My blog friend, Darwin the Great Dane, tagged me to play the Photo Tag Game. The rules are:
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Sorry – it’s a blurry photo – it’s from one of my classes with my trainer, Flip at Flip’s Top Dog back in Auckland, NZ. I think Flip is the best trainer ever and he is my favourite human, after Paul & Hsin-Yi! 
Here we are practising our “Bomb-Proof Down Stays” – by testing us with lots of different kinds of distractions. This is Flip going around us with his scooter, which makes a lot of noise and moves really fast! But we had to ignore it and remain in our Down Stay – even though our humans were far away on the other side of the room.
It’s really important when teaching us doggies to Stay (whether Sit Stay or Down Stay) to test us with lots of distractions and teach us that we have to remain there until our humans come back to release us – no matter what! I have done lots & lots of “Bomb-Proof Stay” practice – this is why I can be so good and Stay when I’m told – even with a kitty in my face! Ha! Ha! 
A lot of doggies only practise their Stays in the same place all the time, with no distractions at all and their humans just standing in front of them – this is really boring and also means we never learn a reliable Stay. We have to practise our Stays in lots of different places, with different things passing us (eg. other dogs, cyclists, joggers, balls rolling, etc) or noises around us (eg. traffic, children shouting/screaming, dogs barking) or our humans in different positions (walking around us, turning their back to us, going out of sight, even jumping over us!).
This way it is also more fun because our humans can keep thinking up new ways to try and trick us into getting up (it’s like a game!) - and us doggies have to keep working hard to ignore everything and remain staying in the same position – so then we can get lots of praise & treats!
Here is a video of one of my classes with Flip where you can see how we practise our ‘Bomb-Proof Stay’ – in the park and then in the town! We also practise Heeling and ignoring other doggies passing us, Recalls and walking politely in the streets. Flip believes that it is very important to practise training in “real-life” situations and not always just in a dog training club or school!
* Hsin-Yi’s Training Tip: never call your dog out of a Stay – this will teach them to “break” the Stay as they will always be poised, anticipating your call. You want them to learn to relax when they hear “Stay” as they know they will have to remain there until you return to them and give the release word (we use ”OK!”). If you do want to call your dog to you, make sure you give them a “Wait” command instead of “Stay” when you leave them (and different hand signal).
Also, a lot of dogs get up as their owners are returning to them – and a lot of people just let this go because they think they were returning anyway…NO. This is another reason why so many people struggle to train a reliable Stay. The dog must never get up until you give the release word – doesn’t matter if you have walked back to stand next to them – they still have to remain in position until you give the release word. If they get up as you’re returning – no need to get nasty – just give them the command again – make them get back into position. Be patient – if they run to you, take them back to their place and ask them to Down or Sit again. Then give the Stay command again, take one step away – and then return to them again and give the release word – then lots of praise/treats. This teaches the dog that you are consistent and will enforce a command and they can’t get away with breaking a Stay, even if you are already returning to them…you will always put them back and make them stay until you give the release word. Sometimes, also return to them but then walk away again – to teach them that you returning does NOT always mean that they will be released. Keep them guessing!
OK – now I have to tag 5 friends to play this game:
- Bodie the Border Terrier (my cheeky Pairs Routine dancing partner!)
- Cinnamon the Beagle (who shows that Beagles CAN be trained!)
- Nala the Ridgeback (who I think is my “online sister” – we are so alike – and our humans too!)
- Max & JD (my favourite Schnauzer brothers who I have a HUGE soft spot for!)
- Jackson the Great Dane (who is my hero with his Obedience achievements - his human is amazing and never gives up training with him, even though he is a slow, placid, ‘low-drive’ giant doggie like me who isn’t easy to train! )
******
Guess what? I have learnt a new trick! Do you remember when I first arrived in my new home in Brisbane, I did this on the kitchen counter?
Well, Hsin-Yi thought it was very cute so she decided to “capture it” (this means CLICK & treat whenever she sees me do it naturally. This is also how I learnt my ‘Shimmy’ trick) and put it on cue.
So now I have learnt to put my Chin on the counter – and take it off – when asked to! Hee! Hee! OK – I know this is a silly trick but sometimes it is nice to learn tricks “just for fun” – even if they are not very useful! (Maybe this would be useful if the vet ever wants to weigh my head…! 
)
ETA: Sorry – I think I confused some people – this isn’t a video of me learning the trick (‘capturing’ means marking & rewarding the behaviour anytime I do it, all through the day so it’s very hard to film it!) – this is after I have learnt it already and I’m just doing it to show you! 
Hsin-Yi says she is going to “extend” this trick and teach me to put my chin on other things – like on her shoulder or on my own paws (to “look sad”) or anything else she points at!
******
ps. Thank you to everyone for your thoughtful suggestions in my last post to help Hsin-Yi carry my HUGE crate ! She didn’t really want to get a trolley ‘coz it would just be ANOTHER thing she would have to take with us - and she is already having to remember so many things. Plus my crate is so wide, it would not fit through doorways if wheeled on a normal trolley – it would have to be wheeled standing up on its side, on something like a skateboard, Hsin-Yi says. But anyway, she says she will check out some trolleys and see!
By the way, Paul did help put the crate in the car the night before – actually, it was so big that my humans had to spend a lot of time pushing & shoving and huffing & puffing, trying to get it in!
It is wider than the car machine so the doors won’t shut – so they had to turn it around and put it in longways, from the back – and even then, it was sticking up into MY space at the back and completely blocking the rearview mirror!
Hsin-Yi did not like driving with such a big thing squeezed into the car machine, because she could not see properly out back (or even see me!) and was worried it might be dangerous if we had an accident. But what to do? It’s just so big! That’s the problem, you see, when you have a giant doggie like me…nothing is simple and easy! (and my humans do NOT want to drive a Van Machine like a lot of other Dane humans! )
Hehe I love your chin trick Honey :p I do it all the time, I'm pretty lazy when it come's to holing my head up, I do it on counters, chairs, people actually anywhere my head can fit!
I definately agree with Hsin-Yi, down or sit stay's are very important! Laura was so pround of me the other day when she left me in a down stay out side a cafe and I didn't move a muscle -- the really impressive part was that there was another dog only a meter away from me!
I was so happy with myself!!
Laura's thinking of taking me to Flip's training classes as well, just to give us something to do together!
Licks,
Lexi
Love the chin trick Honey, very cute
Those are really helpful tips for getting a good reliable stay, thanks! Hauling that enourmous crate about certainly doesn't look easy, such a stiff difficult piece of equipmennt, the lengths we go to for our dogs aye! Maybe you should get a skateboard for it, then maybe you can be a skateboarding dancing duo!
Pep & Em
Love your chin trick.
Boy seeing the crate in your car makes it seem even BIGGER. Where do you fit in, do they strap you to the roof?
That chin command could lead to slobbers on all the counters. Hehehe. But you sure look adorable.
Hey! I think your bottom looked bigger in that old movie. I know you worry about your figure.
Yuh, nothing is simple with a giant doggie. Humans with normal dogs like PeeWee just don't get it.
Slobbers,
Mango
Hi Honey
I'm think you are very smart to have bomb-proof down-stays. I've been practising sit-follows with my human, but I do sit-stays and down-stays sometimes. Inside. If I feel like it. Coz if she's going to the other side of the room, or out of the room, it must be because there's something really interesting there, so of course I have to go as well!
We also practice in the park, but I only pay attention to my human if there's nothing more interesting going on, which isn't very often. But my human keeps making me try, so I'm slowly getting better at it.
I told her about your giant crate thing, and she said she was glad I'm so little, because I'm much easier to handle. Though I'm a very wiley puppy sometimes, and I dart away when she's trying to put my leash on or close the front door. She's stopped chasing me to put my leash back on now, and just stands still, which is much less fun, so I often just go to her, because I might get a treat if I stand still for my leash.
By the way, my human and I would love to meet up with you -- we're not planning on going to Brisbane, but we will be on the Sunshine Coast. We will probably be up there between 13-17 May, I'm sure we can arrange something!
Puppy kisses
Sasha
Thanks a lot of the tips on how to "wait". We need to learn it
cool trick
Sanne is upload our new tricks to
yep the old mastiff learn a new trick haha
thanks fur sharing this lovely post
Kissslobbers
El'bow & Hauwii
We love your new chin trick Honey! And we agree with Hsin-Yi about stays and waits (although it is backwards in our house!). Staying is one of the most important things us service doggies learn (besides our tasks that is!) and we have to be able to do it through any distraction.
Your struggles with the crate in the car reminds me of when Mom had to bring my crate (which is much bigger than I needed, but works perfectly for Lola!) any time we traveled and she had to fight to get it in her not big enough car!
Hugs and Tail Wags,
Dixie
Ahh Thanks Honey, I will play very soon! I LOVE your chin trick…you are a quick study. I guess that happens when there are yummy treats around though, huh!
At least it does for me. Have a great day!
Kisses,
Nala
One more thing…my Mom says to tell Hsin-Yi that she and dad will be going to Japan for the celebration of the marriage of my Uncle Joel and Aunt Etsuko.
They still have to figure out where I will be staying though…just met a neat pet sitter yesterday…hopefully she's available. 
Nala
Great practices for the down/sit-stays! Awesome teacher who has super ideas! Love the razor scooter running through the downed dogs! And adore the chin trick -- Honey got it so fast -- just amazing! I didn't hear a clicker, but was there one? Just wondering! Great movies and so helpful -- thanks so much -- I agree totally about calling a dog out of the down or sit-stays -- ruins the point of the exercise. Just now working on stays out of sight -- Sam does NOT like that! Working working! Practice, practice!
Big Hugs xoxoxo
Sammie
Hi Honey!
The chin on counter trick is really pawesome. We are learning a lot of training tips from you and we thank you. Mommy is wishing she could get us to do a few.
Thanks also for dropping by to visit us. To reply to your comment, we are from Manila, Philippines and only started blogging last year. We love your site and we hope we can be better friends.
- Fudgie, Princess, Frappie, Mocha, Sugar & the Piappies
Honey! You are so smart! you look so cute with your chin on the counter like that!
We've been practicing Darwin's sit/down stays a lot more outdoors now too… she's definitely not bomb proof, but getting better the more we do it.
About the ramp we got Darwin.
We ordered it through Amazon and it was this one: http://www.amazon.com/Solvit-62332-UltraLite-Bi-F…
Solvit brand. It's light (Hsin-Yi could easily carry it) and pretty sturdy. I've walked on it (as a way to show Darwin it can be done) and it says it can hold up to 200 lbs. So far it's been really good and we've been happy with it. It wouldn't be good for a truck or SUV because it's not that long, but perfect for a station wagon or hatchback type car. It does move a little when Darwin walks up it, but not a huge amount.
There was another one we were considering, which was longer and wider, but heavier. http://www.amazon.com/Pet-Gear-Tri-Fold-Ramp-200-…
Good luck with the giant crate transportation! I can barely lift the giant bag of dog food we get for Darwin… I dont think Id be able to lift that crate!
Glad to see you guys got the new CRV
woof -- Tucker
Love that chin trick, so cute!
I think all of my bloggy friends have been tagged for that photo tag. Some have even been tagged more than once!
We loved your Chin trick, Honey. Mom is working on stay with Ciara and understands how important it is to do it in lots of different locations. We will tell her to use some of your tips.
Woos -- Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara
Hi Honey,
Thanks for tagging me to play a game! It looks like fun!! Did you know that Mint is going to Flip's puppy group class from next week? I agree. He is a wonderful trainer!
Oh, staying is one of the things I am not good at, as you know. Mum always makes me to stay for a while in the middle of our walks, which I can do, but I don't think I can keep staying when another dog comes near me.
I love your new Chin trick! I must try it myself!
Also, thank for lots of advice for Mint. Yes, both of us are insured with Ellenco (Mint is covered by its free trial puppy policy until he becomes 16 weeks old, and I am sure my humans will renew it when it expires).
Love,
Cinnamon
My humans still have their 1987 Suburban, which used to carry 9 people everywhere. Now it is the Mastiff Mobile. Mom always hunts for giant parking places, usually at the end of an aisle, so she walks farther. We are very glad we don't have to carry a crate with us!
And you clearly always have been a great dancer!
Drools,
Thor
Furry khute trikhk!
Thanks fur sharing!
Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
Woo. I don't think we'd do real well at that "stay" thing. I'd be good at the chin on the counter maneuver though!
Luv,
Dave
PS: I'm glad you got to hear me WOO!!!!
Honey! You're look cute doing corner chin trick!
You're a very well behaved girl! I was impressed with your ( and from your friends ) stays in town!
Mom says I need to practice some obedience soon!
Thor
We love your chin trick -- it is adorable! And we agree with your differentiating between "stay" and "wait" -- mom never ever calls me off of a stay!
NOW i can finally comment! Flip;s classes look EXACTLY like our k9 clinic classes! they're so awesome. obedience any time and any place! we'd go downtown, public places, etc. i'd bet we'd be in the same doggie classes if we ever lived near eachother.
the chin video was fun! honey's like "chin, off, chin, off… make up your mind momma!" LOL. so cute. oh and I totally dig the way you wipe her slobber (another vide i saw of her too)… it's so cute. Like i tell Juno, it's a damn good thing she's beautiful other wise i would NEVER put up with all that shedding… same with Honey. she's so beautiful, the slobber is really easy to overlook!
(and it's really not THAT gross…)
aww, your new chin trick is very cute.
We enjoyed watching the training video of you and all your doggie pals. You looked good all together in the town.
Thanks for sharing the videos, we love watching you in action.
Have a great week.
We are super impressed once again with you, Honey! Amazing "bullet-proof" training indeed! Mummy wish she had Hsin-Yi's patience in training me so that I can be as good as you!
In response to your comment on my blog entry on Taipei, well, Taipei is definitely more "dog-friendly" than Singapore. We reckoned there are lots of Muslims in multi-racial and multi-cultural Singapore who are scared of dogs probably due to the fact that it is their belief that dogs are "dirty" and they are not allowed to touch dogs at all.
Dogs are not allowed in many places and I must say many Singaporeans are scared of bigger dogs. My Mummy can't take me for walks without people staring at me, giving me dirty looks, avoiding me or point at me rudely and tell their kids that I will bite, when I did nothing and just minding my own business walking nicely next to Mummy or sniffing at the trees!
wow honey
that is a good trick.. I wish I new that!
but we don't have a counter tipe thing like that so I can't but oh well
Wow that crate is big! I hope you can find a solution that works for you.
The new trick is soooooo cute!! There are a lot of possibilities with that one.
What a very cute trick Honey! I bet you could use that to get childrens to give you treats, they is easy targets!
~lickies, Ludo
Honey, you are a very rare and wonderful Great Dane, and I'm really glad I found your blog. I have a Great Dane named Remi, and he is a lot like you, but he doesn't get to do all the fun things you do, or learn all the neat things you learn. I will try to work harder with him because you have motivated me! I don't think he could ever do dancing -- but at least we will work more on basic things. Thank you and Hsin-Yi for sharing your training tips and advice!!
Honey
You and youw Mom awe the clevewestest evew. she is so patient and teaches you the vest twicks and you of couwse awe so clevew and adowable..I wish i could be just like you. I hope you figoowe out what to do wif the cwate..how about getting a wack fow the top?
smoochie kisses
ASTA
Duke does the chin trick, and it's actually really popular when he's therapy dogging. The kids love it. I don't have a verbal command for it, he just plops his big head wherever I pat, so if I pat my leg, he lays his head there. If I pat my shoulder, he lays his head on my shoulder.
We are so very proud of how good you do all your tricks and dances!!! And we love that Hsin-Yi is so good to train you in a good proper manner.
Meowm is frustrated with our new neighbors cause they yell at their dog to sit and stay all the time, but never praise her when she does it. Meowm wants to go out there and boot them right in the rear, but she doesn't. We wish the woofie next door had good humans like you do.