When you hear the term “dog tricks”, what comes into your mind? Do you think about circus-like moves such as Foot Stall and Flip Flop or adorable tricks such as Sit Pretty and Hand Shake?
How about Sit and Down? Are they examples of those boring obedience behaviours?
What are the difference between obedience behaviours and tricks? They are both behaviours that your dog learn to perform on commands/cues or in response to particular situations. After all, it’s us humans who label and distinguish those two categories, isn’t it?
Well, when you teach your dog obedience behaviours, what is your mindset like? Do you feel like you are learning in a classroom? What about when you teach your dog tricks? Don’t you feel like you are playing with your dog in a playground?
If it is the same thing from your dog’s point of view, why don’t you take them both as tricks?
“Bruto, Sit! Wow, you are a good boy! That was a cool trick!!”