Brandy the Irish Setter Trick Dog AKA “Houndini” is our Dog of the Day

Brandy is a 12-year-old Irish Setter and one incredibly talented dog. Her mom Kathleen is a trick dog instructor and dog fitness trainer at Fun Trick Dog Training.

When Kathleen met Brandy

“When I got Brandy 6 years ago she showed me that she wants to learn and so my journey started and I’ve loved every minute of it. I train dogs the fun way, give them a choice as to what they want to learn and enjoy (it’s all positive). I use a clicker as a reward marker and treats and toys as well. “

Kathleen found Brandy in a local rescue centre called Allsorts Dog Rescue. She was found living in a shed together with another dog. She was obese and had to loose a few pounds. At that time Brandy didn’t know anything, she was jumping up, stealing food and pulling on the lead. She fit in just fine though like she’d always been there, Kathleen told us. When she discovered just how much she loved to learn their training started. She got better and better and it wasn’t long before she became the first Irish Setter Trick Dog Champion!

A star is born

“I was so proud of her. Brandy was the reason why I started trick training and love it as much as Brandy does. You can teach a dog so much more than sit and stay but it is the journey that counts and not necessarily the end result. I like to see how Brandy tries things out and all I have to is to mark the behaviour at that time and reward her. Sometimes she needs help and guidance if it’s a totally new item I want her to interact with. ”

Training dogs takes time and patience but it is lots of fun. Brandy knows over 250 tricks and Kathleen says she thinks her favourite is to give a hug but she has many she enjoys. She also likes to place things into the pedal pin or fetch a tissue.

“My favourites are ‘pee like a boy’ and when she ‘tells’ me a secret.”

Brandy making a name as “Houndini”

Brandy is with an agency and this past year some magicians picked her as a favourite to play the role of “Houndini” in the show “The Next Great Magician”.  This debut made Brandy the first ever Magic Dog in the World! When asked how Brandy learned magic Kathleen told us “it was all about training”. The results are pretty incredible and you can watch it all here:

“Unfortunately Brandy was diagnosed with Cutaneous Lymphoma this past January and is currently on holistic treatment. It is going well but we know we don’t have much time left.  We are still doing tricks every day and plan to make every minute she has left fun for her.”

Is your dog magic? Tell us in the comments and share any dogs that deserve to be a Dog of the Day.