollyc (Dec 2, 2014)

Hi guys,

Awhile back I had asked about suggestions on teaching how to get Jasmin to do "down". She has now mastered it thanks to all the help I received. I can just say the word and she will do it. I wanted to teach her 2 new tricks, paw and spin.

I use a marker word "yes" and not a clicker. I have watched YouTube videos on how people do it, but she is a bit defiant. For paw, when I put treats in my hand and try to get her to paw at it so I can catch her paw, she keeps licking at my closed hand and just sits there and licks away. Then when nothing happens she stops and just looks at me and eventually goes into the down position sort of trying to figure out "what do you want me to do mom", I can't seem to get her to raise her paw to make progress. I tried holding the treat hand a little higher, but still she has the same behavior. I don't think this is a trick I can catch easily either, haha.

I am also trying "spin", but she will half spin then sit down halfway and bend her body the rest of way while in a sit position and eventually when she can't bend her upper body in a sit any farther she will just lay down to try and follow the treat.

I even tried high-end treats (piece of plain cooked chicken breast) and it was a no-go so any suggestions would be helpful.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

for giving paw try pulling the treat slowly away, it may take awhile for her to catch on to what you want. I had an easy time teaching Pia to give paw intially she gave me her left but Beatrice it took longer. And I found it easier to teach Pia the turn/spin if I was standing luring her with the treat. Also if I get frustrated with trying a new trick, I go back to a learned trick so that is success during the training session.


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## hollyollyc (Dec 2, 2014)

twyla said:


> for giving paw try pulling the treat slowly away, it may take awhile for her to catch on to what you want. I had an easy time teaching Pia to give paw intially she gave me her left but Beatrice it took longer. And I found it easier to teach Pia the turn/spin if I was standing luring her with the treat. Also if I get frustrated with trying a new trick, I go back to a learned trick so that is success during the training session.


I was trying to maneuver the treat down and up to see if it would get her to do paw, but I haven't tried horizontal lol, I will have to try that, thanks! It is hard to try to stop getting her to go into the down position.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

If the high end treats you are using are not working move on to something else. With Branna she would down right ignore chicken and steak but a ball she will do anything for. Or if I want to keep it a food product she goes absolutely crazy for cat food. Not the good kind the cheap crap kind. I hate to feed it so I only use it when I really want her to do something or when something might be a bit frightening to her. You just need to find something she will go crazy over to get. 

Now with the paw thing I highly recommend clicker training but if you don't want to do that your marker word needs to be very precise and exact. Thats one thing I like about clickers is there is no mistaking the sharp sound of a click. With a voice it can alter in pitch and strength. Just be patient with her and if she moves her paw at all even if it's just slightly lifting it click/mark and treat. 

With Spin the easiest way for teaching it to Branna (we are working on the opposite direction now which is twice as difficult) was using a target stick. A target stick was probably the best thing I have ever bought for her. I have taught her to spin, go around an object, figure 8, front, ect with the target stick. It is so much easier to use than having to bend over and get in weird positions to lure the dog.


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## hollyollyc (Dec 2, 2014)

poodlecrazy#1 said:


> If the high end treats you are using are not working move on to something else. With Branna she would down right ignore chicken and steak but a ball she will do anything for. Or if I want to keep it a food product she goes absolutely crazy for cat food. Not the good kind the cheap crap kind. I hate to feed it so I only use it when I really want her to do something or when something might be a bit frightening to her. You just need to find something she will go crazy over to get.
> 
> Now with the paw thing I highly recommend clicker training but if you don't want to do that your marker word needs to be very precise and exact. Thats one thing I like about clickers is there is no mistaking the sharp sound of a click. With a voice it can alter in pitch and strength. Just be patient with her and if she moves her paw at all even if it's just slightly lifting it click/mark and treat.
> 
> With Spin the easiest way for teaching it to Branna (we are working on the opposite direction now which is twice as difficult) was using a target stick. A target stick was probably the best thing I have ever bought for her. I have taught her to spin, go around an object, figure 8, front, ect with the target stick. It is so much easier to use than having to bend over and get in weird positions to lure the dog.


I have a feeling she will do better with beef pepperoni, but I'm not sure how good it will be for her system. I have never heard of a training stick before. Haha, I went to google it and google for some reason auto corrected it as target sticky bras, oops.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Here is a link to a video on one. If pepperoni is what you think she will do anything for then use it, just keep the pieces small and limit you training sessions to 5 mins, but do at least 3-5 training sessions a day. The size of treats I feed when using something I don't care for are minuscule and sometimes it's even just crumbs or licking juice of my fingers, lol. If it's a high drive item them will want to get every last bit of it. I have been working for months with Killa for paw. She does the exact same thing with just licking my fingers then going through her entire list of tricks. I think she is more weary of giving her paw because all the visits to the vet and having them cut open her pads for abscesses, pull on her elbow, ect. At times I feel like she will never learn the trick but I don't give up on her. Our training sessions are very informal and short so she doesn't get overwhelmed. Just keep trying I'm sure she will eventually get it. With my GSD I taught her to shake the weirdest way. I would ask for her paw with my hand and then touch her chin she would go to move my hand from her chin with her paw and bam I would mark that. Eventually she learned it was the movement of the foot I was looking for and I was able to stop touching her chin. From there she learned shake, high five, and wave. 

http://youtu.be/NoaDuwqiBCY


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

i cheated when teaching my dog "wave." i simply had him sit, lifted his paw and waved it while saying "wave" and then gave a treat. after a few times, he figured it out and would wave on command. i did the same thing with "shake." but my dog was highly food motivated. my mother once said if he could, he would stand on his head for food. true.


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

patk said:


> i cheated when teaching my dog "wave." i simply had him sit, lifted his paw and waved it while saying "wave" and then gave a treat. after a few times, he figured it out and would wave on command. i did the same thing with "shake." but my dog was highly food motivated. my mother once said if he could, he would stand on his head for food. true.


This is how I teach shake. It always works for me.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

MiniPoo said:


> This is how I teach shake. It always works for me.



Me too!
And for the spin, just lead her around in the circle with the treat. But if she is not following your hand, you may want to take a step back and teach her hand targeting.


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