And I thought my dogs were smart...

Very cute!

*G* That's the video where I got the idea to teach that to my Gaci. Gaci does it almost exactly like that, as well. Even with the little bit of trouble holding the gate shut with the foot. It's interesting when I go back to watch how different dogs have similar behaviours! That sequence is on Gaci's video learning journal!

That is a cool video. And it reminds me of yours, Kim, which you actually showed some time ago, not just in your most recent thread. You had also showed the pick up toys video, back then. But this one is neat and a perfect example of what can be trained. And it's not just the trick of going in the crate and closing the door, it's the behavior of the dog to listen to the owner and do what is requested.

it's not just the trick of going in the crate and closing the door, it's the behavior of the dog to listen to the owner and do what is requested

Good point, and a reminder of how valuable it is to be able to teach a dog discrete behaviors.  What comes to mind is how service dogs learn to do the many different behaviors they do to help their disabled handlers. Not exactly "tricks", or a "game" except to the dog. 

spiritdogs

Good point, and a reminder of how valuable it is to be able to teach a dog discrete behaviors.  What comes to mind is how service dogs learn to do the many different behaviors they do to help their disabled handlers

Which helps further the point I was making. That training "tricks" also, in some cases, creates a general behavior in the dog of deference to a human. That is, we can refer to an obedience move or a cued behavior as a "trick" but that does not diminish the general principle that the dog is listening to and obeying the human and that this overall biddable effect can translate into a number of things. Increased trust in the human, general confidence in meeting others, which can allow some reactive behavior to extinguish. That is, sometimes, you don't have to ignore a behavior. The dog simply drops the behavior in the presence of a clear and outstanding reward. Not always, of course, but it can happen.

Cute video!  Goes to show you that yes, even smaller dogs have a capacity for learning.  (Especially those Bichons!)