Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog to Shake Hands

Difficulty: Easy 

If you have an especially cute puppy (and what puppy isn't cute?), visitors think that it is absolutely adorable to be introduced with a tiny paw-shake just as if to say, "Hi, nice to meet you! Why yes, it is okay for you to rub my belly now!"

Step 1: Have your dog sit in front of you.

Step 2: When he lifts his paw click and treat.

Step 3: Repeat five times.

Step 4: Wait for him to offer lifting his paw (however slight). Click and treat.

Step 5: Say the word "paw" each time he lifts his paw. Click and treat.

Step 6: Say the word "paw" and click and treat when he lifts his paw.

Step 7: Modify the trick by rewarding only higher lifts. You can encourage him to lift his paw by tickling the hollow behind his paw.

OUR EXPERIENCE

When Caspian learned "Paw," I started out by having him sit. I waited for him to lift his paw. As soon as he did lift it, I clicked and treated. I waited again, and clicked and treated when he lifted his paw. It was OK that he was only lifting it up a little bit. I wanted to capture the good behavior, however slight it was. After a few times repeating this, Caspian figured out that he got a treat whenever he lifted his paw. He started doing it more frequently, and I started saying the word "Paw" whenever he lifted it. Soon, when I gave him the command, he lifted it! In other training sessions I was able to shape the behavior so that he lifted his paw higher and eventually placed it in my hand.

TEACHING TROUBLE

He will lift his paw, but only a little bit! How can I get him to lift it higher?

Click and treat at the beginning, no matter how high he lifts his paw, to encourage good behavior. Then, get tougher! Start to only click and treat when your dog lifts his paw higher, and the higher he lifts it, the bigger treat you give him. He may get frustrated, but he'll get it soon enough.

Tip: "You can encourage him to lift his paw by tickling the hollow behind his paw."

Dog Trick : Teach Your Dog to Spin

Difficulty: Easy 

It may not be a very useful trick, but having your dog spin in circles is very impressive. You can pair this trick with other moves such as jumping tricks to create a dance routine! If you want to get fancy, you can teach your dog to spin left or spin right by your hand signal. Start out big and point in the direction you want him to go, associating that with your specific command, "Spin Left," or "Spin Right." For each training session, use smaller hand signals for a perfected trick.

Step 1: Using your touch stick, guide your dog around in a circular motion. As he makes a full turn, click and treat.

Step 2: Keep doing this several times, eventually adding a hand signal (circular motion with index finger).

Step 3: Use the touch stick less. When your dog can spin without the touch stick, add your command.

Step 4: Practice until your dog can spin at your command!

OUR EXPERIENCE

It was easy to teach Caspian this trick. I just started by having him play around with the touch stick, getting him used to touching it while I clicked and treated. Then, I said "Touch" as I moved it around in a circular motion around his body. Caspian turned his head around to follow the touch stick and then his whole body followed. As he made a whole turn, I clicked and treated. I did this again and again until he was used to the motion. I then started using a hand signal (moving my finger around in a circular motion) to help him out and used the touch stick less. When he was able to spin without the touch stick, I started giving his command, "Spin!" Each time he would spin at my command I would give him a jackpot treat.

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog has A.D.D!

Maybe your dog starts to spin, but then he notices something a few feet away and stops mid-spin to go check it out. If this is true, it sounds like you've been training a bit too long. Either that, or your treat isn't good enough! Make sure your dog is well rested and your treats are good. Also, clear the room of any distractions such as televisions, toys, or children that might get in the way of an excellent training session.

Tip: "You can also teach this trick by using the clicker to catch your dog in the act of chasing his tail!"

Dog Trick : Teach Your Dog to Go To A Place

Difficulty: Easy 

Go to a Place is a fundamental trick used in movie production. In this trick, you will teach your dog to go to a certain place, marked by a small piece of tape or shiny disk. You can also use this trick to teach your dog to lay down on his bed or sit on a rug. It can also be paired with other tricks for a more exciting show. This is an easy trick to teach and can be funny watching your dog prance on top of his mark, eager for a treat! This trick has many uses, one of which is to get your dog to pose with you for family portraits.

Step 1: Have your dog touch the training stick. Click and treat.

Step 2: Place a piece of tape or a disk on the floor. Use the training stick to point to the marker, and click/treat when he is on that spot. Practice this several times until your dog knows to go to the marker to get his treat.

Step 3: Call the marker by its name (mark, spot, disk, etc.) just as he steps into it. Click and treat. Repeat until you can say the name of the marker and he'll go right to it! Now, you can place the marker anywhere in the room where you want your dog to sit or lay down.

OUR EXPERIENCE

This was an interesting trick to teach Caspian. We previously had taught him to sit on our foyer rug by catching the behavior with the clicker; then attributing the name "rug" to the action. But training him to go sit or lay down on a marker is much better, since we can place the marker down anywhere we want him to be. We chose some masking tape for our marker and made an "X" with two small strips. We didn't want Caspian thinking that he was supposed to pick up the marker.

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog will understand to go to the place after one session, but later in the day he can't remember it at all and we have to start over again!

This is perfectly normal. Keep practicing the trick and your dog will eventually remember what to do. Try keeping practice sessions to five or ten minutes and give him a generous break afterwards. But don't let the break be too long - come back to reinforce it within the hour. Also, always end on a good note. Sometimes your dog might start to get frustrated even after doing the trick several times. When this happens, he is very close to getting it. It's important to keep going so that you can end positively and with a jackpot.

Tip: "For a funny routine, teach your dog to 'go to a corner' using this trick and combine it with Act Ashamed. "You should be ashamed of yourself!" You can tell your dog, "Go sit in the corner!"

Dog Trick : Teach Your Dog to Jump Over People

Difficulty: Moderate 

Now that your dog can jump over sticks and through hoops, let's give him a bigger challenge. Get down on all fours and have your dog jump over your back. This is not only fun for your dog, but for the whole family. Involving people adds a lot of excitement to a simple jumping trick, and children think it is funny to see people get on their hands and knees so a dog can jump over them. This is a great trick for social events and is a staple for show dogs.

Step 1: f your dog can comfortably jump over a stick elevated about 25 inches from the ground then you can begin to teach him to jump over people who are on their hands and knees in the crawl position.

Step 2: Have your dog jump over the stick. Click & treat. (repeat a few times).

Step 3: Have a helper kneel on their hands and knees.

Step 4: Hold the stick just over him. Have your dog jump over the stick. Click and Jackpot. (If your dog won't jump over the stick with the person under it, try having the person lie down on the ground).

Step 5: After a few repetitions have your dog jump without using the stick. Click and treat.

Step 6: Try adding people spaced about 10 feet apart for a nice show at your next barbecue.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Caspian was hesitant to jump over a person, and we had to work with him to help him overcome his doubt. Both Caspian and I knew that he could complete the jump, but the idea of a person being there instead of a hoop or a stick was foreign to him. We started out by placing the jumping stick on top of the person's back and saying "leap." He wouldn't jump, so we had to start by laying on the floor first just to get him used to the idea of crossing the jump stick with a person there as well. Once he got this concept, he was good to go.

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog won't jump over me!

Although it was easy to teach Caspian to jump over a stick, he would balk at jumping humans. Having the person lay down and lowering the stick helped. After Caspian got used to jumping with the volunteer flat on the floor, he was read to jump over the stick with the volunteer beneath it on hands and knees. Soon we didn't need to use the stick at all.

Tip: "People can be even more unpredictable than dogs. So be sure that each of your volunteers understand that they should keep quiet and not move or stand up while the trick is in progress. Another great idea for this trick is to get dogs to jump over each other!"

Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog to Jump Through Hoops

Teach Your Dog to Jump Through Hoops 

Difficulty: Easy 

If you have ever been to the circus, you'll remember that act where the man comes out with his dogs and those big hula hoops. He holds the hoops high in the air and his dogs leap through and run around and leap through again, as fluently as a ballerina's grand jeté. Maybe you thought, "Wow, I wish I could get my dog to do that," but maybe you didn't know how, or if it was even possible, to train your dog to do that. Training your dog to leap through hoops is easy, and pretty soon, he'll be leaping through the air just like any professional circus dog.

Step 1: Let your dog get used to the hoop. Set it on the ground; click and treat when he approaches it.

Step 2: Have a helper hold the hoop (do not elevate the hoop) on the floor in front of him.

Step 3: Call your dog or lure him through the hoop. Click and treat as he walks through the hoop. Repeat this a few times so he will get used to walking through it.

Step 4: Hold the hoop a bit higher and tell him to "Leap!" Click and treat if he jumps through the hoop.

Step 5: Keep on giving the hoop more height, clicking and treating each time.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Caspian wasn't so sure about the hula hoop when we started out. Each time I got it out, he would slowly back up a step, then another, and finally leave the room. But I soon taught him that it wasn't anything to be afraid of. Now, jumping through hoops is one of his favorite things, and he rarely requires a treat to do it. I sure did start out with treats, though! Each time he approached the hoop, which was lying motionless on the ground, I would click and treat. Then I had my helper hold the hoop upright as I guided Caspian through the hoop. He tried to go around it at first, but eventually he cooperated. Each time he went through the hoop, I clicked and gave him a treat. Soon, I thanked my helper and took the hula hoop, raising it a bit in the air. "Leap!" I told him. Since he already knew Leap, he jumped right through. I clicked and treated. Each time we did it again, I raised the hula hoop just a bit higher. Soon, he was jumping through them at a very decent height! As we practiced this trick more and more, we started using smaller and smaller hoops.

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog hits the hoop every time!

It is OK to click and treat if your dog hits the hoop starting out. But soon you will want to eliminate this unwanted behavior by not clicking when any part of him touches the hoop. He will soon learn that he has to clear the hoop before he gets his treat.

Tip: "Try using hoops of various sizes. Start out with a standard size hula hoop, but as your dog perfects the trick, try decreasing the size of the hoops. It's quite a spectacle to watch a full grown dog leap through a tiny hoop!"

Dog Trick : Teach Your Dog to Leap

Difficulty: Easy 
By this time, your dog should be progressing very nicely and has learned quite a few tricks! One impressive set of tricks involves leaping over or through objects. This is a staple for show dogs and makes quite a thrilling spectacle when you show dinner guests or friends. One word of caution: before attempting these jumping tricks, consult your veterinarian to see if jumping and leaping is right for your dog. It's a good idea to not teach jumping tricks to puppies, as it could damage their hips. And don't attempt this trick if your dog has a history of hip dysplasia.

Step 1: Have your dog sit and stay while you lay a stick on the ground. Cross over to the other side of the stick and call your dog. As soon as the dog crosses the stick, click and treat.

Step 2: Do this a few more times before adding height to the stick by placing a couple of thick books underneath it. Click and treat while he is crossing the stick.

Step 3: As your dog becomes accustomed to crossing the stick, add height with more books. Once it gets high enough that your dog has to jump over it, start saying "Leap" before clicking and treating. Keep doing this until your dog will leap when commanded!

OUR EXPERIENCE

Because I had already taught Caspian 'Come,' this trick was easy for him. I started out with my red stick laying on the ground. I said, "Caspian, come!" When he was crossing the stick, I clicked and treated. I crossed the stick and he followed me. Each time he crossed the stick, I would click and treat. Soon, I didn't have to call him - he knew he had to cross the stick in order to get his treat. I added some books to make the stick higher and waited for him to go across it. This time I said, "Leap!" and when he did, I clicked and treated. Finally, I put the stick in the seat of the two chairs and told him to "Leap." He made a clear jump over the stick!

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog keeps going around the stick instead of over it.In some of the teaching sessions I had with Caspian, he wanted to come to me by going around the stick rather than jumping over it. This problem can be solved by ignoring his behavior until he crosses the stick. Another idea is to block off the remainder of your space so that he has no choice but to jump the stick to get to you.

He keeps knocking it over!If your dog is knocking the stick over, that could be a sign that it is too high for him to jump. You want to make sure you don't injure your dog by having him leap too high. Lower it and try again. If it is the first or second time in your dog's leaping experience and he knocks the stick over, don't worry. He will probably perfect his trick. You can click for the first couple times, but if he continues to knock it over, refrain from clicking/treating until he leaps without touching it. Then reward him well!

Tip: "Only go as high as is appropriate for your dog's breed and age. To avoid hip trouble later on, use moderation when teaching this trick and keep training sessions at around five minutes at a time."

Dog Trick : Teach Your Dog to Park

Difficulty: Easy 

Another practical command that should be taught is the park (eliminate) command. I've spent many cold nights waiting on my dog. If you don't have a fenced in yard, and take your dog out on a leash, it can be pretty frustrating sometimes getting your dog to realize that he's there for a reason, and it's not checking out the neighborhood dog news.

Step 1: Designate a specific spot in your yard to make clean-up easier.

Step 2: Wait until he finishes eliminating, then click and treat.

Step 3: Do this each time, introducing a command such as "Park" or "Find a good spot."

Step 4: Be consistent, but vary the reward.

OUR EXPERIENCE

When it's cold and rainy outside, you can imagine how helpful an obedience command such as this would be. When teaching Caspian to park on command, we would take a bag of treats and a clicker with us whenever we took him outside. As well as food treats, we would treat him in other ways as well, such as playing with a tennis ball or frisbee. If you start out by bringing your dog in immediately after he is finished, you may teach him to prolong parking so that that he can explore more and have more time outside. Playing with Caspian afterwards trained him to do his business first, then playing and exploring comes afterwards.

TEACHING TROUBLE

After training for days, I say, "Park!" but he doesn't go!

Pay attention to step 4: Be consistent, but vary the reward. Make sure you take something outside with you that your dog really wants, and make sure he knows you have it. If you've established that, then he'll try doing everything he can to get it, which will result in good behavior.

Tip: "You don't have to give your dog a food treat each time you click. Try playing fetch with him for a while, or taking him on a nice, long walk! Dogs love attention just as much as they do food."

Dog Trick : Teach Your Dog to Ring the Bell

Difficulty: Easy 

It's ten-thirty in the morning. You have to be at your friend's house at eleven, but you don't want to leave your dog's mess unattended in the dining room floor. You're a long time cleaning, scrubbing, and vacuuming. Eleven o'clock hits the mark and you haven't left yet. You jump in the car and onto the road full speed, and you still arrive twenty minutes late.

You apologize to your friend, explain to them in sparse detail why you came late. Later during a conversation unexciting, you hear their tiny dog's footsteps, then the tinkling and jingling of a bell. You ask them what it is. Oh its my dog, they say, she's ringing the bell to tell me she has to go outside.

This is an extremely useful trick, perfect for house training puppies. The attractiveness of using a bell to let you know when your dog needs to go out is that you can hear it all over the house. Puppies don't have enough experience to come get you to take them out. In fact, the most common sign is spinning around. More often than not, you aren't around to see! Using a bell, you'll be able to hear every single time your dog needs some time outside.

Step 1: Use a training stick to target the bell.

Step 2: When he touches the bell, click and treat.

Step 3: When he touches the bell on his own, click and jackpot.

Step 4: Whenever you take him outside, have him touch the bell first. The reward is to open the door.

Step 5: our canine will, in a few days, learn that the door opens when he rings the bell.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Caspian was only a puppy when we taught him this trick. This made housetraining him very easy. We never used the newspaper or puppy-pad method. We taught him touch right away so that we could teach him to ring a bell to let us know that he needed to go outside. We threaded an old jingle bell left over from Christmas onto some twine, and wrapped it around our front door knob. We kept an eye on him before he quite learned touch and bell, but it didn't take but a couple of days for him to get the hang of it. Using the bell in this way makes a drastic difference in house training a puppy.

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog rings the bell when all he wants to do is play

You can eliminate this sly dog behavior by paying attention to certain times your dog usually goes out. If you have just taken your dog out and it isn't reasonable that he needs to go out again, or if your dog is in a particularly playful mood, don't open the door. You want the bell to be the signal for a quick "do your business" trip, not playtime.

Tip: "Keep the jingle bell on the door and well accessible to your dog. Also, make sure it is well tied to the string so it won't come off for your dog to swallow."

Dog Trick: Teach Your Dog to Learn Names

Difficulty: Moderate 

Dogs are a lot smarter than we give them credit for and can learn the names of all sorts of things. A border collie named Chaser currently holds the record for the largest dog vocabulary, having learned the names of over 1000 different toys and items. Dog's aren't limited to objects, they can learn the names of people and other pets as well. Wouldn't it be nice if your dog knew your kids' names? You can teach your dog the names of all his toys, the remote, or a place like his kennel or the living room.

Step 1: Have your dog touch your hand and click treat.

Step 2: Hold the object in your hand and say touch. Click treat when he touches the object not when he touches your hand.

Step 3: Call the object by its name (tug, squeaky, bunny, etc.) just as he touches it. Click and treat.

Step 4: Repeat 5 times.

Step 5: Hold the object and say its name and click and treat when he touches it.

Step 6: For teaching the names of people (Bob, Joe, Dad, Mom, etc.) and places (Bed, corner, kennel, etc.) use the training stick to introduce the person or place

OUR EXPERIENCE

I started out by waiting until Caspian looked at his toy, "Bobo." I clicked and treated. I did this several times until he was looking at it often. This got his attention and directed it toward Bobo. Then, I only started clicking and treating when he went toward the toy and touched it. Each time he touched it with his mouth (or paw, whichever you prefer), I would click and treat. Soon, he did it so often that I started saying "Bobo" whenever he touched it. Now, when I say, "Caspian, get Bobo" he'll go looking around the house to find his toy.

TEACHING TROUBLE

He's not getting it!

Don't tire your dog out. Five minutes at a time for a puppy and 7-10 minutes for an adult dog is a long training session. After that amount of time, their focus blurs. Even if your dog understands what you're trying to get him to do, he'll have a harder time remembering it later if he's tired.

Tip: "Teach your dog to round up your kids! Instead of going to get them yourself, you could combine this trick with "Speak" and tell your dog to "Go get Emma!" Once he finds her, he will bark once to let her know she's wanted."

Dog Trick : Teaching Your Dog Bring It

Difficulty: Easy 

Dog Bring It 

Bring it is a staple for dog training which we'll use to build other tricks upon. For example, after you teach your dog bring it, it will be easy to teach him to fetch, bring his dish or leash, or teach funnier tricks like Bring me a Drink or Get me a tissue!

Step 1: Tell your dog to get a toy by using the "Take It" command.

Step 2: Encourage your dog to come towards you with the toy. Click and treat if he brings it towards you a few steps. Do this a few times.

Step 3: Keep encouraging him to come nearer to you with the toy. Click and treat when he comes to you with the toy.

Step 4: Repeat these steps until your dog brings the toy to you each time without much prompting. Use the command "Bring it!" as you teach.

Step 5: Put the toy on the ground and walk across the room. Say, "Take it" and "Bring it!" If your dog obeys, click and give him a jackpot!

OUR EXPERIENCE

I put Caspian's toy on the floor, saying, "Take it!" He grabs it and looks at me. I pat my leg to encourage him to come to me. Immediately, he takes several steps toward me. I click and treat. We do this several times; each time Caspian gets closer to me. One time he comes to me without the toy - I ignore him. Now he is bringing me the toy every time. I click and treat, saying "Bring it" when he comes with the toy. Soon Caspian was able to understand my command and bring me the toy whenever I asked him to.

TEACHING TROUBLE

He'll come to me just fine, but without the toy!

Don't click and treat when he comes to you without the toy - that's not what you're trying to teach. Be kind, but tough! Begin by clicking if he moves towards your direction with the toy in his mouth. Soon your dog will understand he has to bring it to you!

Tip: "Practice with different objects in different rooms, and have other people help you out by giving your dog the command themselves!"