Are you ready to take your dog’s training to the next level?
And do you want to add some fun and interactive tricks to your dog’s skill set?
Well, look no further! In this article today, we’ll be showing you 10 cool tricks that you can teach your dog in no time.
From basic obedience commands to more advanced tricks such as “play dead” and “spin”, these tricks are sure to impress your friends and family.
Not only will it be fun for your dog to learn new tricks, but it will also strengthen the bond between you and your furry companion.
So, grab a treat and let’s get started on teaching your dog some amazing new tricks!
10 – Sit
“Sit” is one of the most basic obedience commands that any dog can learn. Teaching your dog to sit is an easy and simple way to begin building a foundation for more advanced training. It is also a great way to establish good manners in your dog.
The first step in teaching your dog to sit is to attract their attention. You can do this by using their name, clapping your hands, or using a treat. Once you have your dog’s attention, hold the treat in front of their nose and move it slowly over their head.
This will naturally cause your dog to sit down, as they follow the treat with their eyes. As soon as your dog sits, say “Sit” in a clear and firm voice, and give them the treat as a reward.
Now, as your dog becomes more proficient at the sit command, you can gradually reduce the use of treats and use praise and affection as a reward. With time, your dog will learn to associate the word “Sit” with the action of sitting, and will respond to the command even without the use of treats.
9 – Stay
Another basic obedience command that is essential in training any dog is the stay command. Teaching your dog to stay in one place can be very useful in many situations, such as when you’re opening a door or crossing a busy street. It can also be an important command for preventing your dog from running away or getting into danger.
To teach your dog to stay, start by having them sit or lie down. Once they are in position, hold your hand out with your palm facing them and give the command “Stay”. If your pup remains in the position, reward them with a treat or praise. If they get up, simply guide your pooch back into the position and give the command again.
As your dog becomes more proficient at the stay command, you can gradually increase the duration of the command, asking them to stay for longer periods of time. You can also slowly increase the distance between you and your dog, asking them to stay while you move away.
8 – Shake
Now moving on to the more advanced tricks, we’ve got the Shake command. To teach your dog how to shake hands, they must first know the sit command and be able to stay in the sitting position.
Once you’ve got them in place, keep a treat in your closed hand, and wait until they sniff or paw at it. Reward them, and repeat. Eventually, your dog will paw at your hand every time, and you can turn this into a paw shake.
Only reward your dog once they’ve learned how to keep their hand in yours without pawing, or else they’ll learn how to paw rather than shake.
Or you can also have your pup sit in front of you. Then take one of their paws in your hands and say “shake” in a clear and firm voice. As you say, the command, gently move their paw up and down. Reward them with a treat or praise as soon as they shake their paw. Repeat this process several times, using the same command and hand gesture each time.
7 – Roll Over
After your dog knows how to sit and lie down, they are ready to learn how to roll over.
Once your dog is in the down position with their belly on the ground, paws resting in front, and head facing up, you’re ready to begin teaching the trick.
Place the dog treat close to your dog’s nose so they can smell and see it. Be alert in case your dog tries to snatch the treat before performing the trick. Your dog should turn their head to follow the treat.
Move the treat, so your dog has to roll onto their side to follow it, then rotate the treat around, so they have to roll over to keep the treat in sight. As soon as your dog rolls over, say “Roll Over” in a clear and firm voice and give them the treat as a reward.
6 – Play Dead
Play Dead is a great party trick that will most definitely impress your friends and family. Your friends are gonna have their minds blown when you hold your finger like a gun and say bang and your dog falls to the floor to play dead.
But unlike simpler commands such as sit or shake hands, playing dead takes a bit more time and persistence to master.
Playing dead builds on the basic commands “lie down,” “stay,” and “roll over”, so be sure that your dog knows those tricks before you start teaching them to play dead.
Using the verbal command and hand signal that your dog is already familiar with, command them to their down position.
Hold a dog treat between your first two fingers, a few inches above your dog’s nose. Bring the treat over to their side, luring your dog to roll over to continue looking at the treat and say “bang” in a clear voice.
When your dog is lying on the correct side, reward them with the treat and verbal praise. Repeat the action several times, rewarding your dog each time for lying on their side.
5 – Speak
One of the more advanced tricks you can teach your dog, the speak or bark command is a bit more challenging compared to simpler commands like “sit” or “stay,” but with patience and consistency, your dog can learn it.
It’s much easier for your pup to understand the “bark” command if they already know the “quiet” command. Still, it’s not much of an issue, if they aren’t familiar with the “quiet” command.
To teach your dog to speak, you’ll need to first be able to elicit a bark from them. You can do this by ringing the doorbell, knocking on the door, or using a squeaky toy. Once your dog barks, say “speak” or “bark” in a clear and firm voice, and give them a treat or praise as a reward.
Repeat this process several times, using the same command every time you elicit a bark. As your dog becomes more proficient at the command, you can start to give the command without any external stimulus.
Give the command and wait for your dog to bark. When they do bark, reward them with a treat or praise. As you move forward with your training, be sure to mark a single bark at a time so your dog does not get the impression that you are rewarding them for barking wildly.
4 – Kiss
Imagine being able to command your dog to give you a gentle kiss on command! Yes, you heard that right, you can teach your dog to kiss you on command. It may sound like a difficult task, but with patience, consistency and the right training techniques, your dog can learn this trick in no time! Not everyone may enjoy a big, wet doggy smooch but this trick is sure to go over very well with kids.
This trick is easier for a more affectionate dog to learn, however most dogs can learn to kiss. To start training, encourage your dog to lick your face by putting a dog treat near it. Once they give your cheek a little lick, give a verbal command such as “kiss”, and reward them with a treat.
Repeat this process several times, using the same command every time your dog licks the treat. With time, patience and consistency, your dog will learn to associate the command “kiss” with the action of licking your face. And before you know it, your dog will be giving you sweet, gentle kisses on command!
3 – Spin
A cute and easy staple trick, the spin command is a fun and interactive trick that can add some excitement to your dog’s trick repertoire.
To teach your dog to spin, start by standing in front of them and holding a delicious treat near their nose. Say “spin” or “turn around” in a clear and firm voice, and move the treat in a circular motion around their head.
As your pup follows the treat with their nose, they will naturally spin around. The moment they complete a spin, give them the treat and shower them with praise. Repeat this process several times, using the same command and hand gesture each time.
Want to take it to the next level? Once your dog has mastered the basic spin, try teaching them to spin in a specific direction, left or right. This will not only impress your audience but also challenge your dog’s cognitive ability.
2 – Beg
While the beg trick may seem like something to leave to the professionals, if you’re a persistent dog parent with patience and high determination, it’s definitely doable.
In comparison to tricks like “Shake” or “Spin,” this trick may seem complex, but really, it’s just as easy to achieve if you put the work and effort in.
To begin teaching your dog to “beg”, get your pup into the sitting position and hold a treat up to their face. As your dog reaches to take it, slowly raise the treat above their head until your dog is on their hind legs trying to get the treat. Say “beg” or “paws up” to encourage them to follow a verbal command.
Repeat the process several times until your pooch is able to beg on command without the need for a treat.
1 – Open and Close Door
We’ve saved the coolest trick for last, which is the open-and-close-a-door trick. This trick should only be taught if you are absolutely certain that your dog won’t be running outside too often, thanks to their newfound skill.
While this trick is easy to teach to big dogs, smaller breeds will no doubt find it a bit harder, at first. Also, keep in mind that larger breeds could leave deep scratch marks on the door if they get too excited.
So, teach your dog to only open doors which have ropes or a stuffed toy attached to the door handle. This lets you choose which doors are safe for your pup to open. Now, it must be a lever-handled door.
You can teach your pup to open a door, tie a rope or a toy to the door handle, and encourage the dog to tug the rope or toy. Once they tug on the rope or the toy, praise and reward them with a treat. And when your dog can open a door, you can hold a treat in a way that encourages them to jump on the door to close it.
Did you find any of the tricks particularly interesting or challenging?
Which one will you be trying out first with your dog? What other tricks can your dog perform? Let us know in the comments below.
Check out our other articles for all things dog-related.