5 Easy Tricks to Teach a Dog

Have you just gotten a new pup, or are you looking to teach your current dog some neat tricks? It does not matter whether you are a pro or a novice with regards to teaching dogs some tricks to perform; since the tricks we will be mentioning will be a breeze, you will be able to handle them. Here are several easy tricks to teach your dog that will surely yield results in no time. 

Easy tricks to teach a dog

1. Shake paw

One of the cutest tricks to teach your dog would be to paw/shake. If you want to spice up the way your dog greets you and the guests that you have over, then shaking paws is the way to do it. 

The first thing you need to do is teach the gesture of “shaking paws,” and then you will gradually introduce the verbal cue for the trick. Get your treats or clicker ready; whichever one you prefer will work well either way. 

Steps:

1. Get a treat and put it in the palm of your hand, wait for your dog to paw at it. 
2. Wait for your dog to approach your hand and sniff or paw at it. 
3. Once your dog has successfully pawed at your hand, reward them with a praise, click, or treat. 
4. When your dog is finally familiar and consistent with the gesture, start increasing the duration. This helps the dog know that placing their paw on your hand for a longer time equates to rewards rather than simply nudging/pawing at your hand. 
5. Finally, when your dog is consistent with the previous step, you may now start to introduce the verbal cue. It is important to remember that you say the command first before the gesture since this helps the dog understand that the verbal cue is associated with the shake gesture. 
6. Keep on repeating the previous step until your dog gets the hang of the shake paw trick. 

2. Lie down 

One of the requirements for teaching your dog the “stay” trick is to lie down, which is also probably one of the simplest tricks to teach a dog. 

Steps: 

1. Have a treat ready in hand and ask your dof to perform the sit trick. 
2. Guide your dog’s nose to the ground until it lies down. Make sure that you are saying “lie down” or “down” as the dog lowers itself to the floor. 
3. Repeat the two previous steps regularly. Remember to keep the sessions short. 

3. Stay 

This trick is convenient for times when you want your dog to stay in one place. This trick is often used in situations where you do not want them bolting out the door when it is left open and when you do not want your dog to be distracted by people walking and animals that scurry by. 

Steps: 

1. Ask your dog to do the lie down trick. 
2. Introduce a hand signal to your dog. The most basic one would be the “stop” hand signal which is placing your palm in front of your dog. 
3. Do not reward your dog just yet. Wait for a few seconds before rewarding them for staying in the lie down position. 
4. Repeat the previous step until your dog gets used to it. Once your dog is slowly getting familiar with the trick, it is time to increase the duration with them lying down and staying that way. 
5. Gradually, you may now start increasing the distance between you and your dog. To make it easier for both of you, start by taking one step apart and asking your dog to stay. 

If they are successful in doing so, you may begin to take two steps back. Practice this trick continuously with your dog until they get used to it. 

As the distance increases, do not forget to reward your dog for each successful attempt they make at this trick. 

4. Stand up 

One can agree that the “stand up” trick resembles a dog looking cute for its owner in a way that it wants your attention or is kindly asking you to hand out some treats for them. 

This trick is also one of the first steps for your dog to learn other, more complicated tricks. 

Steps: 

1. Ask your dog to sit. 
2. With treat in hand, raise it parallel to your dog’s nose. 
3. Lead your dog’s nose upwards as you gradually lift it up higher. 
4. When your dog stands up and reaches for the treat, it is time to reward them. 
5. Make sure to associate a verbal cue with trick as you gradually raise the treat upwards. 

5. Sit 

It is safe to say that the “sit” trick is the foundation of all other tricks to teach a dog. Without having your dog learn this, they will have a hard time performing other tricks. 

Steps: 

1. Get a treat and hold it above your dog’s head. 
2. Wait for your dog to sit down. This movement will come naturally for them as they want to get a better look of the treat. 
3. Reward them once they are successful in doing the trick. 
4. Ensure that you are reinforcing verbal cues with this particular trick. 

Dogs love nothing more than to please their owners. Take the relationship with your dog to new heights by working with your pup to learn new tricks!

 

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