Tag Archives: trick

Lets Get Tricky: Teach Your Dog to Play Fetch

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As many of you may know I’m a big fan of learning, and ever since I was a wee pup my mom has been taking me to classes and clicker training me just like my Trick Pony friends.

Since learning is a never ending adventure I’m always up to pick up a new skill, and lately mom has been helping me to perfect my fetching skills.

See I wasn’t born with those amazing retriever traits, and while I do enjoy chasing after a good toy, I’m not great about actually bring said toy back! (the video above is proof of that)

Let's Get Tricky! Teach Your Dog To Play Fetch

But that’s ok, armed with a few simple tools my mom helped me learn what it means to play a real game of fetch!

What You Need:

  • Yummy Treats (These came in my Barkbox* this month, but you can also snag them in the Barkshop* with code AMMO for a special surprise at checkout!)
  • A Fun Fetch Toy
  • Something to Target (I used a scrap of mat board from the frame shop, but anything flat and large will work)
  • Clicker (not pictured, but you can snag one off amazon*)

To teach this trick your dog needs a basic knowledge of clicker training. You can check out this website for a basic tutorial on clicker training, or grab yourself a beginner clicker training book*. And they should also have a basic knowledge of how to pick up an item with their mouth.

*affiliate links

How to Teach Your Dog to Fetch:

  1. At a close distance ask your dog to touch the target with their feet. Click and reward each time their feet touch the target. If your dog doesn’t already have a cue to “target” you may have to let them accidentally walk across the target so you can click and reward them each time their feet touch your mark. Practice this close to your dog, then move the target to different spots and areas further from you to strengthen your dog’s knowledge of this task.
  2. If your dog already has a basic knowledge of how to chase an item and pick it up then you can move onto step 3 once they have mastered targeting. Otherwise you should teach your dog to pick up an item with their mouth first.
  3. At a close distance to your target toss a toy for your dog to get. Once they pick it up with their mouth ask them to touch their target again. When they hit the target WITH the toy in their mouth, click and reward. Repeat this at a close distance until your dog has mastered the idea. Continue to repeat this until you can toss the toy further and further away.

Congratulations! Your dog is now great at playing fetch the proper way (by returning the toy to you!) Much more fun isn’t it? Ammo the Dachshund // Blog Signature // Celebrity

Adventures at the Ryerss Farm Family Fun Day

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Over the weekend my pal Minnow the Painting Pony and I attended the Ryerss Farm Family Fun Day.

Painting Pony & Ammo the Dachshund at Ryerss

The Ryerss Farm is a non-profit that cares for aged, and abused or injured horses by providing a home where they can spend their golden years out to pasture.  The horses at Ryerss are never worked, go to auction or are used for experiments.  They simply spend their days grazing and enjoying life with their friends on the farm.

Painting Pony Paints for Charity

My pal Minnow (who is an aged equine himself at 21 years young) was thrilled to be able to show off some of his painting talents for this organization.

Painting Pony Paints for Charity

Minnow drew quite a crowd when it came time for him to paint and show off a few of his tricks. Check out the video of Minnow painting at Ryerss on instagram.

Trick Dachshund Performs for Charity

I couldn’t let Minnow one-up me with his crowd, so every time I performed I tried to draw an even bigger crowd than him.

Trick Dachshund Performs for Charity

Dachshund Jumps through Hoop at Ryerss

Dachshund Plays Dead at Ryerss

I pulled out all the stops by jumping through hoops and even showing off my most popular trick, playing dead!

Dachshund Jumps through hoop with Helmet at Ryerss

I even dove through a solid hoop while wearing my stunt helmet! I think Minnow was impressed (don’t let his look of boredom fool you).

Sleeping Super Hero at Ryerss

Eventually all that performing caught up to me – and this little super hero had to squeeze in some afternoon naps between shows.

Full Moon Dog Treats for Super Dog Ammo at Ryerss

Don’t worry though, my mom has a secret arsenal of Full Moon Real Bacon Treats* in her pocket (that we received from BlogPaws), that were just what I needed for revival before my next show.

*contains an affiliate link

Clicker Trained Dog at Ryerss

I’m never one to disappoint my crowd!

Painting Pony at Ryerss Farm

Painting Pony at Ryerss Farm

Even though my crowd might have been just a wee bit bigger than Minnow’s, we were both thrilled to be supporting this good cause….and generating a few smiles along the way!Ammo the Dachshund // Blog Signature // Celebrity

If you’d like to check out some of my pal Minnow’s artwork, be sure to visit him over at PaintingPony.com

How to make a Fake Rabbit Hole for your Dog

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Disclaimer: this is NOT a sponsored post, but it does contain some affiliate links.

It’s no secret that I am OBSESSED with holes. After all, my breed was originally bred to go down holes and hunt down badgers.

ammo the dachshund digging

And go down holes I do! My mom has had to pull me out of many ground hog holes around the farm over the years, and because of my affinity to go hunting whenever I feel like it I now wear a GPS tracker whenever I’m on the farm. While my tracker gives mom piece of mind, she’d still prefer my escapades kept me a little closer to the barn, which is why she decided to dupe me!

So I decided to share how my mom made me a DIY Fake Rabbit Hole so all you other dogs out there won’t get tricked like I did!

DIY Fake Scent Hole for Hunting Dogs // Ammo the Dachshund

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Rabbit Scent (or any other scent your dog might prefer)
  • Spray Bottle
  • Water
  • String (I used bailing twine)
  • Paper Towel
  • Shovel or Post Hole Digger

DIY Fake Scent Hole for Hunting Dogs // Ammo the Dachshund

Step 1: Choose a spot to dig a hole about 2 feet deep. Make sure you choose a spot where no one could fall in it (placing a marker when it’s done is helpful too). A spot near a bush or tree makes it more believable to your dog as well.

DIY Fake Scent Hole for Hunting Dogs // Ammo the Dachshund

As you can see just the sight of a hole was enough to get me interested!

DIY Fake Scent Hole for Hunting Dogs // Ammo the Dachshund

Step 2: Mix your Rabbit Scent with some water in a spray bottle and mist it into the hole. You can make it stronger by foregoing the water if your dog doesn’t seem interested.

DIY Fake Scent Hole for Hunting Dogs // Ammo the Dachshund

Step 3: Tie a paper towel to a string and mist with the rabbit scent. Drag the towel to and from the hole to leave a scent trail for your dog to follow.

DIY Fake Scent Hole for Hunting Dogs // Ammo the Dachshund

Trooper and I picked up on the rabbit scent trail right away.

DIY Fake Scent Hole for Hunting Dogs // Ammo the Dachshund

But only one of us really cared…..I’m pretty sure you can guess who!

Well I feel pretty silly getting tricked with a fake hole, but I did have a really good time digging to my hearts content. So fake or not, I don’t regret it one bit. Well except for the fact that it landed me in the bath a few hours later!

Do you think your dog would be tricked by a fake scent hole?

*Be advised that fake animal scents can attract other wild animals as well. So be aware of where you are putting it, and make sure to supervise your dog especially if they are out at night.Ammo the Dachshund

Adventures at Ludwigs

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Adventures at Ludwigs // Ammo the Dachshund

Over the Labor Day Weekend me and my best pony pal Minnow, the Painting Pony, attended the Ludwigs Corner Horse Show.

Adventures at Ludwigs // Ammo the Dachshund

Our goal, to make as many people smile as we could!

Adventures at Ludwigs // Ammo the Dachshund

My pal Minnow is pretty good at helping us draw a crowd, I mean just look at his super model pose!

Adventures at Ludwigs // Ammo the Dachshund

And when he starts to paint everyone can’t help but to be captivated!

Adventures at Ludwigs // Ammo the Dachshund

Myself included, as I love watching Minnow create his special works of art.

Adventures at Ludwigs // Ammo the Dachshund

Minnow painted several works of art throughout the day which should be available on his website very soon.

Adventures at Ludwigs // Ammo the Dachshund

Finally it was my turn to perform, and I showed off some of my expert hoop jumping skills.

Adventures at Ludwigs // Ammo the Dachshund

I even made it through the flaming hoop of death…..unharmed!

I also shared a few of my circus stunts like rolling my barrel….

….and playing dead!

Adventures at Ludwigs // Ammo the Dachshund

And for my final heroic stunt, I dove head first though a solid hoop (don’t worry, I wore my helmet for safety!)

Adventures at Ludwigs // Ammo the Dachshund

After our first performance of the day a nasty thunderstorm rolled through. Minnow went to wait out the storm on the horse trailer while I hunkered down in our tent.

Adventures at Ludwigs // Ammo the Dachshund

Eventually the sun came back out for just long enough for Minnow to create a few more paintings, even if the crowds had died down pretty drastically!

Adventures at Ludwigs // Ammo the Dachshund

By the end of the day I was pretty beat! But I’m pretty sure Minnow and I accomplished our goal to make everyone smile! Ammo the Dachshund

Let’s Get Tricky! Teach your Dog to Army Crawl

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Being a super hero I need to have certain tricks up my sleeves and on my tool belt. Tricks that can get me out of sticky situations, help me combat evil, and well, make me quicker and more agile when shimmying down groundhog holes! It’s because of this that I have learned to army crawl!

Let's Get Tricky! Teach your Dog to Army Crawl with Ammo the Dachshund

Teach Your Dog to Army Crawl

Learn to be stealth, agile and quick on your feet! Most importantly, fit down those groundhog holes with ease.

What you need: A handful of training treats, clicker

Let's Get Tricky! Teach your Dog to Army Crawl with Ammo the Dachshund

Step 1: Place a high value treat (something your dog really loves) in the palm of your hand, making sure that he knows it is there.

Let's Get Tricky! Teach your Dog to Army Crawl with Ammo the Dachshund

Step 2: Ask your dog to lay down by placing your hand on the ground in front of him.

Let's Get Tricky! Teach your Dog to Army Crawl with Ammo the Dachshund

Step 3: Slowly inch your hand away from your dog, encouraging him to shimmy across the ground after the treat. As soon as he moves closer to your hand (without lifting his front legs out of the lay down position) click and reward. If your dog pops up out of his lay down, ask him to lay again, and repeat the process until he does it properly.

Let's Get Tricky! Teach your Dog to Army Crawl with Ammo the Dachshund

Step 4: Continue asking your dog to inch along the ground until he understands what is wanted, you can then begin adding a verbal cue, such as the word “crawl”, and asking him to shimmy across the ground several times before getting his reward.

Let's Get Tricky! Teach your Dog to Army Crawl with Ammo the Dachshund

Congratulations, your dog can now army crawl. Now meet me at the groundhog holes, we’ve got some shimmying to do! Ammo the Dachshund

Disclaimer: The Let’s Get Tricky blog feature is designed to provide general information, instruction, and techniques that may not be suitable for everyone. Please note that we are not liable for any of your activities while attempting to teach your dog the techniques listed on this blog. Please train responsibly.

Let’s Get Tricky! Teach your Dog to Play Dead

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One of my most popular tricks is the Play Dead trick. Guaranteed to make children giggle and adults oooh and ahhh – it’s a favorite that’s sure to win them over!

Most all of my tricks are taught and mastered with the help of clicker training, so before beginning you might want to read up on how to introduce your dog to a clicker*.

*Disclaimer: this post does contain some affiliate links

Ammo the Dachshund // Lets Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to Play Dead

Teach Your Dog to Play Dead

Every great dog should know how to play dead – if only to be used as an ice breaker at parties, to scare the ground hogs in the backyard, and to generally just make you look totally awesome.

What you need: A handful of small training treats*, clicker

Step 1: To start your dog should already know how to lay down on command. Place a few treats in a fist and place your hand on the ground in front of your dog as you ask them to lay down.

Ammo the Dachshund // Lets Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to Play Dead

Step 2: As your dog sniffs the treat tilt your fist up and over the top of your dog’s head, encouraging them to lay on their side. You may need to gently push your hand into your dog to entice them to lay on their side. Click and Reward your dog as soon as their side touches the ground.

Ammo the Dachshund // Lets Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to Play Dead

Step 3: Continue asking your dog to lay on their side with treats in the fist of your hand until you can ask them to lay on their side with just an open palm (treats removed) – then click and reward.

Ammo the Dachshund // Lets Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to Play Dead

Step 4: Once your dog is laying on their side consistently you can begin to add a verbal and visual command to it. Point your finger at your dog and say Bang, Bang – if your dog doesn’t immediately flop on their side you can then use the open palm of your hand to remind them what to do, click and reward. Slowly begin waiting longer and longer to show them what to do with the flat of your hand until they offer laying on their side on their own. Jackpot treat your dog when they get it right.

Ammo the Dachshund // Lets Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to Play Dead

Step 5: When your dog is consistent in laying on their side when you ask you will need to add a release word. Part of the appeal of a play dead trick is that your dog will “remain dead” until you tell them to come back alive. So after asking your dog to play dead, wait a few seconds and say OK (before your dog gets up on their own) to release them and then click and reward. The key is to time this right before your dog gets up on their own. Gradually begin asking them to stay on their side longer and longer until you are certain they will not get up until you give them the verbal OK.

Ammo the Dachshund // Lets Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to Play Dead

Congratulations! Your dog can now play dead! You can now bring laughter and smiles to everyone!

Ammo the DachshundDisclaimer: The Let’s Get Tricky blog feature is designed to provide general information, instruction, and techniques that may not be suitable for everyone. Please note that we are not liable for any of your activities while attempting to teach your dog the techniques listed on this blog. Please train responsibly.

 

Learn how to teach your dog to high-five!

Super Ammo Vs. Super Trooper

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Last year I was invited to perform at the Keystone Dachshund Races during their lunch break, it was my very first performance ever as a young and inexperienced 1 year old! I thought I did ok, considering I was new to the game and had only learned most of my tricks in a matter of a few weeks. You can watch my performance from last year here. (I’m WAY better at my tricks now!)

Well this year when they invited me back to perform, I knew I had to up the anti a little. So since my bestest performing pony pal, Minnow, couldn’t come with me – I asked my pal Trooper to fill in for him. Now Trooper is new to the whole performing thing, and I told him he had to learn a whole bunch of new tricks if he wanted to perform with me.

In the end we put on a Super entertaining duel between two friends. Here’s a taste of how it all went down:

(P.S. if you want the full effect – with my super awesome hero music – you’ll have to catch one of my live performances! Apparently youtube isn’t super music friendly!)

Performing at the Dachshund Races is very hard. Because not only does the stage smell like a bazillion other doxies (butt sniffing heaven!), but it is also littered with dropped treats. Talk about hitting the jackpot, bacon bits, hot dogs, cookies and more! It’s super hard to concentrate on your super tricks when working for treats seems pointless since free ones are on the floor!

But, me and Trooper pulled it off, and I’m sure we made a few people giggle!

Better luck winning the trophy next year Trooper! This super doxie is unstoppable!