Trick and Treat Tuesday: pretty please

I realised that Mawson and I have not presented our favourite trick yet! This will then be sorted out at once... And it is *drum rolls* the begging pose, or pretty please, also sometimes called the bunny rabbit!!!

Training this needs a few things from your pup:
- need a pretty stable sit for the start
- a bit of back strength which will bring the stability (but good trick to build that slowly)

As usual for training tricks, YOU need a lot of patience and also a lot of yummy treats/rewards.

I concur on the yummy treats!!

So how does one teach the begging pose you might ask? Well the way we went with Mawson follows approximately the guide below. Some pup will catch on quickly and some will need a tad longer... The main target is to go at the speed that is adequate for your pup and make sure that pup understand what you are trying to get him to do, make pup use that neurone!

Oy again... what is that defamation towards us pups!! NeuroneS please... Gosh, she thinks she can allow herself to write everything on here... I'll contact my lawyer soon me!

Pfff Mawson... So get your pup in a sit position in front of you. Take a treat in your hand (show pup of course but smell should be enough!!) then slowly move your hand backwards from the front of his nose to a little above his/her head in a circular manner. Not too far of course you don't want pup to fall on his/her back... Do this by small increment first getting pup to lift the paws a little off the ground. When that happens, click/reward. Repeat a bit by bit get pup to lift the paws higher. Continue the succession of lifting the paws further and further while rewarding until you reach a pretty much straight position without hanging on your fingers... You want pup to stay straight and with the bum on the ground, similar as for the sit. You do not want pup to lift entirely the body up on the back legs for this trick. So if the movement becomes a bit too loose, go back a step and get pup stable.

Then it is just a question of repeating the movement and position up with the luring for a while. When this becomes quite steady, think of  a cue word/hand signal and start slowly associating first the cue word after the movement. Then try to get your hand and lure slightly away from pup after placing in the begging position and before the reward. Remember if pup gets a bit confused or unstable go back one step and consolidate the basis.

After that it is all about slowly getting some distance and getting a stable position. And obviously removing gradually and completely the luring and working the trick only on hand signal/cue word.

This will take a while to get the full begging trick right and solid. So don't despair if you don't have a bunny rabbit within 5 seconds. Or you might get it and then well done!

Here is Mawson doing the bunny rabbit! Just need to modify the ears and the tail!!

Now for the big prize, and the favourite begging opportunity: PIZZA

You see what I have to do to get a meagre piece of food in this place... shame on you minions... shame on you!

You might notice a trend in all those pictures... Mawson's begging seems to be concentrated around the kitchen area...