Dogs are deemed as the only pets to have attained the designation as “man’s best friend.” As animals, they look to their owners for direction and respond greatly when guided properly.
Dogs can be pretty useful for safety and in carrying out a good number of tasks if properly trained. The problem is often how to teach them as some dog owners lack the skills and information needed to make this work. If you’d love to teach your dog a few tricks, you need a few things: a clicker, a bag of treats, and a truck load of patience. Sites like Petsumer.com can also be great resources for how to train your dog.
Teaching new tricks may work better if your dog has already mastered a few commands and has been working with a clicker. In this article, we discuss a few fun tricks you should consider teaching your dog:
1. Bark on Command
This is a trick sometimes thought as difficult for many dog owners. All dogs bark, but not all of them do so on command. To teach this trick, you have to be patient with your dog.
Without any given direction, a dog’s next action is to bark. When it does, click and give a treat. Repeat this and add a verbal cue with time so your dog learns to bark on command.
2. Hush
Hush is a verbal cue that is important to keep your dog well-behaved when necessary. By teaching your dog this trick, you can prevent them from having a barking problem as they learn to bark effectively.
To teach this trick, be sure to notice when your dog is barking and try to catch their eye. If they stop barking for even a second, do click and give them a treat. Repeat this a few times and add a verbal cue.
3. Fetch
This is a real fun trick for you and your dog during playtime. This trick helps both dog owners and dogs bond on a different level. Your dog gets to please you while also enjoying playtime doing so.
Teaching this trick can be initially frustrating, especially when your dog won’t go after the item, or they don’t know what to do once they get to it. You can combine a few more tricks to get the dog to go after the object.
Having your dog learn this trick might be the key for them to also learn how to carry out other specific fetching tasks around the house.
4. High Five and Shake
If you love the idea of your dog being cute around visitors, this is a trick to teach. No dog-loving visitor could refuse a handshake from a dog.
To teach this trick, hold up your hand before your dog, and they will naturally paw at it. When they do, use the clicker and give a treat. Ensure to only treat it when it paws with one hand. Repeat and add the verbal cue “shake” after a while.
5. Wave Hello and Goodbye
This trick is a sure way to also delight your visitors. If your dog has mastered this trick when you call out the accompanying verbal cue, they will perform a wavelike motion.
This trick also works by holding out your hand in front of the dog. When the dog paws at you, click and give them a treat. Repeat the process and create distance in between, where your dog only misses your hand slightly. Then, gradually increase the distance. Repeat the process and add a verbal cue until you are sure the dog has mastered this trick.
6. Stand on Hind Legs
This is a pretty easy trick that is based on your dog’s curiosity. Naturally, If you raise a stick or object over your dog’s head, they will try to reach it. Anytime they reach up for the object above their heads, click and give a treat. Keep increasing the stick’s distance and add a verbal cue.
7. Hug
You can always hug your dog without asking, but you know what works even better? Having your dog hug you back. Hugs are a trick better suited for big dogs that you can’t snuggle with just any time.
To teach this trick, you have to be more involved. Get your dog to sit square on the floor, then go in for a hug, and have the dog place their paws on your back. Click and give a treat after doing this each time. Then, add a verbal cue.
Conclusion
Most dog tricks are built over time and as a pattern. If you have the right amount of patience, your dog will learn all the fun tricks there is to learn.
Keep in mind never to apply corrections physically on your dog when training. It won’t help you get better results. A dog full of delightful tricks can only happen with a great owner.
