One of Riff's Tricks



This trick is all about Patience.  I saw a video on FB, and decided this would be a good thing for Riff to learn.  He's so FAST all the time, and all-too-quick to react.  Sometimes he's moving so quickly he forgets to think. This is a great trick for asking your dog to slow down and think.

Interestingly enough, it's also a great trick for practicing PATIENCE.  You need to be patient, while you're teaching your dog to think about it.  The only way this trick really works is if you dog is happy to do it.  Riff enjoys this trick, and I'm grateful for it.  Each step was a lesson in patience for me.  It surprised me, how much patience (and time) it took.  (For instance:  the first step was "do not chew up the rings.")

Now we've got it down to where I keep this little toy in the car, and pull it out wherever we go.  He learned this trick in our living room, and it was challenging to move it out into "the world."  Now he can do it anywhere.  At an agility trial, in the park, on a sidewalk, in a mall.  And the whole time I was teaching him, he was teaching me.... 

Some people say that if they had to describe "love" using only one word, it would be "patience."
Interesting thought.