Dogs provide us with hours of entertainment, a shoulder to cry on and endless love and affection. No matter how bad your day was, coming home to a jumping, licking excited ball of fur will lift your mood and make you forget your troubles instantly.
All dogs love to please their owners, and teaching your dog tricks is a great way to let him win your praise and affection. To keep your dog safe and mentally stimulated, it is essential to teach him basic commands such as sit, stay and heel.
If you wish to take his training further, the following tricks will test his mental and physical abilities to the limit.
If you wish to take his training further, the following tricks will test his mental and physical abilities to the limit.
1. Army crawl
Army crawling is a fun trick to teach to your dog that helps him improve his physical fitness.Some dogs will begin to crawl without training when attempting to sneak onto the couch or hoover up crumbs from the carpet.
Start by commanding your dog to lie down. Hold a treat firmly between your fingers so that your dog can smell and lick the treat but cannot take it from your hands
Hold the treat in front of your dog’s nose, and slowly drag it along the floor. As soon as your dog crawls just a few feet, praise him, and give him the treat. If the dog stands up to take the treat, quickly take it away, and start again from the beginning.
Try to get your dog to crawl for a slightly longer distance each time. Once he has mastered the trick, command your dog to lie down when he is at least 10 – 15 feet away, and then get him to crawl towards you.
2. Dance
Dancing is generally considered to be a skill for smaller dogs, but larger breeds can also learn it with some gentle encouragement.
However, this trick is not recommended for dogs that are overweight or suffer from problems with their hind legs.
From the sitting position, raise a treat slowly up and over your dog’s head. Repeat a command such as “up”, “dance” or “spin” until he rises up on his hind legs.
You might need to move the treat slightly behind your dog’s head to get him to stand up. If your dog already has good balance, hold the treat in front of his nose, and then slowly move it around his head until he spins in a circle. Larger breeds such as Labradors and Bull Mastiffs may be slightly unsteady on their feet to begin with, so let them get accustomed to just standing up before getting them to spin.
Join THOUGHT EXCHANGE for more 3. Salute
Teaching your dog to salute is a wonderful trick to welcome family members or friends who have been deployed on military service.Command your dog to sit in front of you, and administer a treat. Take a yellow post-it note or small piece of tape, and stick it just above your dog’s eye.
As your dog raises his paw to remove it, give him plenty of praise, and reward your dog with a treat.If your dog has extremely long fur or is afraid of the tape, there is another method to teach this trick. Ask your dog to give his paw, and then gently raise it over his head.
As soon as it reaches over his eye, say the command, and administer a treat. With a little patience, you will eventually get your dog to salute you just by hearing the command.
4. Handstand
A handstand is a fantastic trick to teach your dog that will amaze your friends and family.Toy dogs such as Chihuahuas sometimes perform this trick on their own as their large heads and small bodies make finding their balance a much easier task.
It is possible to teach larger dogs this trick, but you must proceed very slowly in order to prevent your dog from hurting himself.Your dog will first need to build up the muscles used to perform this trick before he can perform it without assistance. Start by having your dog stand in front of a wall with his back legs raised on a book or small block.
Repeat this step for several sessions until he gets used to it. Over time, add more books or blocks to increase the height of your dog’s back legs. Once your dog is comfortable standing on as many books as possible, gently take his feet and place them on the wall.
5. Walk backwards
All dogs should be taught to walk backwards or back up as part of their basic training.It is an extremely useful skill that will come in handy when you need your dog to back away from dangerous items or small animals.It will also help him to develop his coordination and footwork. Start by calling your dog to you and commanding him to stay.
Take a few steps backwards, and then give the command “back.” Start walking towards your dog while repeating the command. Some dogs will instinctively back up as you walk towards them. If not, move towards your dog, and gently nudge him back using your legs and body.
You can also try holding a treat just over and behind his head to get him to walk backwards. As soon as your dog takes a step back, praise and reward him enthusiastically.
If your dog attempts to turn around, try practicing the trick in an enclosed space such as a narrow walkway or between parked cars. Once your dog has learned to walk backwards, try standing off to the side of your dog and holding the treat in front of him. Slowly start to turn whilst guiding your dog to walk backwards around you in a circle.
6. Open and close doors
Teaching your dog how to open and close doors is an impressive trick, but only do this if you are certain your dog cannot use his skills to escape from your house.It is advisable to teach your dog to use a rope or tug toy tied to the door to open it rather than jump up at the handle.Smaller breeds cannot reach door handles, and larger breeds will leave deep scratch marks in your doors if they try to open them excitedly.
Teaching your dog to only open doors that have ropes attached will also prevent him from opening exterior doors and making an escape.
Tie a rope or tug toy to the handle of your door, and encourage your dog to tug it. This works better on doors with moving handles. If you have doors with doorknobs that need to be turned, open the door slightly first to allow your dog to tug it fully open.
Once your dog begins to tug the rope, praise him, and encourage him to pull the door completely open. Only administer a treat once he has completed the trick otherwise he will focus all his attention on the treats. Once he has learned to open the door, hold a treat in your hand to encourage him to jump on the door to close it.
7. Use the toilet
Teaching your dog to use the toilet inside the house may seem a little far-fetched, but there are hundreds of videos on YouTube of owners teaching their dogs to do just that.This can be one of the harder tricks to teach, but it is well worth the time spent getting it right.
It is also ideal for those with limited mobility who cannot take their dog outside several times a day and for those that work long hours.
Start by teaching your dog a command every time he goes outside to relieve himself. You can use the command “go to the toilet” or anything else that you find appropriate. Say this command every time your dog uses the toilet outside until he learns to associate it with relieving himself.
Once your dog learns to use the toilet on command, introduce a plastic litter box into the toilet routine. Take it outside, and place your dog’s front paws into the box while repeating the command.
After a while your dog will learn to only use the toilet in the box. Next, bring the box into your home gradually. Start by placing it close to the door, and then slowly move it towards the bathroom. If your dog makes it this far, you can then place the box into the toilet, and encourage your dog to jump up on the toilet to relieve himself. Eventually, you will be able to remove the box altogether.
8. Say prayers
Teaching your dog to say prayers is an extremely cute trick that will amuse young children. Start by commanding your dog to sit in front of you.If your dog does not already know how to give his paw or beg, start by teaching these basic steps first.
Once your dog knows how to raise his front paws in a sitting position, extend your arm so that he rests his paws on your forearm.It may take a few sessions to get this right. As soon as your dog puts his paws on you, immediately praise and reward him.
Spend some time allowing your dog to feel comfortable in this position before proceeding to the next step. Once your dog has mastered the first step, command him to place his paws on your arm, and then hold a treat in front of his nose. Slowly lower the treat underneath your arm so that your dog lowers his head until it is between his paws and underneath your arm.
If he attempts to take his paws from your arm, remove the treat, and start again from the beginning. You may need to adjust your dog’s paws on your arm so that he has space to lower his head between them.
9. Peek-a-boo
Peek-a-boo is an adorable trick to teach your dog and is a great way to impress your friends.There are two different methods to teaching your dog this trick. If your dog can already give his paw on command, start by having him sit in front of you, and ask for his paw.Grasp his paw in your hand, and then raise it over his eyes. Repeat the command gently, and treat him immediately.
Continue repeating the process until your dog makes the connection. Another way to teach this trick is by using a small piece of scotch tape.
Have your dog sit in front of you, and then stick a small piece of tape or a yellow post-it note to the end of his nose. Ensure the tape is not too strong or he will have trouble removing it. Wait for your dog to raise his paw to remove the tape.
As soon as your dog lifts his paw to his nose, praise him, and administer a treat. Continue with the tape until he begins to understand the command. Next, try simply tapping your dog’s nose gently to get him to raise his paw. If you repeat these steps whilst saying the command, your dog will eventually perform the trick automatically.
Join THOUGHT EXCHANGE for more10. Water fetch
If you are heading out to the beach, pool or lake this summer, why not take your dog along, and use the opportunity to teach him a new trick?
Before your dog can learn how to fetch and retrieve items from the water, you will need to teach him how to swim.
This may sound strange to owners of Labradors or Spaniels that are natural swimmers, but smaller breeds and those with short legs may struggle to stay afloat.
If your dog belongs to any of the smaller breeds such as pugs, Bulldogs or Basset hounds, you may want to purchase a small life jacket for him to make swimming safer and easier. Start by getting into the water first and coaxing your dog to join you.
If you or a friend has another dog that enjoys swimming then bring them along to help your dog build up the confidence to get into the water. Start by standing on dry land and throwing a stick or ball into the shallowest part of the water. Praise and treat your dog every time he brings it back. Gradually throw the stick even further distances, but take care not to tire your dog out or push him too far.
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