Dog Community

Coolest dog trick ever (not mine)

Posted : 2/1/2007 2:31:24 PM

One of Ben's playmates at the park is a smooth collie/jack russell cross who is IMPOSSIBLE to wear out. Such a little bundle of energy, but also incredibly clever. This dog can play fetch for HOURS, so his owner uses a tennis racket to beam the ball halfway across the park so the dog has to run further for the retrieve.

Yesterday I saw him get his dog to perform this amazing trick, and it wasn't a fluke because he did it again today. He got his dog into a down-stay, told him to wait and hammered the ball as hard as he could across the field...ok, I can get Ben to do that. But when the ball had landed, he said "OK, slowly..." and the dog got up and WALKED towards the ball...when he'd walked about 50 feet, his owner said "fast!" and the dog took off at his usual lightning speed, retrieved the ball and came racing back. The focus on the dog's face while he was doing the "slow" was awe-inspiring.

It was a really cool trick to watch, and apparently it took him WEEKS to train the trick, but bar none it was the most impressive thing I've ever seen a "pet" dog do.

Kate

labcrab

Posted : 2/1/2007 2:56:52 PM

That is AMAZING!! How did he go about training that?

Benedict

Posted : 2/1/2007 3:18:32 PM

I asked him that, and he said he taught most of it on-leash, although they already had the "wait" command down well. He started off walking slowly with the dog on leash and basically teaching him what the "slowly" command was supposed to mean, and then started running with him on-leash to teach the "fast" command. Over the course of several weeks, he managed to link all the behaviours together and then add in the tennis ball.

It's particularly impressive with this dog because his natural rest state is running at "ludicrous speed". Ben's no slouch when it comes to speed, and this dog, with his teeny little 5 inch legs, can outrun Ben without breaking a sweat. In fact, the only time I have ever seen this dog "walk", as opposed to trotting or running, is during this trick.

Kate

jenhuedepohl

Posted : 2/1/2007 3:57:00 PM

Sounds like Skidboot! That dog was so neat!

[linkhttp://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5249518974978628334]Skidboot movie[/link]

jennie_c_d

Posted : 2/1/2007 5:52:04 PM

That's really cool! I was impressed that Emma can do a down in the middle of running after something.

This is my new challenge. When she figures it out, I'll have to post a video[

]

Chuffy

Posted : 2/1/2007 6:31:43 PM

Maybe I'm being stereotypical but collie and JRT???? No wonder you say his rest state is ludicrous speed!!!! I can just imagine the focus and concentration on his face..... I bet it was the classic collie "stalk eye" look. That has got to be one of the most impressive things I've ever heard of a pet dog achieving, for the sheer self control the dog displayed alone. I am seriously impressed.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 2/3/2007 5:57:59 PM

*coughchokeBRAG*

That took five minutes. When I get my camera back (I left it at somebody's house), I'll try to video and upload it.

Raja19

Posted : 2/3/2007 8:13:04 PM

I think if I trained Raja for months she still would be confused at that one!!What a smart dog he must have though!

Also JEnhuedepohl- I watched that video of Skidboot, I am not going to lie I cried[

], he seemed like a really nice man too, what a great story