In nearly a month’s time it’s National Pet Tricks Day so we are preparing for a
month of Tricks Fun with our Dogs and other Pets!!
Pet Tricks Day was created in 2021 as a way to promote the fun we can have with our pets during tricks training and also the benefits of working on Tricks and Positive Training Methods, such as:
✅ Increasing focus at home and when out (including at the vets)
✅ Building Confidence – many tricks boost confidence and help pets through times they feel unsure
✅ Helping with Cooperative Care – Chin Targets, Give Paw, Roll Over are examples of Tricks that help us examine our pets in a comfortable and fun way
✅ Help overcome specific fears or worries – Tricks can be tailored to a pet to help with positive associations such as nose/beak touch to hand which can help being hand shy with practise
✅ Tricks can be used within other dog activities as well as with our pets’ day to day activities; Tricks like Go Around, Target Training, Pivots, Look Ahead and more can be used in Obedience, Hoopers, Agility, Heelwork to Music, Parkour just to name a few!! Teaching Chickens and Ducks to use a Ramp makes it easier to put them to bed. Teaching Ferrets to present paws on cue makes it easier to check and clip nails when needed.
And our favourite reason to try Tricks Training?
Because it’s so much FUN!!
Tricks can be tailored for each pet so something you work on with a Cat might be different to your Hamster, or your Puppy compared to your adult Horse. There’s no one single way to teach anything so methods can be adjusted to suit each pet as well. Using Luring, Shaping and Capturing all with rewards means Tricks Training stays positive and force free too.
National Pet Tricks Day is 30th September and on this day there will be online competitions, tutorials and freebies all via the Fb page :
https://www.facebook.com/PetTricksDay
We have an in-person Fun Tricks Training afternoon workshop running on 24th September which is almost fully booked and information for this is on the Calendly Online System:
https://calendly.com/dogtrainingessexsuffolk/tricks-fun-games-workshop
Tricks Training has options to try for Tricks Titles such as Do More With Your Dog which is worldwide, National Canine Trick Star Awards based in UK, Senior Dog Progress Awards (Worldwide audience) which includes tricks and gentle fitness exercises for older dogs, Magic Pooch Awards based in UK just to name a few. There’s no pressure to work towards Tricks Titles but they are a nice way to set goals to work towards.
Tricks Training can be in person as well as online and you’ll find lots of online Tricks Tutorials, Masterclasses, Talks, Freebies and more during September on the Pet Tricks Day FB Page as well as a wealth of great Tricks ideas available direct to your email inbox with the Pet Tricks Day Free Club which will be available to join very soon!
If you would like to be sent the info as soon as it’s released just email us on joe@dogtrainingessex-suffolk.co.uk with the subject title ‘TRICKS’ and we will send everything across once it’s starting!
We have been teaching Dog Tricks Training for over 10 years and our team includes two Certified Dog Trick Instructors, Joe and Kate, but we love involving the whole family!! Alongside Merlin and Ripley (both Trick Dog Champions) Joe does tricks with her Assistance Dog in training, Aero, who is training to be a Dogs for Autism Dog, plus with Echo the Duck who has her Novice and Intermediate Tricks Titles. She also does Tricks with ferrets Ralph, Hope and Koba, Chickens Ivy, Sunny and Chicks Bobbi and Charlie plus some Tricks with Conure Parrots Gizmo and Hugo.
Can we please have a shout out to our logo designer – Steph at Swoopsy!
https://www.swoopsy.art/product/norwich-terrier-