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DogPACT Canine Tricks

Spin! Twirl! Dance! Bow! High-5! Wave!

Now we’re having fun, fun, fun . . . until someone takes the clicker away!

There is absolutely nothing as fun for you and your dog than to train some fun tricks. There is a common misperception that tricks are just silly parlor tricks and not for the serious dog trainer. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Benefits of Trick Training

Learn to Learn — Training your dog to perform a simple trick provides a great opportunity for your dog to practice the art of learning. Your dog finds out that if s/he moves a foot this way or that way, Bingo!, s/he gets a reward. One of the most important aspects of positive reinforcement training (especially clicker training) is that your dog learns that his/her behavior has consequences, and that s/he has more control over what happens in his/her life. This can be a very enlightening “ah-ha!” experience for your dog. There is no more fun way to do this than teach tricks.
No-pressure Practice for the Trainer — Many people new to training are afraid they are going to make a mistake in training an important behavior. One of the best ways to practice your timing and training skills are training tricks — no pressure!!!! It gives you an opportunity to practice your “mechanical skills,” e.g., clicking on time, getting the reward to the dog quickly.
Great for fearful and timid dogs — We have no crystal ball or mind-reading machine, but it can be conjectured that one of the reasons very fearful dogs are so fearful is that, from their perspective, the world operates in a very haphazard, unpredictable way and that they are helpless to control events in their lives. Imagine how empowering it is for a timid or fearful dog to discover that his/her own behavior can affect what happens in the world. Teaching tricks is a very powerful way to build a training path that leads to a more confident dog who can be taught not only tricks, but other life-saving skills such as sit/stay, attention, and come when called. Read about Kippy, Wallflower to Center Stage.
Be a Star! — Whether your goal is to go to Hollywood or to the local senior center with your therapy dog, tricks are great entertainment to audiences of all ages. DogPACT dogs have entertained the public at pet expos, at shelter fund-raisers, community events, and on local cable television shows. A dog performing tricks is a great ambassador for the rest of the dog world.
Relationship and Bonding — Last, but certainly not least, taking the time to train tricks is an awesome way to build a positive and fun relationship with your dog. Trick training is true teamwork, where you are the director and your dog the actor. Your compassion, skills, and love of your dog bring out the best in your dog during trick training, and there’s nothing better than that for building that very special lifelong bond.

Group Tricks Classes

Duration of class: 4 weeks
When: Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:30 or 8 p.m.
Where: Long Beach
Minimum age of dog: Any age
Maximum enrollment: 8 student-dog teams per instructor
Prerequisite: Pet Manners I, prior clicker training experience, or permission of the instructor
Cost: $85.00

Class Description

With an instructor-to-student ratio of 1:8 (maximum of eight students), DogPACT group classes provide individualized attention not commonly found in group class settings. Build solid clicker training skills while you teach your dog to:

Bow
Spin
Wave
Dance
Back up (with flare!)
Twirl
Chin
Scoot
Pray
Sneeze (and grab a tissue!)
Click here for 100+ Tricks

Schedule and Location

Long Beach, Time and Place TBA

Classes are held on Monday and Wednesday evenings at either 6:30 or 8 p.m. with a new class forming every few weeks.

Each series of classes is four weeks long, with each class lasting 50 minutes. Due to the small class size, pre-enrollment is required. Contact us to find out when the next class begins and for enrollment materials.

Note: There are some dogs for whom group classes are NOT appropriate. These include dogs who are reactive (overly stimulated, barking, lungeing, etc.) and dogs who are aggressive with other dogs or people, or dogs who are extremely fearful.

Has your dog ever growled, barked, or lunged at a person, seemingly with the intent of scaring them away or biting them?
Has your dog ever growled, barked, or lunged at another dog, seemingly with the intent of scaring them away or biting them?
Does your dog get agitated or so overly excited in the presence of other dogs that you "can't get through to him" no matter what you do?
Is your dog extremely timid, avoiding people or other dogs, to the point where he struggles to hide and get away?

If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, a group class may not be a good learning environment for your dog. Please Contact Us if you want help in deciding if a group class is appropriate for your dog.