Help me train this typical Arizoñian.
January 21, 2024 11:27 AM Subscribe
I have a dog named Laszlo, named after Matt Berry's fantastic vampire in What We Do in the Shadows. He loves learning tricks. Help me come up with ideas for some on-theme tricks!
(Dog tax upfront.)
He is a pretty smart little terrier mix, and has picked up a good array so far: sit, down, stay, relax, go to your room, beg, wave, flop (on side), roll over, grab my hand/paw, touch (w/nose), and high-five. We are severely lacking in WWDITS-themed tricks though. I would love to figure out some creative tricks we could use where I could use one of Laszlo's turns of phrase or a reference within the show to prompt him. Honestly, no idea is a bad one so please suggest away!
Top priority: what can I use 'BAT!' as a prompt to do? I feel like that's mandatory, but I'm hitting a mental block of what would work.
Alternate idea/bonus: If you watch the UK Taskmaster, I am also open to tricks that relate to that as our household are big fans :)
(Dog tax upfront.)
He is a pretty smart little terrier mix, and has picked up a good array so far: sit, down, stay, relax, go to your room, beg, wave, flop (on side), roll over, grab my hand/paw, touch (w/nose), and high-five. We are severely lacking in WWDITS-themed tricks though. I would love to figure out some creative tricks we could use where I could use one of Laszlo's turns of phrase or a reference within the show to prompt him. Honestly, no idea is a bad one so please suggest away!
Top priority: what can I use 'BAT!' as a prompt to do? I feel like that's mandatory, but I'm hitting a mental block of what would work.
Alternate idea/bonus: If you watch the UK Taskmaster, I am also open to tricks that relate to that as our household are big fans :)
Since "BAT!" generally precedes Laszlo flying the hell out of dodge, maybe that's the command to barrel up or down the stairs (depending on where it's given)? This does depend on you having stairs—we have some and the dog running pell-mell up or down them is always a mood lifter.
For Taskmaster-themed tricks, my first thought is to teach him "step" a la Bridget Christie (whose stepping technique is not unlike a dog wearing shoes for the first time now that I think of it). That's challenging, though! Perhaps he could do something when you shout "portcullis!" Or when you say "Mark Watson" he steals your pants?
posted by babelfish at 12:04 PM on January 21 [3 favorites]
For Taskmaster-themed tricks, my first thought is to teach him "step" a la Bridget Christie (whose stepping technique is not unlike a dog wearing shoes for the first time now that I think of it). That's challenging, though! Perhaps he could do something when you shout "portcullis!" Or when you say "Mark Watson" he steals your pants?
posted by babelfish at 12:04 PM on January 21 [3 favorites]
For Bat - sits up and waves his front paws manically as if he is trying to fly away?
posted by metahawk at 12:50 PM on January 21 [1 favorite]
posted by metahawk at 12:50 PM on January 21 [1 favorite]
Not show themed, but it seems like Leave It would be a good prompt to train.
I don't know that I'd want to train these, but...
Maybe Fangs could prompt him to snarl or growl
Find Nadja could prompt him to hump a toy.
posted by willnot at 1:52 PM on January 21 [3 favorites]
I don't know that I'd want to train these, but...
Maybe Fangs could prompt him to snarl or growl
Find Nadja could prompt him to hump a toy.
posted by willnot at 1:52 PM on January 21 [3 favorites]
Maybe this is too basic, but for "Bat" or a different vampire cue, could he roll himself up in a cape? Lie on it, bite a corner, roll over.
I once had a lot of fun training my dog to "read" by having her smell a piece of cardboard with a question on it and then retrieve the piece of cardboard carrying the corresponding scent with the answer. You could do a trivia game like that and amaze your family. I used scents like fennel, lavender, chamomile...nothing extremely strong.
For Taskmaster, just go all in on silliness: Find all the rubber duckies as quickly as possible. Carefully carry a raw egg and gently drop it down a pipe. Mouth a toe to the cue "Brother Alex". Roll a small watermelon down a ledge and eat some of it (obviously, careful here. Not too much and not too often). "Carpet Snake" for crawling. Find the satsuma in a row of hanging socks (use your nose). "To the Moon" = "Run up a tree" (bounce off it, really. Terriers tend to love that stuff.) Maybe "Tuuuuuuurn", and he turns until it's quiet? See a caster = bat it out of your hand. "Activate Jamali" for running in circles, possibly following hand cues to change direction. "Bandana Guy" = open mouth for a toothy grin plus, of course, a bandana. The trick of grinning can later be used for cute (...cued...) photographs, too.
posted by toucan at 1:55 PM on January 21 [3 favorites]
I once had a lot of fun training my dog to "read" by having her smell a piece of cardboard with a question on it and then retrieve the piece of cardboard carrying the corresponding scent with the answer. You could do a trivia game like that and amaze your family. I used scents like fennel, lavender, chamomile...nothing extremely strong.
For Taskmaster, just go all in on silliness: Find all the rubber duckies as quickly as possible. Carefully carry a raw egg and gently drop it down a pipe. Mouth a toe to the cue "Brother Alex". Roll a small watermelon down a ledge and eat some of it (obviously, careful here. Not too much and not too often). "Carpet Snake" for crawling. Find the satsuma in a row of hanging socks (use your nose). "To the Moon" = "Run up a tree" (bounce off it, really. Terriers tend to love that stuff.) Maybe "Tuuuuuuurn", and he turns until it's quiet? See a caster = bat it out of your hand. "Activate Jamali" for running in circles, possibly following hand cues to change direction. "Bandana Guy" = open mouth for a toothy grin plus, of course, a bandana. The trick of grinning can later be used for cute (...cued...) photographs, too.
posted by toucan at 1:55 PM on January 21 [3 favorites]
Maybe BAT! could mean "run and get your bat toy and bring it back." That would be easy to teach if he already retrieves, but you don't mention having taught a retrieve, so this one could take a while. You could also teach him just to run and find a specific toy without having to bring it to you. Or run to a specific place or person. Or BAT! could be his recall cue. Or maybe BAT! could be the command to jump over a jump or through a hoop.
I haven't watched the show but I wonder if you can think of a connection to a prompt to lick you (maybe on the neck?) or to roll over onto his back with his legs in the air. Oh! I just checked and apparently the vampires on the show sleep in coffins, at least sometimes. Apparently there's something called "super slumber." "Super slumber" could be the prompt to assume the "play dead on your back" position or you could get fancier and teach him to get into a box first and then do it.
posted by Redstart at 4:53 PM on January 21
I haven't watched the show but I wonder if you can think of a connection to a prompt to lick you (maybe on the neck?) or to roll over onto his back with his legs in the air. Oh! I just checked and apparently the vampires on the show sleep in coffins, at least sometimes. Apparently there's something called "super slumber." "Super slumber" could be the prompt to assume the "play dead on your back" position or you could get fancier and teach him to get into a box first and then do it.
posted by Redstart at 4:53 PM on January 21
Shakes hands when you say, 'Pleased to meet you, Jackie Daytona'
posted by A Terrible Llama at 9:17 AM on January 22
posted by A Terrible Llama at 9:17 AM on January 22
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posted by CathyG at 11:49 AM on January 21 [1 favorite]