A blur of flying fur sprints toward Senior Janine Pham and Sophomore Sophie Pham as they hold out canine bacon treats for their dog, Cookie, to eat. Besides serving as part of their family, the sisters’ pet is quite talented at performing. Over the course of five years, Cookie has mastered skills such as rolling over, begging, shaking hands, sitting, lying down and barking on command.
When the sisters first met him at a local pound in Downey, what attracted their attention was the fact that the dog already knew a skill.
“When we first walked by, he came up to the fence and did a begging motion,” J. Pham said. “Then my mom said that we just had to get him.”
Up until now, Cookie has been able to master six commands because of the careful training the siblings have given him. The reason why the girls began to teach him these tricks is because they wanted to see their dog learn new things.
“You feel really accomplished and proud of your dog when they can do those tricks”, S. Pham said. “To know that animals can actually understand you is exciting.”
Out of all the skills Cookie has, the sisters agree that the hardest one to teach him was “roll over.” Training for this required multiple weeks until the dog was finally able to memorize the trick.
“To make him roll over, we had to take a treat and move it away from him across the ground,” S. Pham said. “It took a lot of time before he was able to get it.”
Besides enjoying Cookie’s performances, the sisters also feel that dog training is something that engages them as well.
“It’s cute seeing him get super hyper for the treats,” J. Pham said. “Sometimes he’ll start doing the tricks before we even tell him to.”
If you wish to train your dog as well, make sure to use these tips to help ensure the best possible result. To persuade your pet to do the trick, use some of their favorite treats as an incentive. Also, make sure you show your dog what to do, i.e. pushing down on its back to perform the sit command. After your dog first does the trick correctly, remember to praise it. Encouraging is also helpful in motivating it to learn from you. Lastly, after your dog associates the word with the action, always use a firm and clear voice when you say the command afterward.