Thank you for all your replies & thoughts on the matter - it's been great reading through them all!.

Our dog seems to just love doing things for us - so I am in the process of teaching her to take the rubbish bag from the kitchen, to the outside bin (I'liked the comment I read about dogs helping to make life easier!).

I will make sure she can't access the fridge unless we ask her to <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

She seems to "throw" (literally!!) herself into whatever we ask of her - and if she doesn't understand a new trick we are trying - she tries all of the tricks she knows - "is this the one you mean mum!!"

What would we do without them? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Nobody said a trick wasnt obedience.
Shaking hands, rolling over, playing dead, etc....thats not work...thats a court jester. Any type of service dog doing it's job is work and serving a purpose.
Tricks are degrading. Imagine if the dog had any idea what it was doing rolling over......I dont think a GSD would feel very noble at that point.
Just my opinion....even though I'm right you don't have to agree with me. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Patrick, I hope you didn't take what I said as an insult, but in my opinion, ANY posative interaction we have with our dogs is fun for the dogs. The perception of what is degrading is ours, not the dogs. I pride myself in having very tough, game little hunt terriers, but they do enjoy the tricks as much as the sits and downs. Both were taught the same way. Fun!
We can both be right. It's all in perception <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Nope....I did'nt.
Point was missed though. :rolleyes:

Tricks degrading?? Detector dog work is unhealthy, have you ever seen a necropsy on a drug detector dog? Service work gets them shot, cut, struck with objects, and puts stress on them physically that pets and yard dogs usually do not encounter. Explosives detectors can get blown up. Any law enforcement dog is subject to unnatural conditions, a working environment that can be unhealthy. Can you imagine the contaminants that a canine encounters during a SAR event of a collapsed building for example? Dogs serve many purposes. They should be cared for, treated with respect and even loved. The relationship between a canine officer and his/her dog is as strong as any, but there is also a mutual respect. Whetherthat dog "chases a stick cause I throw it", or takes down a fleeing subject they do it both to please themselves and to please the handler. I"ve been a trainer for the better part of 36 years, I've never abused an animal nor would I allow it, but teaching tricks, darn tootin, I like them, people are impressed by them and I really don't think any of the dogs have ever minded.

DFrost

 Quote:

Originally posted by Patrick Hennigan:
Tricks are degrading. Imagine if the dog had any idea what it was doing rolling over......I dont think a GSD would feel very noble at that point.

Yep and doing obedience for a rubber ball is noble? I wonder what they would think if they realized that the rubber ball really wasn't the end all be all <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Same difference..they will do anything to get what they think is the "bomb" whether it be detect drugs, SAR, Schutzhund, or entertain the neighbors with the "degrading" tricks..It's all the same to the dog. He/She doesn't think in the terms of degrading only the human partner does...By the way I think my Doodle Bug likes his weenie trick just fine <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Degrading..Nah I think guys are just jealous because he can show his weeine in public without being arrested <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I'm gonna give a dogs vote here... Most of my friends say I think more like a dog anyway (but not a 'bitch' <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> )!

I disagree with the last statement. Some dogs do 'mind' doing tricks and will look at you like you are an idiot if you try to teach them something 'silly'. To my experience this doesn't have much to do with intelligence -some very bright dogs love tricks, some very bright dogs don't. It may have something to do with maturity.
Most dogs I met that won't do tricks had a more 'mature' personality; less playful and puppyish.

I know a dog that has stolen a bottle of water from the supermarket by the park he was playing in when he got thirsty. He has also stolen a bag of raw hides from the same place and FED THE STRAYS in the park. Yet when I do 'tricks' with pine cones in the park with my Giant he stares at us and rolls his eyes like we are totally retarded. He loves us (both me and my dog) tremendously but won't play our 'stupid' tricks for anything. He will stand guard while we play though -to make sure we are not disturbed.

So the doggie vote goes: If your dogs like tricks, do them! They will be joyous and fun.
but IF your dog doesn't -don't push him. We must learn to respect our dogs at least a little!

I agree some dogs just do not want to do tricks for whatever reason (maturity, low drive etc..) BUT they do not think in terms of "degrading" etc..Those are terms we as humans like to dish out.

I've tried to teach my GSD to rollover for so long, I suppose it would have been easier to teach her if I had, had her as a puppy. I thought she just doesn't want to obey or doesn't trust me - funny though because she'll let me pick her up and put her on her back to lay beside me on the couch. I guess I can say now she thinks it's degrading. Works for me. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Point sill missed.
Yea, obviously it's a human term. I said it. My dog didnt tell me this.
I said if a dog had any idea what it was doing.....they don't....but I'm sure if they did they would tell you to stick it and roll over yourself.
A ball is the toy that they like to play with. It is what keeps them in drive, their motivation. I dont think it's silly. It's a training method and the best one out there.
I'm not gonna repeat my other posts....they're still there.
This is stupid to discuss this much over...