Fun With Your Norfolk Terrier Page 4

Fun With Your Norfolk Terrier

Dance This trick is easiest to teach to a dog that jumps against people. The advantage of teaching this trick is that once the dog 'dances' on command, he doesn't put as much weight (maybe none at all) on people as when jumping against them, thus it is a very good replacement behaviour for a dog who jumps too easily. When the dog is excited and jumping around you, tell him to 'dance!' and gently hold his front legs and lift them up so that he stands on his hind legs. Then praise him and give him a treat and gently put him back on the ground. Once he knows how to do this, you can see if he can do it without your help. Small dogs seem to be able to balance themselves better than large dogs -- with my Belgian Sheepdog I just hold his front paws and we dance together, because he doesn't seem to be able to stand up on his hind legs very well without help.

Hand: Hand is a Dog-Game that involves a dog retrieving an article 51ft/15.3m away and coming back through the start/finish poles to place it in the handler's hand. The retrieve article can be a tennis ball, a toy, a gundog dummy, plastic bottles - in fact anything that the dog enjoys retrieving (see Equipment needed). In the interests of simplicity, the retrieve article will be called a "ball" throughout the Hand section of the website, but please feel free to use any object you wish. Two people are needed to train and play Hand - the handler and a trainer or helper (who stands behind the black rubber mat throughout the Game, and places the "ball" on the mat just before the dog is due to run). A complete Hand run would be for the dog to be sent by its handler through the start/finish poles, pick up the "ball" off a black rubber mat that was 51ft/15.3m past the poles, and return through the poles to place the "ball" in the handler's hands in return for it's motivator.

Jump, sit, stay. Create an agility pause table by placing a bench, ottoman, or piece of carpeted plywood on four cement blocks. Teach your dog to jump onto the low table, then sit or lie down for five seconds, then jump off. Ta-da!

Agility: Agility is a great companion activity for you, your kids and your dogs whether you plan to compete or just enjoy the thrill of the game. You can do an online Search for Agility with your city and state to find your local Agility classes. So remember, Agiity is for the fun of it, not just for competition.

Hula Hoop: Buy an inexpensive Hula Hoop and begin by encouraging your dog to jump inside the ring while it's on the ground. Mark his success with praise and/or a treat when he is inside the circle. Next, with one hand hold the hoop vertically so that it makes a ring the dog can jump through, but again hold the bottom of the ring on the ground. With your other hand, reach through the hoop to encourage the dog to jump through the ring. Then raise the hoop a few inches off the ground and encourage the dog to jump through it again, gradually raising the hoop to (for a Norfolk) no more than 8" off the ground. Once your dog has the idea that it can jump through the hoop at differing levels and angles, the game provides great exercise for you and the dog.

Keep Away Like tug-of-war, this is a fun game your dog will enjoy while you continue to establish control. Again, choose one item. Give it to your dog and give some cue like "keep away!" (Jean Donaldson and I use"I'm gonna GET ya!"). It helps to use consistent body language, too -- exaggerated stalking or reaching pose. Chase your dog, repeating your cue. End with an "OK, good dog!" and then ignore any of her or his attempts to get the game started again. Remember, you start the game and you end it. So this is how it goes: you say, "I'm gonna GET you" and you chase the dog for a few steps, and the dog runs away laughing. You then call the dog to you and reward him for coming, then say "I'm gonna GET you" again and chase him. After a few repetitions you might ask for a "sit", "down" or other command instead of "come". It's another impulse-control game, with the reward being the chase-away. If he does not respond to your command, you say "oh well" and walk (or run!) off to do something else. Of course when you really do want to get your dog, or take something from him, you use a different command (I use "give me that!") and different body language (I stand up straight and walk like I mean business).

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