Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog to Catch

Difficulty: Easy

 Teach Dog to Catch 

Train your dog to catch treats when you throw them. Collect bits and pieces of your dog's favorite treat, and have him sit in front of you. Throw a treat at your dog. If he doesn't catch it at first, take away the treat so he won't eat it. Eventually, your dog will get desperate for that good treat you have, and will not be able to get it unless he tries to catch it in the air. When he does catch it, praise him and give him a good petting. Now, when your dog catches the treat, say "Catch." When your dog begins catching naturally, you may introduce new objects to catch-a tennis ball is one. Have your dog sit, and - with a few feet of distance between you - lightly toss the ball into the air, and give the command. When he does, click and treat.

Step 1: Start out with a short distance and a good treat. Throw the treat to your dog. If he doesn't catch it, take the treat away and try again. If he does catch it, praise him and give him another treat!

Step 2: Keep doing this until he is catching well. Start saying "Catch" while he is catching them.

Step 3: Give him the command - "Catch!" and throw the treat. Give him lots of praise if he catches it at your command!

Step 4: Use other objects like footballs, tennis balls, or toys to give him more experience with catching. The more he practices, the better he will get!

OUR EXPERIENCE

Since fetch is Caspian's favorite game, we use it every day for exercise. For a little variety, we started sending him out before we threw the ball. Because he had learned catch, he started catching the tennis ball while it was still in the air. He often makes some very spectacular catches. Make sure that you use a very soft ball if you try this with your dog. Also, if you notice that your dog is jumping to catch food treats and toys, check with your vet to see if jumping is good for your dog. You want to make sure your dog is in good health before attempting any jumping tricks.

TEACHING TROUBLE

He's not catching anything! Some dogs are spectacular catchers - others are not. It's an instinct that all dogs have, but some breeds more than others. Just be patient - it may take a bit longer for your dog to learn this trick.

Tip: "Practice makes perfect. Don't despair if your dog doesn't catch well at first. Reward good behavior even if he tries to catch it and misses. Give him praise and encourage him to keep on trying!"

Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog to Find Items

Difficulty: Moderate

Teach Dog to Find Items 

This trick can be taught with any toy or item and could turn out to be very useful if you lost something. Besides the practical usefulness of this trick, this is a really fun game to play with your dog! Have your dog go out of the room and sit, then hide the object somewhere in the next room. The object could be anything: one of his toys, an article of clothing, but make sure he knows what he's searching for. For a more advanced performance, hide something with a less noticeable scent, such as the tv remote or a set of keys.

Step 1: Have your dog sit.

Step 2: Hold up an object that he is familiar with (he knows its name) and let him smell it.

Step 3: Place the object under something obvious (like a towel), and say "find it." You might add the name of the object if it doesn't do it quickly ("find it" bunny). Click and treat when he touches the object.

Step 4: Repeat several times, but each time you repeat move the object to a different location, getting progressively more difficult. Click and treat each time.

Step 5: Let him smell and then hide other objects that he is not familiar with and give the "find it" command.

OUR EXPERIENCE

When I first taught this trick, I was using an old Atlanta Braves hat that I used to wear. Because the hat had a lot of my smell on it, it was really easy for Caspian to pick up on. It started out basically by accident, I hadn't planned on teaching him this trick. I was just playing around with the old hat, playing keep away, putting it underneath things for him to dig it out. I had him go out of the room, and I stuck it partially underneath the rug, then called him. He sniffed around a few seconds before finding it. Although I had stumbled upon this trick by accident, I got my clicker and started rewarding him for finding the hat. Because he had learned the term find it, in relation to finding things with my scent on it, when I lost a set of car keys in the backyard one day, I told Caspian to "find it." Although he didn't know what he was looking for, he went to the thing that had our scent on it. In just a few minutes, he had found my keys.

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog doesn't understand what I want him to do. Some dogs have great noses; others don't. But your dog doesn't have to be a bloodhound to learn this trick. When starting out, make sure the toy you use to hide is one he really likes. Also make sure he knows its name. Start out easy; you may not want to even hide it starting out. Put it in plain sight and encourage your dog to touch it. After that, then you can start to hide the toy in progressively more difficult spaces.

Tip: "Use the same terms each time! In other words, don't tell your dog to "Find it," while still using "Get it," "Where is it?" and "Search" intermittently. Consistency is the key!"

Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog to Put His Toys Away

Difficulty: Hard

 Teach Dog to Put His Toys Away 

So you've finally taught your kids to put their toys away—but what about your dog? This trick is helpful, and also impressive. Give your dog a simple command and watch him go around the house and gather up all his dog toys together and drop them in a basket or box.

Step 1: Get a large box or basket. Gather all your dog's toys and put them in a pile.

Step 2: Point to each toy and say, "Take it," then "Bring it" and "Drop it" into the basket. When he does this, click and give him a treat. After he puts all his toys in the basket, reward him with a treat, saying "Put your toys away."

Step 3: Do this several more times. After several training sessions, you should be able to just say, "Put your Toys Away" and he will put them all in. Give him a big treat each time. 

Step 4: Next put each toy farther away from the basket. Work with him to find all his toys and put them away into the basket when you give the command.

OUR EXPERIENCE

It was difficult to teach Caspian to put his toys away, but since he already knew to "Take it," "Bring it" and "Drop it," that was a big help! I spread an assortment of toys across the floor with a big basket in the middle. I told him to take one of his toys, to bring it and drop it in the basket. He wouldn't drop it in the basket at first, but I would go ahead and click for the effort. Eventually I became stricter in what I was looking for, and only clicked when he actually got the toy in the basket. As soon as all his toys were in the basket he got a big treat! I would always say "put your toys away" whenever he would put any toy - or all toys - in the basket. We did several sessions of this until he was able to put them all in the basket when I gave him the command: "Caspian! Put your toys away!"

TEACHING TROUBLE

He won't put them all in! Probably the hardest thing I had to work with for Caspian was grouping all his toys together in one command. Sometimes by the time they get all their toys in, they forget what they did at the beginning. One thing you can do is start out with only three toys. When your dog puts them in, click and treat saying: "Put your toys away!" Do this several times, then add another toy. When he puts all four in, click and treat saying: "Put your toys away," and so on until he can put all his toys away!

Tip: "Sometimes you'll feel like treating him for his good efforts, but only click and treat when your dog actually drops the toy into the basket. If it's only halfway in it counts, but it doesn't count if it's not in at all."

Dog Trick : Teach Your Dog to Bring You His Dish

Difficulty: Moderate

Teach Dog to Bring Dish

Another useful trick. When your dog brings you his dish, not only does it make him look smart but it saves you the effort of having to get it. How does your dog tell you he's hungry? Pawing at his dish, knocking it over, barking? Here's a simple and cute way for your dog to let you know that he needs to be fed.

Step 1: Use the "Learn the Names of Everything" to teach him to touch his dish on command.

Step 2: Teach him to hold the dish in his mouth using the "take it" command . Your dog may not like holding a metal dish in his mouth, but this trick is worth the extra effort. Take extra time with this step. 

Step 3: With the dish on the floor say the name "dish." When he starts to touch the dish say "take it." If he takes the dish in his mouth at all click and treat.

Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 several times in multiple training sessions.

Step 5: With your dog holding the dish in his mouth say "bring it." Click and treat when he takes a few steps toward you with the dish.

Step 6: As you repeat step 3 introduce the command "get your dish." When he takes it, click and treat.

Step 7: Repeat step 6 in several sessions.

Step 8: Give the command "get your dish." Click and treat when he brings it to you. Gradually extend the distance from the bowl as you perfect this trick.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Teaching "Dish" wasn't too hard once I taught Caspian to learn its name. I first had him touch the dish, eventually teaching him that its name was "Dish." The next step was getting him to pick it up. This was more difficult because his dish is heavier than other objects we have trained with before. I clicked and treated for small advances towards the behavior I wanted. Eventually, he was able to carry it completely in his mouth. I then told him to "Bring it" to me. Since he knew these commands already, it wasn't very hard to string them together into this nice trick — "Get your dish."

TEACHING TROUBLE

What if my dog's dish is too heavy for him? Your dog will most likely be able to carry it. It could be that he's just not used to carrying something that bulky and heavy before. It's a good idea to start out small and click and treat for small advances toward the dish. You could even build up to this trick by having him learn to take lighter things in his mouth, then gradually teaching heavier things until he is able to hold the dish. Of course, if you have a small dog, it metal dish might be too bulky for him to pick up. You can try using a smaller dish. Another idea is to teach "Fetch a Drink" first to get him gradually used to carrying heavier things in his mouth by filling up the drink bottle a little at a time.

Tip: "After several training sessions, your dog may eventually bring his dish to you to tell you he's hungry!"

Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog to Bring You His Leash

Difficulty: Moderate

Teach Dog to Bring You His Leash 

Like, Bring Slippers, this trick builds off of the Learn Names trick. In this trick, you will teach your dog to bring you his leash when you are ready to take him outside for a walk. This is quite an impressive trick, and makes your dog appear super smart. I remember my grandmother came for a visit one day, and I nonchalantly asked Caspian for his leash to take him outside. When he came trotting back with the leash dangling from his mouth, my grandmother laughed and pronounced him "the smartest dog." I'm sure your guests will do the same!

Step 1: Set the leash on the floor. Tell him to take it. Click and treat when he does.

Step 2: Go to the door. Tell him to take the leash, bring it, and drop it in your hands. Click and treat.

Step 3: Repeat the take it, bring it, drop it action several times, saying, "Leash!" when he drops it in your hands.

Step 4: Eliminate the "take it, bring it, drop it" commands and start only using "Leash." You can also use a hand signal to give him a hint.

Step 5: Command him to get his leash. Click and Jackpot if he obeys you, and take him outside for a long walk!

OUR EXPERIENCE

Although this trick took several training sessions to teach, "Leash" was a moderately easy trick for Caspian to learn. I started out with the leash on the floor. "Take it!" I said. He did, and I clicked and treated. The next time, I said "Take it, Bring it, and Drop it," into my hands. Each time he did this for me I would click and treat, saying, "Leash!" Many times, when he would successfully drop it into my hands, I would take him outside as a reward instead of a treat. Soon, Caspian was able to bring me his leash whenever I gave him the command. Whenever we go outside, he brings it to me every time!

TEACHING TROUBLE

He won't drop it in my hands! Be picky. If he doesn't put it in your hands, he doesn't get a walk, or a treat either. If he successfully brings it to you and drops it on the floor, tell him to take it again and drop it in your hands. Immediately click and reward when he does drop it into your hands.

Tip: "Put the leash somewhere so your dog has easy access to it, such as draped over a closet knob or in a basket near the door."

Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog to Bring Your Slippers

Difficulty: Moderate

Teach Dog to Bring Your Slippers 

This trick is a combination of Take it, Bring it, and Give . When you tell your dog to get your slippers, he will take them, bring them, and drop them right in your hand. What if you lost your slippers? Wouldn't this be a helpful trick! Just tell your dog "Get my slippers!" and off he'd go. In no time he would come back with the pink slippers and drop them by your feet. Some dogs can bring both slippers at the same time. But if you're having difficulty getting your dog to bring both slippers, keep your slippers together with a piece of velcro or string. You don't have to keep them together, however. Your dog will do just as fine getting them one at a time. (This is especially useful if you forgot where you left them!).

Step 1: Using the "Learn Names" trick, teach your dog the name of whichever object you want him to bring you (Slippers, for example).

Step 2: Now that he knows what the name of the object is, tell him to "Take my Slippers." Click and treat.

Step 3: Tell your dog to Take it and Bring it. If he does so, click and treat.

Step 4: Now, try combining all three tricks. First, say, "Get my Slippers!" Then, "Take it, Bring it, and Drop it." If he does what you ask, click and give him a generous treat. Repeat this until you have a polished trick.

OUR EXPERIENCE

This was one of our favorite tricks to teach Caspian, and one of his favorites too. He does really well at learning names of things—he knows his toys by each of their names for example. So we introduced the slippers in the same kind of way. Because he was really excited about this trick, the slippers themselves were the reward. We realized, however, that he thought of the slippers as a toy, and would get preoccupied and play with them when we asked him to retrieve them for us. He would eventually bring them, but he would want to play with them first. To fix this problem, we clicked/treated only when he brought them back faster. We then conditioned him to bring them right back as soon as we asked for them.

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog can do each of the initial tricks (take it, bring it, give), but is having trouble blending them all together. What do I do? Repetition is the key to this trick. As you practice it more, it will flow together better and you won't have to use each command to get him to do what you want him to do. Eventually, you will have him learn that the command "Get my Slippers" means to take the slippers, bring them, and drop them into your hands (or at your feet!)

Tip: "When shaping this trick, have your dog take the top part, or toe of the slippers each time so that they're not soggy when you put them on!"

Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog to Yawn

Difficulty: Moderate

Teach Dog to Yawn

The clock says the time is eleven-thirty. It's dark out and you're tired, and the couple on the couch haven't stopped talking. They are your friends, or used to be—you're not so sure now. But the greyhound in the corner is your friend. "Come here boy," you whisper under the jabbering of the couple. He lays down by your legs and you look at him. You stare into his eyes and say, "Are you tired?" He smacks his lips and yawns, his great teeth revealing themselves, then disappearing again. "Yes, I know you're tired," you say and pat his head, "I am too." Your friends get the message.

Step 1: Most dogs will yawn when they are anxious. You can use that to help you catch the yawn. Look for your dog to yawn when he wants to go outside or wants a ball or toy that you are holding. When he yawns, click and treat. Because this trick has to be 'caught' with the clicker, it can be fairly difficult, and you have to time your clicks just right.

Step 2: When he starts to offer a yawn because he has been treated for it, go ahead and give the command you want to associate with his action. It could be yawn, tired, or sleepy, but in any case, be consistent with your command. Repeat three to four times per session.

Step 3: After several sessions of training your dog to yawn, give him the command and see if he will respond with a yawn.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Because we have to catch Caspian in the act of yawning, it can be frustrating when trying to get him to yawn multiple times in a training session. Caspian will lick his muzzle and yawn if he is anxious, so sometimes during our training session, we would turn around and not say anything for a few seconds. Caspian, not knowing what to do, would then get a little anxious. An assistant would either click or let the trainer know when to click if he yawned (you won't be able to see your dog if your back is turned). This trick was more frustrating for Caspian in general. He knew that he was being clicked and treated for something that had to do with his mouth, but didn't quite understand at first. If your dog gets frustrated during a training session, cut back on the amount of time for each session, but always try to end on a high note.

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog doesn't understand that he's being clicked for yawning. How can I fix this problem? Since a yawn is a natural response that a dog might give for either being tired or anxious, he usually doesn't even notice when he's doing it. Making him aware that he is yawning is the key to this trick. It may take several training sessions, but eventually your dog will get it!

Tip: "This trick presents better if you use a cute command like "Are you sleepy?" or "It's bedtime."

Dog Trick- Teach Your Dog to Backup

Difficulty: Easy 

Teach Dog to Backup

This is a very useful trick to teach your dog, and one that will condition him for more advanced tricks later on. A good practical use of getting your dog to back up is for tossing him a toy or treat to catch. You can also have your dog back out of the kitchen while you're eating, for example. Teaching your dog to back up will pave the way for more impressive tricks later on, such as incorporating it into a dance routine. Tricks like that are extremely hard to teach, and take lots of time, but the foundations for them start here. Think up creative ways to use back up with other tricks for a much more impressive show.

Step 1: With your dog standing facing you, walk forward toward him. When he takes a step backwards, click and treat.

Step 2: Continue stepping forward. When he takes multiple steps backwards, click and treat.

Step 3: Practice this until he understands that if he backs up, he deserves a treat. Start walking toward him less. You can use a signal instead (Try waving the back of your hand toward him, or taking a single step forwards).

Step 4: Once he has learned this, say "Back" as he backs up and as you give the hand signal. Do this several times until well learned. Remember to click and treat when he cooperates.

Step 5: Give him the command and see if he'll back up! Click and treat well each time he obeys. Reinforce with extra training sessions.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Teaching Caspian this trick was pretty straightforward. We would walk towards him, and click/treat when he would back up. Sometimes he would try and move out of our way instead of backing up, so we decided to relocate to our upstairs hallway—so the walls would constrict his movements. When we moved toward him in the hallway, he had no choice but to back up. He soon got the idea, and we then attributed the command back up along with the hand signal. We usually use the "back" command for him to backup and sit before tossing him a treat or toy.

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog won't start backing up unless I advance toward him. That's where the signal comes in. Try using the signal as you walk toward your dog each time. Then, gradually stop walking forwards, but keep the hand signal. Be patient and give your dog time to think about it. Also, remember to take enough breaks and don't wear your dog out. Short sessions are the most successful!

Tip: "A narrow hallway or a place where movement is restricted can help in teaching this trick."

Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog to Fetch

Difficulty: Easy 

Teach Dog to Fetch 

If your dog has mastered the "tug" game and the "bring it" command, then teaching him to fetch will be easy. Fetch comes naturally to some dogs, and to others it is a moderately easy trick to teach. Once your dog learns Fetch, he will enjoy doing it not only for treats, but simply because it's just a fun game. Follow the steps carefully with your dog, and soon you will have another fun game to play with him.

Step 1: Start by playing tug. Say the "take it" command when you want your dog to pick up the rope toy, and then the "give" when you want him to release the rope.

Step 2: Have your dog "give" the rope, but then toss it a few feet away. Say, "take it." Click treat when he picks up the rope.

Step 3: Generally, your dog should be excited about playing the tug game, and will usually come back to play some more. If he doesn't, repeat step two, this time getting him to bring it to you with the "come" command. Say "Give" and click and treat.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Since Caspian is part retriever, fetching came naturally to him. We would throw a tennis ball, and Caspian would be extremely excited—he knew that this was going to be a fun game. He would run down our hallway as fast as he could, and puppy-pounce on the ball. But then, he would get distracted, and not know what to do. He would chase after the ball fine, but he just wouldn't bring it back. We worked with him using the "come" command, and by clicking/treating, it didn't take him long to bring the ball back every time. Now playing fetch is his absolute favorite thing to do!

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog has learned to fetch, but he always brings it back slowly. Three things: The first thing is to use great rewards. Yummy snacks, great praising, a nice walk...All these 'treats' are good to reinforce the dog's behavior. The second thing is your enthusiasm. If you're not at all excited about the game, how do you expect your dog to be? Go all out; be silly. If your dog sees you enjoying it, chances are he will enjoy it, too. The third thing is time. The more you reinforce this trick, the more your dog will learn to appreciate it! Keep positive and practice it several times per day. After a while, he will learn to love fetch and look forward to playing it.

Tip: "Practice fetching different objects and at greater distances. Be generous with praise and click and treat when he performs well."

Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog to Open and Close a Door

Difficulty: Moderate

Teach Dog to Open a Door 

Teach Dog to close a Door 

You have a smart dog! He's learning all sorts of new tricks. One trick that takes two separate steps to learn is opening and closing a door. Keep in mind that dogs can only open certain kinds of doors; it's practically impossible for a dog to twist a doorknob. The way dogs open doors is by pulling a cloth or rope attached to a latch. When he pulls the latch, the door swings open. You can use this trick to teach your dog to let himself out, but only teach this if you have a fenced-in yard. You can use this trick for a variety of other uses, such as opening and closing the refrigerator door (pair this with "fetch a drink,), or opening and closing a mailbox (you can teach your dog to get the newspaper or deliver a letter).

Teaching Your Dog to Open a Door

Step 1: Tie a bandana or cloth around your door. Tell him to tug it. Wait until he tugs the door open, then click and treat.

Step 2: Keep doing this, eventually saying, "open" whenever he tugs the door open. Click and treat every time.

Step 3: After your training session, he should be able to open the door at your command.

Teaching Your Dog to Close the Door:

Step 1: Put your touch stick on the door.

Step 2: Each time he touches it and moves the door a little, click and treat.

Step 3: Start waiting until he has pushed the door closed. Click and treat.

Step 4: Do this until he will close the door each time. Click and treat generously when he does this!

Step 5: Start saying "close" when he closes the door. After repeating the action several times, he should close the door at your command.

OUR EXPERIENCE

This command is taught to assistance dogs to help disabled persons in opening and closing doors. You can see how helpful this would be to someone wheelchair bound. For us, we don't have a specific reason such as this for Caspian to open and close doors; and since we don't have a fenced-in yard, we definitely didn't want him to be able to open the front door to let himself out. Nevertheless, we use this trick to open and close the refrigerator door, in conjunction with the "fetch a drink" command , which might be the perfect trick for when company comes over.

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog is tugging and pushing, but can't open or close the door. Do you have a small dog? Obviously, smaller dogs can't open or close heavy doors. If you want to teach your small dog this trick, give him a more lightweight door such as a toy cabinet to open and close.

Tip: "Make sure you understand that while teaching your dog to open doors, he may use his newly learned trick to escape from home on a rather boring day."