101 Dog Tricks Read online

  TROUBLESHOOTING

  ONCE OFF LEAD MY DOG RUNS OFF!

  Do not chase your dog, as that will only encourage him. Stand your ground and demand that he come. Dogs respond to a leader.

  DO I HAVE TO ENFORCE THIS COMMAND EVERY TIME I USE IT?

  Yes. If you are not in a position to enforce it, don’t give the command. Instead just call your dog’s name or use “c’mon boy!”

  TIP! Call your dog to come for good things. Never call “come” for a bath or trip to the vet—go and get your dog instead.

  1 Reel your dog in to you.

  2 Move to a longer lead.

  3 Train off-lead in a fenced area.

  Chapter 2 Traditional Favorites

  Fetch, shake, speak, and play dead… these useful, useless, and always charming tricks have been around since cavemen first shared their bones with wolves. Regardless of a lack of titles after his name, a dog who falls to the ground on the command of “bang” or offers a polite paw to his guests will be top dog among your friends! These tricks are expected of dogs and it is your task, possibly even your duty, to teach them to your clever canine.

  The tricks in this chapter have withstood the test of time for a reason: they are simple to teach and easy to learn. They capitalize on dogs’ natural behaviors by associating familiar actions with verbal cues. Is your dog vocal? It should be simple for you to elicit a bark, associate it with a cue, and reward it. Retrievers will no doubt fetch before they are out of puppyhood, and hyper dogs will be excited to proffer a paw when encouraged to “shake.” Let’s get started teaching these traditional favorites!

  easy

  Shake Hands—Left and Right

  TEACH IT:

  When shaking hands, your polite pooch raises his paw to chest height, allowing guests to shake his paw. This skill is taught for both paws.

  1 With your dog sitting before you, hide a treat in your right hand, low to the ground. Encourage your dog to paw at it by saying “get it” and “shake.” Reward your dog with the treat the moment his left paw comes off the ground.

  2 Gradually raise the height of your hand, upping the ante, until he is lifting his paw to chest height.

  3 Transition to using the hand signal. Stand up and hold the treat in your left hand, behind your back, and extend your right hand while cuing “shake.” When your dog paws your extended hand, support his paw in the air while you reward him with the treat from behind your back.

  4 Repeat these steps on the opposite side to teach “paw.”

  WHAT TO EXPECT: Any dog can learn this trick, and it’s always an endearing gesture. Practice a couple of times per day, and always leave off on a high note. Chain these behaviors together to alternate “shake” and “paw” in quick succession.

  TROUBLESHOOTING

  INSTEAD OF PAWING AT MY HAND, MY DOG NOSES IT

  Bop his nose a little to discourage this. He may try barking, nuzzling, or doing nothing. Be patient, and keep encouraging him. If he is not lifting his paw on his own, tap or barely lift it for him and then reward.

  BUILD ON IT! Once you’ve mastered shake hands and paw, use a similar action to learn chorus line kicks (page 176) and wave goodbye (page 202).

  TIP! Use the word “good” to mark the exact instant your dog performed the desired behavior.

  STEPS:

  1 Hide a treat in your right hand, low to the ground.

  2 As your dog improves, raise your hand.

  3 Stand up and cue your dog.

  4 Hold his paw while you reward.

  easy

  Fetch/Take It

  VERBAL CUE

  Fetch (retrieval)

  Take it

  (object within reach)

  TEACH IT:

  In fetch, your dog is directed to retrieve a specified object. Take it is when he takes an object within reach into his mouth.

  FETCH:

  1 Use a box cutter to make a 1” (2.5 cm) slit in a tennis ball. Show your dog as you drop a treat inside the ball.

  2 Toss the ball playfully and encourage the dog to bring it back to you by patting your legs, acting excited, or running from him.

  3 Take the ball from your dog and squeeze it to release the treat for him. As he is unable to get the treat himself, he will learn to bring it to you for his reward.

  TAKE IT:

  1 Select a toy that your dog enjoys and playfully hand it to him while giving the verbal cue.

  2 Have him hold it only a few seconds before removing it from his mouth and trading him a treat for it. As your dog improves, extend the time he holds the object before treating. Only treat if you remove the toy from your dog’s mouth, not if he drops it on his own.

  3 Be creative! Have your dog hold a flag as he circles the field or have him carry a charming “feed me” sign. A dog holding a pipe is always good for a laugh, and a posh pooch carrying a basket of cocktail napkins is sure to impress!

  WHAT TO EXPECT: Many dogs are natural retrievers and will understand this trick within a few days.

  TROUBLESHOOTING

  MY DOG HAS NO INTEREST IN CHASING THE BALL

  Motivate your dog by acting excited and chasing the ball yourself. Bat it around or bounce it off walls. Make it a competition and race him for it.

  MY DOG GETS THE BALL AND RUNS OFF WITH IT

  Never chase your dog when he is playing keep-away. Lure him back with a treat, or run away from him to encourage him to chase you. Have a second ball to get his attention.

  BUILD ON IT! Once you’ve mastered fetch, build on it with: fetch my slippers (page 36), newspaper delivery (page 40), and directed retrieve (page 184). Build on take it with: carry my purse (page 44).

  TIP! Excessive mouthing of tennis balls can lead to tooth wear. If your dog is a chewer, give him a hard rubber toy such as a Kong.

  STEPS:

  FETCH:

  1 Make a slit in a tennis ball and drop a treat inside.

  2 Toss the ball playfully.

  3 Squeeze the ball to release the treat.

  TAKE IT:

  1 Hand your dog a favorite toy.

  2 Trade him a treat for the toy.

  3 Have your dog take and hold other objects!

  easy

  Drop It/Give

  VERBAL CUE

  Drop it

  (release to ground)

  Give

  (release to hand)

  TEACH IT:

  On the drop it cue, your dog releases the object from his mouth, dropping it onto the ground. Give is released to your hand.

  DROP IT:

  1 Is your dog food or toy motivated? Point to the ground and command your dog to “drop it.” Do not move from your location, and keep repeating the command. It may take several minutes, but when your dog finally drops the toy, reward him with food or by throwing his toy.

  GIVE:

  1 While your dog has a toy in his mouth, tell him to “give” and offer him a treat in exchange for the toy. He will have to release the toy to eat the treat, at which time you can praise him.

  2 Give your dog his toy back, so he understands that relinquishing it to you does not mean that it will be taken away.

  WHAT TO EXPECT: Dogs vary on their willingness to relinquish a toy. Build a habit of only throwing the toy if your dog relinquishes it willingly.

  TROUBLESHOOTING

  MY DOG WILL NOT RELEASE THE TOY

  Try using a less desirable toy and rewarding him with a highly desired toy when he obeys.

  SHOULD I FORCE AN OBJECT AWAY FROM HIM?

  No, as this could result in a dog bite, intentional or not. A better way to get a dog to release his grip is to pull upward on the skin on the side of his rib cage.

  BUILD ON IT! Once you’ve mastered drop it, build on it with tidy up your toys (page 46), and basketball (page 90).

  TIP! To open a dog’s mouth for exam, put your hand over the top of his muzzle, roll his lips over his teeth, and separate the jaws.

  DROP IT: 1 Point to the ground and command �
�drop it.”

  GIVE: 1 Trade a treat for your dog’s toy.

  intermediate

  Balance and Catch

  VERBAL CUE

  Wait, Catch

  TEACH IT:

  Your dog balances a treat or toy placed on his nose and, at your signal, tosses it and makes the catch.

  1 Position your dog in a sit (page 15) facing you. Gently hold your dog’s muzzle parallel to the floor and place a treat upon the bridge of his nose. In a low voice, coach him to “waaaait.”

  2 Hold this position for just a few seconds before releasing his muzzle and telling him to “catch!” Exuberant dogs will probably send the treat flying, and will have to chase it down. You’ll want to slow these dogs down by using a calm, quiet “catch.” Practice will hone their abilities until they can do it every time.

  3 If your dog is allowing the treat to fall to the floor, pretend to race him to pick it up. He will learn that he needs to catch the treat or risk losing it to you on the floor.

  4 As your dog improves, require him to balance the treat on his nose without the help of your hand on his muzzle. Placing the treat near the end of your dog’s nose is usually easiest to catch, but every dog is different.

  WHAT TO EXPECT: Some dogs will have naturally better coordination, but all dogs will benefit from the motor functions practiced in this skill.

  TROUBLESHOOTING

  HIS NOSE IS TOO SHORT!

  Although it is possible to teach this trick to pug-nosed breeds, it is more difficult. A bendable treat, such as a wet noodle, is easier to balance.

  THE TREAT FLIES THROUGH THE AIR WHEN MY DOG TRIES TO CATCH IT

  Here’s another case where you can race him for the treat to increase his motivation to catch it quickly.

  BUILD ON IT! Increase the difficulty of this trick by having your dog beg (page 28) while balancing the treat.

  1 Hold his muzzle parallel and place a treat upon it.

  4 Remove your hand while he balances the treat.

  Practice will perfect his catch!

  intermediate

  Sit Pretty/Beg

  TEACH IT:

  When “please” doesn’t work … it may be time to beg! From a sitting position, your dog raises his forequarters while keeping his rear on the floor. Your dog should sit on both hindquarters, with a straight spine, paws tucked into his chest. The alignment of his hindquarters, thorax, forequarters, and head is key to his balance.

  SMALL DOGS:

  1 Position your dog in a sit (page 15), facing you. Use a treat to lure his head up and back, while cueing him to “beg.” Allow him to nibble the treat from your fist, to entice him to stay in this position. If his hind-quarters lift off the floor, lower your treat a little, tell him to sit, and tap his bottom down.

  2 As your dog’s balance improves, move away and use the verbal cue and hand signal. After several seconds, toss the treat to your dog. Remember to reward your dog while he is in the correct position, not after he has lowered his front paws.

  BIG DOGS:

  1 Position your dog in a sit. Stand directly behind him, with your heels together and toes pointed apart.

  2 Use a treat to guide his head back and straight up, until he is upright. Steady his chest with your other hand. He will need to find his balance; as he improves, use a lighter touch on his back and chest.

  WHAT TO EXPECT: Some dogs may learn this behavior easily, while others have a much harder time establishing their balance. This trick builds thigh and lower back strength, which will benefit any dog. Your dog will sit up and beg for your praise!

  TROUBLESHOOTING

  MY DOG JUMPS AT THE TREAT

  Move slower when positioning your hand. Do not reward your dog if he jumps.

  MY DOG STANDS UP ON HIS HIND LEGS

  Keep your hand lower, and gently say “sit.” Hold the treat at face level.

  MY DOG CAN’T SEEM TO BALANCE

  This trick is easier for small dogs and round dogs. Large, long, and deep-chested dogs can learn to beg, but they need more time to find their balance.

  BUILD ON IT! Now that your dog is comfortable balancing, try teaching him to stand or walk on his hind legs!

  TIP! Set small dogs on a table for easy access while training.

  “My favorite things to roll in: wet grass, horse manure, kitty’s hairballs.”

  STEPS:

  SMALL DOGS:

  1 From a sit, lure his head up.

  Allow him to nibble the treat.

  2 As balance improves, move away.

  BIG DOGS:

  1 Steady his chest while you lure him up.

  2 Position your heels behind your dog, with your toes pointed apart.

  easy

  Speak

  TEACH IT:

  Your dog barks on cue. If your dog is barking up the wrong tree … then this is the trick for him!

  1 Observe what causes your dog to bark—a doorbell or knock, the postman, the sight of you with his leash—and use that stimulus to teach this trick. Because most dogs bark at the sound of a doorbell, we’ll use that as an example. Stand at your front door, with the door open so your dog will be able to hear the bell. Give the cue “bark” and press the doorbell. When your dog barks, immediately reward him and reinforce the cue with “good bark.” Repeat this about six times.

  2 Continuing in the same session, give the cue but don’t ring the bell. You may have to cue several times to get a bark. If your dog is not barking, return to the previous step.

  3 Try this trick in a different room. Strangely enough, this can be a difficult transition for your dog. If at any point your dog is repeatedly unsuccessful, return to the previous step.

  WHAT TO EXPECT: Provided you’ve got a reliable stimulus that causes your dog to bark, he can learn this trick in one session.

  TROUBLESHOOTING

  I’VE CREATED A BARKING MONSTER!

  Never reward your dog for a bark unless you asked for this behavior. Otherwise he’ll speak up anytime he wants something!

  I CAN’T FIND A STIMULUS TO MAKE MY DOG BARK.

  Dogs will often bark out of frustration. Tease him with a treat: “Do you want it? Speak for it!”

  BUILD ON IT! Once you’ve mastered speak, use this skill to learn my dog can count (page 180)!

  TIP! Lower your voice, with your finger to your lips, and tell your dog to “speak, whisper.” Reward a low volume sound.

  1 Ring the doorbell.

  2 Try to elicit the behavior with only the verbal cue.

  3 Change locations and cue your dog.

  intermediate

  Roll Over

  TEACH IT:

  Your dog rolls sideways on his back, completing a full rotation.

  1 Start with your dog in a down (page 16) position, facing you. Kneel down in front of him, holding a treat to the side of his head opposite the direction you wish him to roll.

  2 Move the treat from his nose toward his shoulder blade while telling him to “roll over.” This should lure your dog to roll on his side. Praise and release the treat.

  3 When you are ready to move to the next step, continue the motion with your hand as you move the treat from his shoulder blade toward his backbone. This should lure him to roll onto his back, and over to his other side. Reward the moment he lands on his opposite side.

  4 As he improves, use a more subtle hand gesture.

  WHAT TO EXPECT: Practice five to ten times per session, and in two weeks your dog could be rolling over on cue!

  TROUBLESHOOTING

  MY DOG IS SQUIRMING, BUT NOT ROLLING ONTO HIS SIDE

  It’s all about your hand position. You want his neck arched as if his nose were trying to touch his shoulder blade. Try not to physically push him to his side, as he may interpret this as a domineering action and submit.

  MY DOG ROLLS TO HIS SIDE, BUT DOES NOT CONTINUE TO ROLL ONTO HIS BACK

  In this case, help your your dog finish the rollover by gently guiding his front legs over with your hand.

&
nbsp; BUILD ON IT! Build on this skill to teach roll yourself in a blanket (page 48).

  TIP! Most dogs have a dominant side, so start by teaching a rollover in the direction your dog seems to prefer.