Training your dog at home comes with a number of perks. Being the trainer yourself, you get to have fun with the process and get creative with it. Once your dog masters some basic commands, you can teach them fun tricks that you and your dog can play with.
- Shake- This is one of the most fun and entertaining tricks you can teach your dog. Extend your hand for a handshake to your dog. It might take them a while to understand what you mean by it. Eventually they will raise their paw to your hand level. You shake their hand and then click and offer them a treat. This way your dog will be most welcoming to your guests and relatives when they come to your house.
- ‘Leave it’ – Sometimes dogs will take important or harmful objects in their mouth. That is when this command will help you rescue the said object from your dog’s mouth. Do not wait until your puppy take something of value in their mouth to enforce this command. When your puppy is playing with a toy or something of less value, say ‘leave it’. Wait for them to eventually get object of the object and drop it. Once they do, click and offer them a treat.
- Roll over- Teaching your dog to roll over may seem a little complicated at first. With attention and repeated training, your dog can easily learn this trick. Take a small trick on your hand and invite your dog towards you with it. Once he gets near you, place the treat on the floor so that he has to lower his face to a lying position to get it. Once he is lying on his stomach, slowly raise the treat above his face so that he has to roll over to get. Do this couple of times and your dog will learn how to roll over in no time.
- ‘Play dead’ – This is a fun party trick that can also be played as a game with your dog at home. It is a lot like teaching them how to stand still. You can use a clicker and some treats to teach them this trick. Wait until they are lying down and then use a clicker and give them a treat. Repeat this process a number of times and your dog will master this trick in no time.
- ‘Paw’- This is a relatively easier trick to teach your dog. Hold a treat tightly in your fist. Go near your dog while they are sitting. They will be able to smell he treat but will not be able to see it. Say ‘paw’ and once they touch your fist with their paw, open it up. Repeat it a number of times.
- ‘High five’- Your dog and you make a solid team. So, it is not enough to just have a team ‘handshake’, you will also need to have a team ‘high five’. Once your dog learns how to hand shake, you should find it easy to teach this command. Say ‘hand shake’ and wait for your dog to extend their hand to you. Once they do that, say ‘high five’ and do a clap your hand with their paw. Repeat it a number of times until they learn to do it on command.
- ‘Bow’- Teaching your dog how to ‘bow’ can be a quite graceful trick for them to learn. Dogs often bow in an attempt to stretch out their muscles. Say ‘bow’ once you find that your dog is about to do that. Then give them a treat after they bow. Repeat this a couple of times.
- ‘Catch’- This is a lot like teaching them how to play ‘fetch’. Take a treat and throw them at your dog when they are at a small distance from you. Say ‘catch’ and wait for them to catch. Repeat this everyday for a number of times. Eventually your dog will be able to catch any lightweight object you throw at them, for example, a newspaper or a sock or, a handkerchief.
- ‘Kiss’ – Dogs are loving creatures and are always ready to kiss you sloppily. However, teaching them to kiss on command may require some practice. Once your dog tries to lick your face, say ‘kiss’ and extend your face to let them kiss you. Then move your head and give them a treat.
- Stand on Hind legs- Take a treat and hold it a little high over your dogs head. They will jump and eventually try to stand on their hind legs. Say ‘stand straight’ once they do that and wait for 2 seconds. Then give them the treat. Do it a couple of times. Make sure to not make your dog stand on their hind legs for too long as it can give them muscle spasm.
- These are some of the fun tricks you can teach you ‘paw baby’ at home. Teach with love and patience and you will be surprised at how fast your pet can learn tricks.