A List of Tricks to Teach Your Dog
If you want tricks to teach your dog, you have come to the right place. You need to make sure that you start basic obedience training before you attempt to do any tricks. You'll find that it's a lot easier that way!You should have already taugh your puppy how to walk on a loose leash, sit on command, come when you call them, and lied down.
Many of the tricks to teach your dog build on those basic obedience commands, so your dog whill have to learn them anyway! Besides, obedience training is more important than tricks, as it is what allows you to control your dog.
Before you start teaching dog tricks, it is a good idea to have some things with you. They're not necessary, but they will make the training sessions more fun for you and your dog.
Tricks to Teach Your Dog - Things You Need
You need to have treats in hand for any tricks to teach your dog. While it is possible to reward our dogs without using treats, it is not nearly as effective. The key is not relying on the use of treats, because you don't want your dog to think that they are the goal.The only other thing you need besides treats is patience. If you are patient, you can teach any breed of dog to do any trick. It might seem hard to believe, but you will see it to be true.
Tricks to Teach Your Dog - Optional Tools
If you are really serious about teaching your dog tricks, you might want to invest in a couple of advanced tools that pro trainers use. They aren't necessary, but they can definitely make things easier for you.The first thing is a target stick. These are simple sticks that essentially have a round yellow ball at the end. The point of these is to get the attention of your dog and lead their head in the direction you want them to go. They can be useful for showing your dog how to do tricks, because they would't necessarily naturally do what you expect of them (like they would with sitting or lying down).
Personally, I just use my index finger, and that has always worked just fine for me. You might find that a target stick is better for tricks.
Another really helpful tool is a dog clicker. These simple little devices just making a clicking sound that you are supposed to use whenever your dog does an obedience command or trick properly. By giving them a treat right after making a click, your dog will begin to associate the sound with being praised and rewarded.
If you want, you can make a clicking noise with your mouth or snap or do something else and use it the same way. And with that, we're finally ready for...
The List of Tricks to Teach Your Dog
At long list, here are some of the tricks to teach your dog!1. Paw Shake - This is a really easy trick to start with because most dogs automatically know how to do it! Dogs use their paws when they want something, so you just need to reward them for doing it. You need to be careful to avoid rewarding them from jumping at you, though.
2. Roll over - A classic trick that is actually more challenging than you would think. A target really comes in handy with this trick, though your finger will work fine too. The key is getting your dog's attention and using that to guide them into a roll. This one takes practice!
3. Beg - Most dogs know how to do this on their own too, and you have probably already seen that! However, the true "beg" trick involves your dog sitting with both front paws off the ground. To get them to do this, you need to slowly lure them with a tasty treat.
4. Speak - This is another classic trick that you will love showing your friends. The goal is to get your dog to bark one time when you say the command. In order to show them how to do this, you need to do what makes them bark at you - then reward them for it! Eventually, they will learn to speak!
5. Spin - Teaching a dog to spin is a lot like teaching them to roll over, though it is a much less common trick. People will think that your dog is really talented when you show them this one! Just use a treat to get a dog comfortable moving in the spin direction.
6. Bow - It is extremely cute when your dog crouches in the, "I'm ready to play!" position with their front legs bent and their tails raised in the air. Did you know you can teach them to do this on command? Teaching this trick is similar to the "lie down" command, but you only reward your dog if they keep their back legs up.
7. Fetch - Some breeds love to fetch without you teaching them how to do it, and others really hate the game! However, all you really need to do is show your dog that when they bring something back to you that you throw away, they get rewarded. If they don't like playing with balls, try something else like their favorite toy, a bone, or even an old stick!
8. Play Dead - For this trick, you will use the "lie down" command as well. Once your dog is in that position, you just need to lure them to roll over onto their back. Make sure they stay there for a while, or else the trick will look like a failed attempt at rolling over.
This is not a complete list of all the tricks to teach your dog, but they will keep you busy for a long time! Once you have mastered them all, you will have so much experience that you will practically be able to come up with your own tricks.
If you make sure to always keep your training sessions short, sweet, and fun, your dog will never get tired of them and neither will you.
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