Sleeping Doggie Beauty!

Being the guardian of a busy Australian Shepherd who loves to be the center of attention keeps me on my toes. Considering I like to take Bliss everywhere with me, and she's a therapy dog who visits children in the hospital, I had to come up with a way for her to show off her talents in any situation. Being a writer, I started to string tricks together into little vignettes in the form of Fairy Tails. The first was “Sleeping Doggie Beauty,” starring Bliss, of course. Now you and your dog can entertain and amaze humans wherever you go!

“Sleeping Doggie Beauty”

Props: Tiara, Feather Boa

Behaviors: Shake, Sit up, Speak, Weave through legs, Hide (behind your back), Roll over, Play dead (Go to sleep), Jump in the air.

Level: Intermediate

Sleeping Doggie Beauty

Once upon a time, there was a Princess named ___________

Have dog give you its paw

She liked to sit pretty on her throne

Dog sits up on hind quarters

She liked to speak to her constituents

Cue dog to speak

And she liked to walk through the forest

Dog weaves through legs

One day, she was walking through the forest and she saw a scary witch so she hid

Dog hides behind your back

But the witch saw her and placed a spell on her

Dog rolls over

So she fell asleep

Dog lies on side with head down

Until her handsome prince came and woke her up to dance all night!

Dog jumps in the air for cookie

Step-by-step instructions:

The Sit

·      Hold treat above nose

·      Guide dog by raising treat slightly above its nose

·      When he sits, give verbal command, “Sit”

·      Keep food close to the nose the entire time

·      Praise and reward in position

·      Say the command only once

Hand Signal: Hold hand palm up facing toward you at waist level.

Give Paw (Shake, High Five and Wave)

·      Kneel in front of your dog and pick up its paw

·      Place dog’s pad on your open palm about dog’s shoulder height

·      Reward (Fine Dining) as long as dog’s paw is in your palm

·      If dog removes paw, remove treat

·      If you run out of treats, release paw

·      Cue verbal command, “Shake,” as long as dog holds position

Tip: Reward only while in position

Hand Signal: Hold hand palm forward at waist level.

Sit up (Beg, Pretty Please, etc.)

·      Start with dog sitting in front of you

·      Lure into sit by holding treat over dog’s nose, slightly out of reach

·      Let dog stretch up for treat while sitting

·      Help it raise front feet by gently lifting them

·      Say command, “Sit Pretty”

·      Reward dog in position.

Tip: This position requires the dog to have a strong core to support its spine. While training, position dog against a support such as a couch or wall to build up core muscles.

Hand Signal: Hand above dog’s head, palm facing toward floor.

Speak (Start training by capturing dog’s natural behavior)

·      Have someone knock on the door

·      When dog barks, cue verbal command, “Speak”

·      Reward

Hand gesture: Finger on side of your face

Weave through legs

·      Start with dog in heel position (on your left side)

·      Place your feet a little more than shoulder width apart

·      With treats in both hands, lure dog with left hand to turn into you

·      With right hand, lure dog through your legs to your right side

·      Repeat from right to left, luring dog from left hand

·      Reward dog each time

Hand gesture: Hands at both sides of your legs.

Dog hides behind back

·      Lure dog to hide behind you

·      Reward while in position behind your back

·      Cue verbal command, “Hide”

Hand gesture: Hand behind your back.

Roll over (From down position)

·      Lure dog’s head to middle of his body until he transfers weight to one hip.

·      Lure into rolling onto his back and onto other side.

Tip: Luring is helpful while dog has its paws in the air.

Hand gesture: Hand in circular motion in front of dog.

Sleep/Play Dead (This is one of the more difficult to train)

·      Put dog in down position

·      With treat in hand, get dog to transfer weight to one hip until lying on its side

·      Lure head to floor

·      Keep treat close to dog’s nose to keep its head down

·      Fine Dine, then quickly slide treat away and instantly back along floor

·      Reward, while repeating verbal cue, “Sleep”

·      Repeat and lengthen time away from dog’s nose

Hand gesture: Circle wrist, then open palm

Dance

·      Lure dog on hind legs with a treat

·      Use command “Dance” when dog is up on hind legs

·      Add seconds to time and lure in a circle

·      Use treats or toys

Hand gesture: Hand above head.

The Down

From Sitting Position

1. Stand in front of your dog.
2. With your dog sitting, place a treat in your fingers and lure his head down between his front paws. Pull lure (toy or treat) forward until his elbows are on the ground and he has settled into the down position. Applying gentle pressure or stroking over his shoulders will encourage him to lower his body and keep his hind end on the floor.

Hand Signal: Point finger towards floor.

From Standing Position

1. Stand in front of your dog.
2. With your dog standing, lure him by lowering food or a toy straight down between his front paws until he lowers his elbows to the ground and folds back on his haunches. (This is faster than Down from a Sit.)

Hand Signal: Point finger towards floor.

The Stay

Note: The most important part of the Stay is the Release. “OK!” “Finish!” “Release!” are some verbal release commands to choose from.

1. Work your dog on a 6-foot leash
2. Ask for a sit
3. Facing your dog, say the command, “Stay,” once.
4. Combine verbal command with hand signal: Open palm facing dog.
5. Step back one step, count two seconds (silently), return to your original position and reward. If your dog does not break, try stepping back two steps, then three, etc., until you can go to the end of your leash without him breaking the sit.
6. Remember to quickly return and reward after each sequence of steps.
7. Your job is to smile and repeat in a calm, low, encouraging voice, “Good Stay.”
8. If he breaks, move in quickly, put him back in the position and request the “Stay” again. Smile.
9. As he becomes confident in the behavior, add more time and distance.

Tip: It is essential not to rush the process. Do not add distance or time until you know your dog will not break.

Hand gesture: Open palm facing dog. If dog is in heel position, fingers are facing toward floor; if facing your dog, fingers face up as in the “Stop” signal.

The End