Put a Hoop on a Stick Video

Uses
Good party trick, a sure winner a pet fun days for best trick.
This is a hard trick, for this trick you need a dog who is really clicker savvy. To find out about clicker go to http://www.k9events.com Australian based web site.

Equipment : clicker, treats (chicken chunkers from Coles work great, cheese, liver etc)

Set of Quoits (can be purchased from toy stores) If your dog is size of border collie or larger, you may need to put a hole in the plastic part, and fill with sand so the dog does not knock it over in his enthusiasm as my dog does.

Step 1
Go to http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/retrieve.html and follow steps 1 to 17, take your time and don't rush the dog, make sure you meet the criteria for a step before moving to the next step. Instead of a dumbell you are going to use a coloured plastic quoit.

Step 2
You will be kneeling down next to the pole, You are going to click and treat the dog for raising the quoit to the height of the pole, keep on doing this step until the dog gets it right 10 times.

Step 3
You are now going to click and treat for the hoop being placed near the top of the pole, so the dog may not get the hoop on the pole but will get it very close. keep on doing this step until the dog gets it right 10 times.

Step 4
You are now going to wait for the dog to get the hoop on the pole, keep on doing this step until the dog gets it right 10 times. Big jackpot of food when the dog gets it right. Now add the command. I use the word "dump" because he is dumping the hoop onto the pole.

[b]Advanced[/B]
You are now working on distance, gradually moving further away from the pole, my dog kept wanting to give the hoop to me. Once you get distance, you may want to throw the hoop further away from the pole, once you get this you may throw multiple hoops, and reward the dog when he puts two or three hoops on the pole.

My dog took a while to get this, and I actually took a break from it for about a month and came back to it and he got it. Moses actually developed a technique for this. It is quite hard for the dog and takes concentration, he has to work out how to handle the hoop in his mouth, how to line up with the pole and how to drop it on the pole.