Impressive Tricks to Teach Your Pup

Sit, lay down, and stay: almost every dog knows these basics. If you’re looking to teach your dog something new, but are bored with the mundane tricks, try some of these suggestions. They can be fun to show off!

Kiss

To begin training this trick, you will need a post-it or just stick a piece of tape on the back of a small piece of paper. Hold the paper close to your dog’s face. As soon as he touches it, give him the reward. Do this a couple times, each time giving a reward, then slowly start moving the paper away. Once your dog understands that when he touches the paper he gets a reward, add the command “kiss”. Repeat the command, action, and reward until your dog 100% understands the command. Next, stick the paper to your cheek and give the command. Repeat many times. Finally, remove the paper and give the command. Try getting your dog to kiss your kids, your friends, your cat, whatever! Get creative.

Roll Over

This trick is best done broken down into 4 easy steps. Each step should be repeated until your dog understands what you are trying to get him to do; then move on to the next step. First, put your dog in a down position and give your reward. Next, you want to get your dog to roll on his side. This is best done by putting a treat directly in front of your dog’s nose and lifting his head so his weight shifts to his side. Give the reward. Put the treat near his nose again, this time slowly moving the treat so that he rolls onto his back then give the reward. Finally, go through the previous three steps and slowly move the treat further to the far side. Eventually his weight will shift so that he rolls over more. Place the treat a little away from your dog so he has to completely roll over. Same as with kiss, don’t introduce the command until your dog starts understanding what it is you are wanting him to do.

Spin

Spin is a fairly simple trick to teach. Begin by holding a treat near your dog’s nose. Lure him into a spin by slowly bringing the treat around. Once your dog understands what is being expected you can speed up the spin and then add the command. Once your dog has the basic spin down, you can add a direction as part of the command too!

Wave

Once your dog knows how to shake, you can turn this into a wave. Give the shake command, but move your hand up a bit to make your dog reach higher and give the reward. Repeat, moving your hand higher each time. Next, give the shake command; when your dog lifts his paw, say “wave” but continue to shake his paw, moving higher each time. Repeat numerous times. After your dog gets the routine, drop the shake command and only give the wave command. Voila!

When teaching your dog a new trick, keep training sessions short and positive. Practice for a few minutes at a time a few times a day. If your dog is struggling in a particular session, just try again later. Finish with an easy command that your dog knows well so he doesn’t end frustrated or confused. To distraction-proof your trick, practice in the yard, while out for a walk, the park, or anywhere your dog can easily be inattentive.