In this video, the Retrievers are playing the piano with perfect pitch. What an impressive performance! And their owner was playing the notes on a different instrument. Still, these dogs can find the same note on the piano. And they are accurate EVERYTIME! Such musical dogs! Notice how the dogs were anticipating the notes the woman was going to play toward the end of the video, which means they actually memorized the melody.
How to teach your dog to play the keyboard
If you’re feeling inspired after watching this video to teach your dog to play the keyboard, it may be quite attainable. Whether they get as good as these Retrievers depends on your training and their interest. Petcha shares some tips on how to do this. The author suggests that unless you already have a piano, you can purchase an inexpensive small keyboard to start. Try local thrift stores. And look for one that would not flip over if your dog uses a bit too much strength. We don’t want to scare him away from learning. And of course, treats. Lots of them. But tiny portions. Otherwise you can end up with an overweight dog just from learning the piano! 🙂
To begin, place the keyboard between you and your dog. Everytime he looks at the keyboard, give him a treat (or a click for those using clickers.) You touch a key, then give your dog a treat. Repeat several times. Then wait. Glance at your dog, then at the keyboard. If your dog glances at the keyboard, reward him. Encourage your dog to move his paw by shifting your foot. If he touches the keyboard, even accidentally, reward him. Your dog will probably make a few accidental touches. Reward him everytime.
By now, your dog will probably be curious and touch the keyboard on purpose. Reward this behavior. After 10 or 20 successful touches, wait until your dog touches a key before you reward him. Now he associates reward with hitting a key. Finally, add the phrase “play the piano.” Keep in mind different dogs learn at different pace. Some are more interested than others. Enjoy watching these extremely talented Retrievers.
If you enjoy this video, here is another musical Golden Retriever.
