I was going to tell you all about my birthday presents and show you a movie of me trying out the Nina Ottossen “Dog Brick” but we have been feeling very guilty that we have not done any Tricky T-Day posts for AGES so I thought I’d show you this video first and do a post about my presents on the weekend…
Well, my human, Hsin-Yi, has been trying to teach me to pivot for a few months now, although we don’t train this very often so I am only learning it slowly…
Hsin-Yi would like to turn this into a dance step for our next routine – and she also always admired the Obedience dogs doing their sharp ‘Left-Hand Turns’…a lot of people told her that she could never teach me to do this now that I’m grown up, because I didn’t learn it as a puppy – and of course, you know what happens when people tell Hsin-Yi that she can’t do something…she just can’t resist the challenge of proving them wrong! 
First, I had to learn to target something with my front paws and keeping them in that place while I swivel my bum around…then I had to do this with Hsin-Yi standing next to me…and then I had to do this without a target! Once I was pivoting well next to Hsin-Yi without a target, she started making me Heel for short distances and then pivot in a Left-Hand Turn. I’m still not very good at it but I’m getting better all the time!
Pivoting is a great way for us doggies to learn “rear-end awareness”. In my case, I guess it helped that I had already learnt to back up, which already taught me “rear-end awareness” and also my sideways Crab-walk that I do facing Hsin-Yi. But it was still a new thing for me to learn, especially as us big doggies aren’t so agile at moving parts of our bodies around! 
Anyway, here is the video of me learning to pivot:
And if anyone is interested, here is the original video we found on YouTube which inspired us to learn (very good, clear instructions!)
well done Honey! it is so fun to watch you learn new tricks! we wouldn’t last 10 seconds.
What a clever girl indeed! Nicely done! I love to watch you learn no tricks! This one seems sort of complicated so we are impressed! CAn’t wait to see you with the brick!
Wow! Wow! Wow! Honey that’s incredible!!!!! I’m so happy for you! This gives me hope that Jackal can learn this behavior eventually. I just need to work on his heel first probably because that looks so cool. Are you going to learn Swing and Finish where you pivot into the position instead of circling behind? Congrats on a beautiful job well done!
Wait a minute. I thought left hand turns involved jumping into momma’s leg and getting checked and flying through the air and bouncing up again only to realize that momma is walking the other way and you better hurry up or you will miss your treat.
Of course sometimes momma gets confused and does a left hand turn with me sandwiched against something which means I just kind of bounce around and knock things over until she stops her pointless turning and is walking straight again.
Is that why good dog attention lady is coming over to give me a private lesson?
Kisses,
Dexter
Honey -- you are the smartest girl ever! Maybe I should learn tricks for snacks.
~Ruby~
Wow awesome job!!! I love seeing her learn new stuff!
Pivoting is hard Honey. And the bigger you are, the harder it is. You did great. I find if Barbara does her foot work correctly it is easier for me to do those left pivots. We are working on them a lot.
Your friend,
Niamh
You have such a great connection with Honey, that was just so fun to watch. Good luck with the dance step. So will she learn that my next week? -- Just kidding.
Woos, the OP Pack
Yay -- a Honey tricky t-day video! You’re doing an awesome job with your pivoting! Great video! We love Kikopup’s tutorials also plus zsianz1. Where would we be without YouTube!
Hsin-Yi! You are just so patient and consistent in this work -- you obviously just love it and I can see that Honey does too! Her ears are always forward! Sammie loves the work too, but I never taught her to pivot for LH turns, although we’ve done hind-end awareness work. But I don’t love it as much as some obed. pals do, so don’t work at it as consistently as I should -- maybe once or twice a week, then Sam’s class. You are just terrific and I love watching HOney learn her stuff!!!!! Thank you for sharing!
Hugs xo
Sammie
Honey, you are SO talented! The way you learn cool stuff is really awesome!
LUv,
Dave
Wow! Honey you sure are talented. You’re so smooth in your moves… like buttah!
~wags-n-wiggles~
wild dingo
Woo two are truly something furry special!
Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
Good Work Honey!!!
Nitro Is doing well with the Dogzonline Dane Challenge, I posted a new video today.
Licks n leans
Stripe n nitro
Pivots are tricky — we’ve been working on them in our tango for a couple of months and still don’t have them down yet!
FANTASTIC!!!!
Kissslobbers
El’bow & Hauwii
Hi Honey,
Thanks for visiting my brand new blog and thanks MUCHO to your mom for helping me along. My mom says she still has alot to learn and will contact your mom over the weekend for more advice. I think she got the URL in here this time.
I’ll have to join Tricky T day as well once my mom gets the basics figured out. I have learned so much from you and your mom I want to show everyone. You are such an inspiration to all us doggies. You know I’m home all day by myself (ok, not totally by myself my fur brother is home) and if mom would show me how to turn on the computer I could get it all figured out while she was at work!
AARF Kasha the Dainty Dane!
We have never had a mastiff with rear end awareness. I’m pretty sure Mastiffs don’t believe they exist behind the ears, unless they’re being patted or hugged.
Yay, your pivoting looks so graceful!
Way to go, Honey!
Great post. I’ve watched it once, but I’ll come back and look at it carefully, because it inspires me to get going once again with training. We’ve been slacking off for weeks now!
I’m also going to check out that link you posted. Thanks.
Honey I never tire of watching you and your mum! I think it is quite humorous, you weigh about twice as much as she does!