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What Are The Best Dog Tricks to Teach Your Dog?

When it comes to dog tricks to teach your dog, the old saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, couldn’t be further from the truth.

Dogs are exceedingly intelligent creatures and thrive on learning new things, generally speaking. Provided you have the right attitude, time and patience, the world, or in this case your dog’s world, is pretty much your oyster.

There are many things to learn, some people call them tricks, and others consider it general obedience. So let’s take a look at some of the top tricks to teach your furry friend, how to teach some tricks and just about teaching your dog in general.

What is the most effective dog training method?

Positive reinforcement has been proven to be very effective and is the most popular and widely recommended method for teaching dog cues and behaviours. Positive reinforcement involves only rewarding the behaviour you like and simply ignoring unwanted behaviours.

How many commands should a dog know?

You can train them on more than one command in a day but try to stick to just one for each session. An exception might be if the session is not going well and you want to get your dog to do something it knows so that the session will end on a positive note. There is no limit to how many commands you can teach your dog, so let’s see what tricks your dog can master.

Top 20 Easy Tricks to Teach Your Dog

  1. Paw

  2. Shake hands

  3. Spin

  4. Kiss

  5. Speak

  6. Fetch

  7. Roll over

  8. Stand up

  9. Crawl

  10. Slalom

  11. Pick up toys

  12. Wave

  13. Laydown

  14. Handstand

  15. Play Soccer

  16. Leap

  17. Jump through hoop

  18. Beg

  19. Leash

  20. Bow

What are the 7 basic dog commands?

When it comes to the basic commands your dog should know, these few simple obedience related terms are not only good for your pooch to learn but will also save you from many varying disasters in the future.

  1. Sit. This command is one of the easiest to teach and is usually the first command introduced to a dog or puppy. Learning this command also helps the dog learn how to respond to training.

  2. Down. Another practical command is down (lay down). This is great for all dogs, but especially for large dogs.

  3. Stay: The “stay” command comes in handy when you need your pup to stay put while you go to answer the door or sit down to wrap holiday gifts.

  4. Come: considered one of the most essential of commands. The “come” command protects him or her from traffic, neighbours, and encounters with other dogs.

  5. Off: This command is preferred to teach your dog that jumping on people or climbing on the furniture is inappropriate.

  6. Don’t Touch: Teach them to let go of found treasures when you say “don’t touch” or “leave it.”

  7. Heel: There are many different training strategies you can use to teach your dog to walk by your side, and to stop and sit when you stop moving.

Let's See How You Can Teach Some of The Tricks

Now that we have covered some of the basics of starting out and the more common commands, let us walk you through some of the tricks you can start learning and teaching your dog today.

How do you teach a dog its name?

When you call your puppies name, it should be a cue for them to stop, turn toward and acknowledge you, give you their undivided attention and wait for further instruction.

To do this, you must only use your puppies name in a positive way, utilising positive reinforcement when they pay you attention and refrain from using their name for any other purpose.

How do I teach my dog to roll over and play dead?

Teaching this trick isn’t too difficult if your dog has mastered the Down and Stay commands. A great way to spend one on one time with your pooch and possibly a great party trick, simply by following these simple steps:

  1. Instruct “Down,” and then kneel and rub your dog’s belly until he’s calm.

  2. Gently roll your dog onto his side and praise him, always using positive reinforcement.

  3. Start giving a special command, it can be anything you want, however make sure it is the same command every time you use it, for example “Bang bang” or the basic “play dead”.

The Stay command should already be familiar to your puppy. If he lifts his head, lovingly rest it back on the floor and command “Stay.”

When your dog cooperates, introduce the special command you have decided on.

Extend the time your dog is playing dead until you can get up to a minute or two.

Now, instruct “Stay” and stand up calmly. Once you’re able to stand, vary the time you pause before releasing and praising your dog, again using positive reinforcement and a treat or two.

What is the sit command for dogs?

The foundation of training should be based on positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is the process of giving a dog (or person!) a reward to encourage the behavior you want.

It is important to remember that we can’t expect dogs to know what they don’t know – just like you wouldn’t expect a 2-year-old child to know of teaching how to tie his shoes.

The most common method is for teaching the sit command for dogs is referred to as capturing.

Hold a treat close to your dog's nose. Move your hand up, allowing his head to follow the treat and causing his bottom to lower. Once he's in sitting position, say “Sit,” give him the treat, and share affection.

You can also assist your puppy by placing gently pressure over his/her hind end when asking them to sit, this allows them to complete an action alongside what you are saying. Once again, reinforce their acceptance and obedience with a goodie.

What is the hardest trick to teach your dog?

The degree of difficulty when it comes to training your dog apparently relies on the breed, sex, and last but certainly not least, the dog owner themselves. Yet any and every dog, should get the opportunity, time and love to be shown a trick or two.

Then comes the dilemma of deciding what the hardest trick to teach your dog is. So we have come up with a list of the top 5 hardest tricks to teach your dog for you.

  1. Sing / bark

  2. Use the toilet

  3. Skateboard

  5. Handstand

What is the easiest trick to teach a dog?

The easiest trick to teach a dog, believe it or not, is to shake paws. Teaching a dog to shake hands is generally pretty easy because some dogs naturally raise their paw when asking for a treat.

Hold a treat just out of reach in front of your dog while it is sitting. While repeating the phrase "shake hands," tap one of your dog's front feet with your hand that is not holding the treat. Most dogs will raise their paw to try to get the treat.
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