Once your furry friend has mastered the basics of dog training (sit, stay, come), you can move on to some of the fun tricks. Teaching your dog fun tricks provides an exciting way to bond while stimulating your dog’s brain. It also provides a great opportunity to reinforce the basic commands they already know. These fun tricks can easily be taught to puppies and older dogs with the proper practice and patience. Plus, it’s a fun way to show off your dog’s new skills with your friends and family.
Here are 10 easy and fun tricks to teach your dog:
Kiss
Teaching your dog how to kiss is one of the simpler commands to learn. Not everyone enjoys a big sloppy dog kiss, but it’s a great trick around kids. Start by putting a treat on your cheek and then add the command. With practice, you will soon be able to receive a kiss on demand. This trick is also a great way to prevent unwanted licking.
Speak
Training your dog to bark on command is an exciting trick to learn and can also help with behavioral issues. Many dog trainers recommend teaching your dog “speak” and “quiet” commands to help with excessive barking. Using these commands allows your dog to bark in certain situations while also allowing you to control when the barking should stop. It’s a fun trick to show off at family and friend gatherings.
Shake Paws
Having your dog greet your friends by shaking paws is a fun party trick. This trick can easily be learned with a few short training sessions. Start with your dog in the sitting position. Then hold a treat out in your hand and make a fist. Eventually, your dog will paw at your fist for the treat. Most dogs like to use their paws and will enjoy receiving positive attention from this trick.
Back Up
The “backup” trick can be very handy in a variety of different situations. This trick is relatively easy for your dog to learn. To teach this trick you will need a handful of treats and some patience. “Back up” can be used when your dog is hovering over you or others while they’re eating or can be used to stop your dog from rushing out the door.
Wave
Teaching your dog how to wave hello or goodbye is a fairly simple trick to learn. Start by training your dog to shake paws. You’ll be using the same action your dog learned from this previous trick to lift their paw to wave. This trick is a great attention grabber and is adorable to watch.
Beg
This trick can be a little difficult for your dog to learn. Start by telling your dog to sit. Once your dog is sitting, put a treat on their nose and say the command beg. As your dog reaches for the treat, slowly lift it over its head. Once your dog is in the begging position give them positive praise. Once this trick is mastered, it’s a great way to have fun with your dog.
Spin
By holding a treat over your dog’s nose you can lure them into spinning. Start by holding a treat over their nose and then slowly move the treat to the side of their head. Keep pulling the treat until you make a complete circle so that your dog will have to spin to see it. Once this trick is mastered, you’ll amaze your friends and family.
Roll Over
Most individuals train their dogs to roll over in multiple parts because this trick requires some effort. Start by telling your dog to lay down. Then hold a treat over their nose and then slowly move the treat to the tip of their shoulder. Once your dog pulls their head to look at the treat, continue to move the treat until your dog is laying on its side. Pull the treat all the way around so your dog will have to roll over. Once your dog completes this trick, give them positive praise.
Play Dead
This trick will shock your friends when you hold your fingers like a gun and say “bang” while your dog falls to the floor to play dead. This new trick can easily be learned if your dog already knows the “rollover” command. Start with your dog in the “down” position. Then hold a treat over their nose and slowly move it to the side so they have to roll to reach it. Reward your dog if they complete the trick correctly and then try it again, but this time at a signal.
Take a Bow
Teaching your dog to bow is easier than it may seem. This trick involves having your dog put their chest to the floor while their rear end is in the air. Bowing is a natural behavior for dogs. They sometimes bow while stretching or while playing with other dogs. Start with your dog in the standing position and a treat by their nose. Then move the treat towards the floor until your dog is on its elbows. Hold the position for a few seconds and lure them back to standing with the treat. Once your dog masters this trick give them position praise.
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