Teaching your dog new tricks has many benefits ranging from building the bond between you and your pet to impressing family and friends. Learning to communicate with your dog and ask them the right way to do this is a skill, and teaching your pup some awesome tricks can help them grow and learn to be the best dog they can be. Dogs are curious and intelligent creatures who want to please us. Teaching your dog a great trick can be extremely fun and rewarding, and you can feel good about having a top-tier relationship with your dog.
Here are some top tricks you can teach your dog:
Bark on command
To get your pup to bark on command, attach a bark with a word you want them to relate to the task. . To do this, you will want to be prepared with a tasty treat or toy, something to reward them with. When they bark, you will want to “mark the bark” with a basic dog command such as SPEAK!, then reward them. You will continue marking the behavior with the word and reward until the dog gets that “when I bark when I hear the word, I get a reward.”
This is not only one of the easiest tricks a cool thing to show friends and family, but it is also a great way to get your dog to stop barking. Once your dog barks on command, you can praise them for only barking ONCE and decide not to praise them when they bark not on command. The positive reinforcement and lots of praise will drive your dog to please. And the good news, Spot will love this fun game.
Roll over
Rolling over is a super cute move, and besides, who DOESN’T like a dog who can roll over? To teach your dog to roll over, they’ll have to know to sit and lie down first because there are a couple of parts to getting them to roll over. The first step is asking your dog to lie down first, and the next step will be getting them to roll. You can use dog treats to lure their nose over their shoulder; once the dog actively follows the treat, you can pull it further over their shoulder until they have to lay on their side to sniff it.
Once they have done that, you can remove the treat over their shoulder until they “roll.” Don’t forget to reward the behavior with plenty of praise, your voice, and a treat. It would help if you said “roll over” AS the dog rolls over so that your dog connects the word to the action. They will be rolling on command in no time!
Play dead
if your pup already knows how to lie down, then playing dead will be picked up in no time. This super fun trick will get any audience’s attention, even your mother-in-law’s. To teach your dog to play dead, you’ll want to ask them to go into the down position. You can use a treat (similar to teaching them to roll over) until they are on their side. Then you’ll want to pair this action with a cue word.
Most people use the verbal command “bang,” and you’ll want to use this word as a reward when they get on their side to play “dead.” Sooner or later, they’ll know that when you say “bang” and they get on their side to play dead, they get rewarded! And we know how much your dog loves a treat.
Spin
This simple trick is super easy for an attentive and treat-motivated dog. To begin, you’ll want to have your dog follow a treat around the house for a second to ensure their following is on point! Then you’ll want to use the treat to turn your dog’s head to one side, so they have to spin in a circle to follow the treat. As you pull the treat in a circle and the dog follows it, you’ll want to add a word such as SPIN.
That way they know that the word spin is associated with their action. Eventually, you won’t have to have them follow the treat. They’ll know that spin means spin! Some people even differentiate which way they want their dog to spin, which requires a different marker word for each direction, such as “spin left” or “spin right.”
Take a bow
This is so much fun, and everyone who passes on the street will rave about what a lovely lady or gentleman your dog is. This is where your dog puts their front side on the ground and leaves its rear end in the air. It looks like they are taking a bow and saying, “yes, your majesty.” Though our dogs are not peasants, this is a surefire way to impress people.
Believe it or not, bowing is a natural behavior for dogs, so it’s not too difficult to get them to do this on command. You will want to start with them standing and put a treat directly between their front legs. They will likely drop their front end to the ground to follow the treat, and when they do, you will want to say “Bow” and give them pleasure. You will repeat this until they associate the word with the action, and you’ll have a bowing pup in no time!
Dog crawl
This is one of the best dog tricks and if WW3 breaks out and your family has to escape rapidly, your dog will know how to army crawl, so that’s a plus. To teach this trick, you’ll have your dog get into the down position, take a treat in front of their nose and crawl on the ground backward. Stay low to the floor so your dog can also get the treat. Mark the behavior with whatever word you want to use, and BAM! You have an army crawling WW-3 escaping dog.
Shake
The easiest way to do this is to put some high-quality treats in one hand in a closed fist, and your dog is likely to paw at it. When they paw, say “PAW” or “SHAKE” or whatever awesome word you decide to use to mark the behavior. Once again, it’s the behavior, the marker word, and then the treat. When people ask me what is the easiest trick to teach my dog, this is it. Your pup will know how to shake hands in no time. Maybe you could put it on social media? Your dog will be a star.
Leap me
This is the coolest one of them all. You can do this at the park and wow all the little kids. You will be the most fantastic dog owner on the block! You can start by having your dog jump over a stick. To do this, lay a stick on the ground and use a treat to lure your dog over it. As they cross it, use your verbal cue … let’s say it’s LEAP!
Then as they learn what leap means, you will want to get another person to help with the next part. Have that person use a treat to lure the dog over you as you kneel (or have them kneel, which is excellent!) Your dog will learn how to leap over you in no time and will learn to do it on command.
Come when called
Despite the WOW factor of all of these tricks, coming when called is far and few between, and when your dog comes running upon hearing their name, people will be impressed. Many people don’t take the time to hone in on their dog’s recall, so when they come running, people will indeed say, HOW DID YOU DO THAT? He listens so well! You can feel proud about having a dog that comes immediately after hearing its name. Plus, it’s a good idea to teach this trick, it will stop some of their mischief.
What is a coolest dog trick to teach your dog?
I would say the most incredible trick to teach your dog is teaching them to find or fetch something. This includes (but is not limited to) fetching the newspaper, finding the car keys, or fetching a beer from the fridge (you’ll need a coozie on the beer and a rag tied to the handle of the fridge so they can open it). Each of these tricks is taught similarly. What you do is:
Introduce the dog to the item
Take it and get your dog accustomed to it, and “play” with it to show them they can easily carry it in their mouth without encouraging them to rip it. Please don’t leave the item in their mouth for too long. Make sure they know they can carry it.
Teach them to release it
The next step is to teach them to give the item to you, and when they do, you give them a treat. Continue doing this for extended periods until the dog can carry the thing for a while, then return it without a hassle.
Add a command
Now you’ll want to add a command word such as “fetch ___,” and when you pick it up, give it to your dog, and take it from your dog by saying the command. This way, they will connect the action with the command. Don’t forget their treat! Once that has been completed a couple of times and mastered, you will create more and more distance until the dog goes all the way to get the item and bring it to you hassle-free.
Conclusion: Benefits of teaching your dog tricks
There are many benefits of teaching your dog tricks. These include teaching your dog patience and focus and increasing the fun you have together. Teaching them tricks can increase their confidence, release excess energy, improve mental stimulation and promote bonding. Working on tricks with your dog can even help reduce anxiety! Remember, teaching your dog new behaviors takes time. But with work, your dog will perform your favorite tricks. In no time, advanced tricks will be a piece of cake. There are countless benefits to working with your dog, and we all deserve to enjoy each other’s company and feel calm and connected to our dogs since we share this world.
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