tricks vs. commands

[lv4dogs]

I have noticed with my dogs that some learn commands better than tricks or vice-versa.
Has anyone else?
Does anyone have any kind of possible explanation for it?

Nanook, he learns everything equally, or used to he's getting too old now.

Raustyk has always been better at learning tricks than commands.

Kaige learns commands easier & faster than tricks.

[buttercup132]

Thunder learns commands more easier too he can have them down pat in 2 minutes. Tricks it depends on what kind some easy ones he learns fast the only two tricks he had trouble learning was crawl and roll over but now he knows them. But I try to teach him to put his head down...o god total mess he ends up laying on his back :rolleyes: also I tried teaching him beg...another mess

[gemini9961]

I just taught Grant to lay this week. He can sit, now he can lay. Sadie can sit, lay and give me her paw. Maggie, well she can stand on her back 2 legs, she has done this since she was little, didn't teach her. Mine are probably better at learning commands since that's all I have really tried to teach them. Grant might be able to learn some tricks once I get him better on commands.

[k9krazee]

I think that all of mine are MUCH better at tricks than commands, just because thats what we work on a lot. But as for learning something new I think its much easier to teach a command because its generally simpler to do and most commands are natural behaviors anyway...

[Husky_mom]

The trick my dogs learned most easily was "EAT".....


.. LOL i couldn´t help myself...sorry

well my previous dogs learned to sit, shake with either paw, down, roll, crawl (comando like), sit high, slow, and one dog learned spin

my current dogs just know how to sit and shake LOL i REAlly have to work on them, REALLY

[BC_MoM]

I think commands are easier because they are basic. Things that are essential for dogs to know, so maybe it's almost nature to them? I don't know.

Because, obviously, you teach basics before you go on to tricks... Good question!

[Kfamr]

I think individually mine learn commands and tricks at the same level. However, Kiara is more willing to learn more than Simba & Nala.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I think it depends on the command and the trick. Marta learned everything pretty quickly, but she loves to show off her tricks and will work for free with these (especially speak, it's her favorite) because she gets such great feedback from her "audience."

Adele was harder to teach, I think because she gets too caught up in the reward and doesn't pay attention to what she's doing. She has a great recall, though, which is really important. :D

Has anyone here tried "clicker" training? I've always wanted to try it but for some reason never done it.

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

Tango learns both tricks & commands equally. She prefers to learn new tricks as they're more fun (she loves to show off and be the centre of attention when company comes...lol) but overall she loves to learn new things and quickly learns new tricks and commands at the same speed. Winston likes to learn new things but it takes him a lot longer than Tango. I'd say he learns commands easier than new tricks. The others don't enjoy learning new things really, they get bored too easily. Keeva's got a horrible attention span so that makes it really difficult to learn new things (she only knows sit, down and come) and it takes a long time for her to learn something new. I don't think she enjoys learning either one more than the other. Comet had absolutely no training whatsoever when we got him (I think he was trained in another language...), so he's still working on the basics. I haven't tried to teach him any tricks yet.

[Alysser]

Sassy learns trick much easier! She NEVER listens to commands. But to tricks she listens to me alot more! :D

[.sarah]

Mandy is awesome at learning tricks. Commands, I think she's just too stubborn to follow :p

Nova is awesome at both, though she tends to learn commands faster because she knows when it's training time and this girl takes it very seriously!!

Luka is horrible, and I mean horrible, with tricks. I haven't taught this girl one trick since she's been here (almost three months), because she just doesn't get it. She gets so confused lol. Commands she is good with, but tricks ... horrible!

[dab_20]

Well Molli only knows commands. I have never tried to teach her tricks. The only commands she knows are off, sit, out, and that's it. I know that's sad. lol, but that's my fault.

Sammy hasn't learned anything yet. :rolleyes:

[cloverfdx]

Our dogs vary aswell, Elvis picks up tricks easier than commands. Clover picks up obedience commands easier than tricks. Theo and Penny love learning new tricks, more than commands. And Tinny only knows sit, lie down and drop so far.

[pnance]

Mines dog dependent.

Savannah learns tricks quicker and Hunter learns commands faster.

Nikka and Bear just look at you and ignore you (they know exactly what you want, they just want to do it when they feel like it not when you tell them to!!! :D )

[cali]

Happy is just fine with both, Misty is a bit odd, she loves learning tricks, ut she totally seperates tricks and commands. for example she knows the command "back", if I command her to "back" she will back up, but if I dont give it to her as a command, and instead as a trick, she suddenly hasnt a clue what I am talking about :o

[Jessika]

I think dogs have a harder time learning "tricks" versus "commands" because WE think it will be harder, and we get frustrated, and dogs feed off our emotion so they, in turn, become frustrated as well.

We just have to remember, commands ARE tricks. Tricks ARE commands! They're all one in the same to the dog. Its just adding a vocal or physical command to an action. Some are more complex but after visiting a local kennel to get Jamie in agility I learned a lot about clicker training and might actually look more into it. :o

[cyber-sibes]

My experience has been that it depends more on the dog than if it's a trick or command. some learn more quickly than others, and some want to learn while others are pretty happy just doing the minimum!

[ParNone]

Commands are pretty basic, so I've not had any issue teaching those to Oz or Gull. Tricks however can become quite complex. If the trick is something simple, like spin or shake, then both Oz and Gull have learned it as quickly commands.

A trick that is complex like Weave Poles, can be a different story, depending on the intelligence of the dog, I think. With Oz, he figured out the concept of Weave Poles pretty quick, to the amazement of all the agility instructors.

Poor Gull though, I'm still working with him. I decided he really needed some mental challenge and hauled out my weave poles to start teaching him. The concept is just not quite clicking with him yet. He's more like the other dogs I encountered in Oz's agility classes, so I know he'll get it, it's just gonna take more focus and dedication on our part. So again it just really depends on the complexity of the trick.

Par...