It may look difficult for dogs to learn new tricks, but with proper techniques and enough practice, they will learn just about any scheme.
You can bond with your dog by teaching counting tricks, running in the open field, and spending quality time together.
Training your dog also helps reinforce essential obedience skills through good behavior like impulse control. It also develops their physical and mental state.
Conducting Training Sessions
The usual recommendation for training sessions should be done a few minutes per day. It’s also vital to be cheerful and ready to give compliments enthusiastically whenever your dog performs well. Always take your dog’s behavior seriously and never get impatient. The pet is likely to perform poorly if you become mad or scold them during the session. Also, try to conclude training sessions with fun activities, so your dog can see the connection between the training and its favorite trick.
Here are various tricks to train your dog:
1. Kiss
While your dog may already shower you with kisses every day, you still can make it kiss you more often. A sticky surface such as tape or post-it, some treats, and a clicker are required for this trick. If you don’t know how to choose palatable dog treats, you could inquire at Barkwash and Treat Shoppe and other stores for the best food.
Place the goodies into the surface of your cheek or hand and wherever you want your dog to kiss. You can cue your dog by saying, ‘Give me kisses.’ You can guide it better by leaning into your dog and wait for it to do the act.
2. Hand Targeting
Dogs familiar with hand targeting are trained to touch the tip of their nose to the palm of your hand when on command. You can instruct your dog on new behaviors with this method, much like having a dog magnet in hand. It’s one of the easiest ways to teach your dog to do more complex tricks using your hand’s direction.
Dog obedience training such as hand targeting is essential when you can’t move your dog on its own. Using the command, you can instruct your dog to stay up on top of the couch or avert its gaze from anything that could be dangerous without scolding him.
Training the dog to target the hand near an unknown or scary object can also encourage them to explore something unfamiliar. Don’t push your dog if it seems stressed or upset.
Your other hand should be open near the dog’s nose while holding a treat in one hand. You should continuously congratulate your dog as soon as its nose touches your palm. Keep practicing this until it is mastered.
Your dog can learn this new trick along with a new command word such as ‘Touch’ as it becomes more proficient.
3. Roll Over
When your dog is down, secure a treat in your palm and move your hands slowly behind its head. To make your dog turn its head backward without completely standing, you need to make it lay down first.
Once your dog closes its eyes, make it roll down and give it the treat. Praise your dog and pat its head for every successful rollover. When it starts rolling over, say the command ‘Roll,’ and treat it again with praise when it stops. Keep this up for 10 minutes.
You can try again later during the day. Your pet should have realized the trick by then, and the action of rolling should now be linked to one another. You can stop offering a treat after your pet learns to roll over on its own.
Don’t get frustrated when your dog doesn’t seem to catch on immediately. Make sure to reward your dog when it executes this trick. When you run out of patience, stop the practice and continue next time.
4. Speak
If your pet is naturally vocal, training him to bark at command is simple. However, it can take time if it is a bit quieter. Start by encouraging your dog to play by tossing a ball or talking in a loud tone. When your dog is calm, put them in a sitting position and wave a treat by its nose. Continue waving the treat as long as your dog doesn’t touch it or until it lets out a cry.
When your dog begins to make noise, repeat the procedure, but use the command ‘Speak’ until your dog stops making noise. Always remember to never give your dog any reward when you want it to stop.
When you use this trick if your dog tends to bark excessively, make sure it’s sitting in a particular position. No dog should be rewarded for barking or praising when someone passes by the front window as it can be reinforced.
5. Fetch
Dogs often have difficulty learning how to fetch—a complex trick that doesn’t come naturally. Having a dog that won’t cooperate during playtime can be pretty frustrating. While it’s true that some dogs seem to despise toys and won’t even attempt to retrieve them, others seek them out but fail to return them. In some instances, there’d be stubborn dogs who would refuse to release it.
You have to show your dog what the thing is called before he learns to retrieve it. You can use any toy of your choice to teach your dog how to fetch.
Trainers love this trick because it offers so much potential for teaching names of items and the reward associated with them. Many exercises can be done at the park, from focusing to recalling general knowledge.
6. Bow
Lowering the head is simply bowing with your dog’s chest to the ground and belly up. When playing or getting in a good stretch, some dogs will do this on their own. This trick is the perfect ending to a series of training.
Put a treat in front of your dog’s nose while it’s standing. Lure your dog down with its backside up while slowly moving the treat down close to its body. Entice your dog to get back up with the treat after holding the bow position for a few seconds. Once your pup has completed the entire bow, reward it with dog treats and plenty of enthusiastic praise.
Then you can try putting a gentle arm underneath your dog’s stomach when you practice if the pup keeps going all the way down.
7. High-Five
When your dog becomes more familiar with the ‘Shake’ command, you can begin to teach it the ‘High five’ trick. But before you teach this trick, ensure your dog’s paws are well-groomed and trimmed.
Begin by having your dog strike your palm, then say ‘High five’ immediately. You want the dog to touch your palm as high as it can while also raising its paw as far as it can go.
Reinforcing the behavior of your dog by giving treats is important. But as you progress, you could try reducing the number of goodies if you think the behavior became a habit already.
8. Spin
While it may seem complicated, the correct technique could make your dog spin on your command. You may begin by using dog treats and eventually use a verbal command only until your dog becomes familiar with what you’re saying.
Even if your dog spins with a cue or treats, it still represents an accomplishment to be celebrated because getting your dog to turn by way of a simple verbal command can be challenging for beginners.
9. Shake Hands
When asking for a treat, a dog’s natural paw movement lends itself to shake hands quite naturally. Put your dog in a sitting position, and slowly place the treat in your hand and move it until it hits the floor near its paw.
You can then start saying the word ‘Shake’ when your dog begins to raise its paw, and then give the treat after. While doing so, praise your dog with hugs and kisses. Gradually raise your hand so the dog can raise its paw to chest height to receive the treat.
You can finally switch to the other paw when the dog holds its paw upon command. Keep practicing, and remember to train your dog with the same paw. To prepare your dog effectively, you’ll need to use the ‘Other’ command as a new command for the dog’s right paw and the ‘Counter’ command for its left paw. You can begin to stop giving treats once your dog can shake hands on command and give out joyful praises for its excellent behavior instead.
10. Wait
A trick like this encourages your dog to stay calm and in control. Once your dog learns that calmness and waiting for permission are required to get the reward, it will be focused to learn.
The waiting command is a great way to make your dog appear completely obedient and in sync with its trainer’s wishes. It can be used as an introduction to more complicated commands. When you need to teach a simple trick, the wait command is a friendly and handy trick to learn. It’s commonly used in dog training, especially by trainers, to teach a dog the discipline it requires.
11. Hug
Although you can always just hug your dog, this trick is excellent because your dog will actually wrap its paws around yours and hug you again. This adorable trick is great, especially if you want to have cuddle sessions with your sweet little pup.
You just need to be understanding of your dog’s pace of learning to master this heartwarming hug. However, if your dog already knows ‘Sit pretty,’ then they will find this trick easier to understand.
12. Dance
Breeds of small dogs are easier to train how to dance, although almost any breed can be taught. Stout dogs under 40 lbs. should be able to jump up on their hind legs more quickly than a Saint Bernard. Start by having your dog sit on your lap, and while holding it, hold the treat close to its nose.
As you slowly lift your hand, the dog will turn its head back and start standing on its hind legs. Once your dog stands up quickly and firmly, pat your dog and reward it. Next, do the opposite until it can stand rapidly and firmly on its hind legs.
Raise the treat above your dog’s head while moving them in a circle. Your dog should twirl while following the treat. Begin the exercise by telling the dog ‘Dance’ and offering praise and treats as soon as it does.
You can use the treat to encourage your dog to stand and spin in a circle. This trick is better if you have a small, agile dog. Avoid it if you have a dachshund that’s prone to back trouble.
13. Wave Goodbye
The act of waving goodbye in front of an audience is an excellent way to demonstrate how friendly your dog is. Even if you’re the only one, it will fulfill your gratitude when you see your dog wag enthusiastically at you. Waving is an excellent way to get to know some tricks, and it’s also nice to do when you’re waving to departing guests from your home’s doorstep.
This trick has become a favorite among dog trainers because it allows dogs to greet people on a low level without getting overly enthusiastic and jumping up. Dogs are generally more focused when they are thinking about performing the wave.
Waving is easy for dogs, especially if they can raise their paws already. Just command ‘Wave,’ and demonstrate how to do it.
Conclusion
All these tricks are enjoyable to do while training your dog to become more than just a playful pet. With the tricks it would learn, you’ll be able to grow your relationship even more and earn its trust and loyalty. Spend quality time with your dog and have a fundamental review of all the trick lessons mentioned here.
