Tag: Tricks

Other “miracle dogs”

Other “miracle dogs”

November 19, 2011 | By | Add a Comment

  I don’t know if all dogs are “miracles” in their own, unique ways. They probably are. The “Angel Dogs” site explores this question in serious depth. I call Shayna my “miracle dog” because we found each other when we most needed the other.  Because the love and trust we’ve developed has helped each of […]

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“Jesse” goes gonzo doing household chores

“Jesse” goes gonzo doing household chores

September 26, 2011 | By | Add a Comment

  All I can say is… unbelievable!!! According to Jesse’s mom: *Our relationship is based on mutual respect, understanding, and trust. We have a wonderful relationship and bond, and that is the foundation of our training. We train all behaviors through the use of positive reinforcement* Jesse chooses to do the behaviors in this video, […]

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April 12, 2009: Our seventh anniversary

April 12, 2009: Our seventh anniversary

August 26, 2011 | By | Add a Comment

  I cannot believe it’s been seven years since I met and adopted Shayna, as a little 14 pound bundle of black fur. How fearful yet optimistic I was, being that I was going to be responsible for another living creature. Yet look how it all turned out, after those months of hunting for the […]

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Pics: Shayna doing her “frisbee skiing”

Pics: Shayna doing her “frisbee skiing”

August 26, 2011 | By | Add a Comment

  This was one of the first indications I had of how inventive Shayna really is. She’d never been particularly interested in catching a frisbee. but was fascinated by its shape. Then one day when she was about six months old, she decided a frisbee could be used as a “skiing” device: she turned it […]

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July 15, 2008: Shayna learning to ‘count’: <i>“One ball, two balls…”</i>

July 15, 2008: Shayna learning to ‘count’: “One ball, two balls…”

August 25, 2011 | By | Add a Comment

This is a skill we’ve been working on for some time – learning to essentially “count.” Shayna loves to go retrieve two tennis balls in her mouth at the same time. But from what I’ve read, teaching a dog the concept of “one” and “two” is a fairly big deal – as I found out, […]

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March 18, 2007: Shayna retrieving two tennis balls at the same time

March 18, 2007: Shayna retrieving two tennis balls at the same time

August 25, 2011 | By | Add a Comment

Practically since I adopted her, Shayna has been tennis-ball obsessed.  That’s not particularly uncommon among dogs. But one day, when she was about six months old and we were at the off-leash dog park (when she could still go there), she apparently decided that retrieving one ball was terribly inefficient, crammed two into her mouth […]

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Shayna retrieving toys with flash cards

Shayna retrieving toys with flash cards

August 25, 2011 | By | Add a Comment

Oct. 2009: Shayna’s memorized the names of dozens of her toys, and can retrieve and put them away by name. Now, she’s learning to identify their pictures on flash cards.

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Getting toys by name for Aunt Gloria

Getting toys by name for Aunt Gloria

August 25, 2011 | By | Add a Comment

Shayna shows off her toy-retrieval-by-name abilities for one of our long-distance guardian angels – and I sing one of my “Shayna songs” for her, too.

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August 11, 2010: Getting toys by name – from behind sofa!!

August 11, 2010: Getting toys by name – from behind sofa!!

August 25, 2011 | By | Add a Comment

The first thing to notice about this video is how well-lit Shayna is this time.  (I’ve learned it’s not easy to photograph or videotape a jet-black dog!).  She had a bath the day before, and as it was a sunny day today, I opened the door behind us, and used the big (good) camera, so […]

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May 1, 2010: Getting toys by name – in a wind storm!!!

May 1, 2010: Getting toys by name – in a wind storm!!!

August 25, 2011 | By | Add a Comment

It’s been about a year and a half since our last video (here).  But as you’ll see, we’ve been busy! I think this video is interesting for several reasons: (1) Shayna has lots of new toys. (2) A gust of wind knocked her entire box of toys into the grass!! (It also really messed up […]

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