Dogs are lovable animals and as an owner, you will know how smart (and how stupid) they can be from time to time. Although they can do silly things, it is important to know that dogs are actually very smart animals and can quickly pick on commands and cues. In particular, they are very good at learning tricks, especially when there’s food involved. If you have the patience and the knowledge you can train your dog to do all sorts of tricks. All the way from the standard “sit” to the immense “backflip”. If you are giving them correct praise and cues, they will follow your commands.
However, some tricks are more impressive than others and that is something we can all agree on. I used to know a dog that would play dead if you pretended to point a gun sign at him and I thought it was awesome. I never asked how they taught home how to do that though, which is a shame. Nonetheless, we have put together a little guide showing you some of the coolest tricks you can teach your dog. Some are basic whereas others are a little more complicated.
Here are our top 5!
Shake
This is a common one that everybody has seen at some point in their life. I used to have a dog that could do this even before I taught him. I have no idea where he learned it but he was quite a smart dog so maybe he just already knew. Nonetheless, the trick is where the dog will shake your hand in exchange for a treat or attention. It is very easy to teach and doesn’t require that much time.
You can start by holding your hand out with a load of treats inside it. Naturally, the dog will start to paw at the hand and you should attempt to grab the paw and say an acoustic cue, like “paw”. Shake their paw and then reward them with a treat. Repeat this process until you have them sticking their paw up to shake automatically.
Kiss
This one is very cute and is a trick that you can teach in one sitting. My girlfriend’s dog can do this and he will even jump and give you a kiss just so you throw his toys. This trick involves a lot of treats, a piece of sticky tape and a clicker. When you have to do is sit down with your dog and then stick a piece of sticky tape to your finger. Rub a treat on the paper and then present it to your dog. Your dog will lick the paper. At this point, click the clicker and reward your dog with a treat.
As time goes on, move the sticky tape towards your face until you stick it to your face and have your dog lick the paper a few times with reward. You will then be able to remove the paper and encourage the dog to lick your face, followed by a reward. After training, all you will have to do it make a click sound and your dog will give you a lovely kiss! You can even train them to kiss the cat if you want a laugh.
Bark
A loud barking dog is never a fun dog to have round the house. However, if you could teach your dog to bark on command, it would be very cool. There are also variations of this trick with loud barks and quiet barks. There are some videos on YouTube of dogs having the ability to bark quietly, which is a hard trick to teach.
With this trick, you will have to hold a treat out in front of your dog and will have to wait until they bark. This may take a while but eventually, they will become agitated. When they bark at you, say “speak” and reward them for the bark. Keep doing this until you have them barking on cue. It will be as they’re speaking to you!
Spin
This is a more advanced trick but is really cool and might make your dog a little bit dizzy, so don’t do it in excess. This trick involves teaching your dog to spin on their feet in whatever direction you want. It will definitely impress your friends and is relatively easy to teach.
With this trick, you have to get a treat and allow your pet to sniff your hand with it inside. This will let them know there is something inside. Then, lead your dog in a circle on their axis until they have a made a full 360-degree turn. During the spin, make sure you say the word “spin” and a directional cue. This will be useful later when you want to do this without treats. Continue to do this until you have them spinning quickly and fluidly. It might take a while for them to act on this with cue but with persistence, it can be achieved easily.
Play Dead
As I mentioned in the beginning, there was a dog I once knew that could do this and it was so fun to watch. They would just fall on their back and stick their arms in the air. It was cute and I had no idea how they taught him that. However, I do now. It is a difficult trick to teach and you will need to be experienced in dog teaching. Here is the method.
What you’re going to want to do is ask your dog to sit and then get a treat and hold it in your hand. As a side note, if your dog knows how to roll, this is a lot easier. Then, form a gun sign with your fingers and point it at the dog saying “bang”. When you do this, gently roll your dog from a sitting position to a lying position and reward them. Keep doing this for as long as you can and eventually, they will fall over as soon as you say “bang”.
Summing it up
Having a dog is a treat and it can be incredibly exciting to start teaching them tricks. Dogs are very smart animals and with the right incentives and cues, you can teach your dog just about anything. All that is requires is a little persistence and the right knowledge. The tricks are some of the coolest but not some of the most difficult, as they will require some advanced experienced. With the tips above, you will be able to impress your friends and increase the bond with your dog.
