Dog Tricks

Why training dog tricks? 

Trick training is one other way to give your dog the enrichment and mental stimulation they need.

The Benefits of teaching your dog tricks:

• Trick training will improve your relationship with your dog
• Trick training stimulates the dog’s brain and cognition.
• Teaching your pup different tricks will also improve the communication between the two of you.
• They will learn to give their attention to you and look for your direction on what to do next rather than acting under impulse.
• Trick training is also a good way to prevent or improve undesirable behaviors like excessive barking, chewing, counter surfing, digging or jumping, to name a few. 

Many times, undesired behaviors are caused by lack of mental stimulation, exercise, boredom or even anxiety. With trick training your dog will slowly learn to replace unwanted behaviors with better and more desirable ones.

What you will get from teaching your dog tricks?

• A Happier and smarter dog
• Better relationship
• Good communication
• A dog Eager to listen
• Desirable behaviors
• Compliments from people

You will notice that with every new trick your dog learns, the more interested they become into learning new ones. Their mental and physical aptitude will increase and they will pick up new tricks even faster.

For more information about training basic behaviors or fixing behavioral problems check our page HERE.

NOVICE DOG TRICKS

• Hand Signals (3 Behaviors) – Dog will respond to any 3 hand signals given by the handler without verbal cues.

• Crawl – Dog will crawl with elbows on ground for 5 steps.

• Bar Jump – Dog will jump over a bar jump; no height requirement is required but the dog should jump and not walk over the bar. Jump may be made from anything safe around the house (Ex: broom handle and blocks, etc)

• Memory Game (3 Baskets) – This trick is a precursor to the shell game. Using 3 cups the handler will place a treat in one of the cups while the dog watches. When released by the handler to find the treat the dog will go to the correct cup and get the treat. The dog should find the treat at least twice in 2 different cups.

• Doggy Push-ups – 3 repetitions of sit, down.

• Catch a Ball/Toy – Dog will catch a thrown toy or treat in midair.

• Drop It/Give/Out  – Dog will release or drop an item on cue.

• Fetch (Bring it Near Me)

• Focus – Dog will hold eye contact with the handler for 6 seconds.

• Front  – Dog will come to front as a position change from either left or right side heel.

• Hoop Jump – Dog will jump through a hoop. Handler can hold the hoop or use a mounted hoop in a holder.

• Jump for Joy – Dog will jump straight up in air with all 4 paws off the ground on cue. Dog should not be leaning or using handler for support.

• Leave It – Dog will leave treat/food/toy until released by the handler for 10 seconds. 

• Paws in a Box – This is a confidence-building dog trick for your dog as you coax them to place their paws in a box.

• Peekaboo/Center Position – Training this dog trick your pup will learn to come between the handler’s legs while they are standing (dog and handler both facing the same direction).

• Platform Jump – (2 platforms). With the dog on a platform (can be improvised), the dog jumps to a second platform of similar height without touching the ground in between platforms. The distance should be wide enough that the dog clearly jumps rather than simply stepping to the next platform.

• Ring a Bell to Go Outside – The dog will ring a bell hanging from the door to go outside. Dog may use his nose or paw to ring.

• Speak – Dog will bark or speak on cue.

• Paws Up on an Object – Dog will place both front paws on an object on cue. There is no height requirement for the object.

• Send to Pedestal – When cued dog will place all 4 feet on a raised pedestal. Pedestal may be any height or material but should be raised off the floor and be at least 3 feet from the handler. Dog should remain on it for at least 5 seconds.

• Stand – Dog will move from a sit or down and into a standing position. 

• Wall Stand – Dog will place front feet on wall on cue and hold position for 3 seconds. A tree, chair or other vertical object may be used.

• Which Hand Holds the Treat? – Dog will correctly identify which hand holds a treat two times in a row. Dog may indicate the treat with nose or paw.

INTERMEDIATE DOG TRICKS

• Balance on a block – Dog will balance on a small block or brick. The item should be half the length of the dog or less as measured from the point of the chest to the point of the hip.

• Baton jumping/jump a handheld bar – Dog will safely jump over a hand held bar. This can be a broom, pole, etc. No height requirement but dog should jump and not walk over bar.

• Carry my purse 7 sec – Dog will carry a purse, bag or other similar item in mouth for 7 seconds

• Chute tunnel – With a little help, your dog will be confidently pushing his way through a closed fabric chute. Chute can be any length but should have a “closed” end where the dog does not see the opening. 

• Close a door – On cue dog will close a door, drawer or cabinet using a nose or paw to push the item closed.

• Crawl tunnel – Dog  crawls with elbows on ground through a low tunnel at least two body lengths. Tunnel can be made from chairs or other household items.

• Discern objects by name – Dog will learn to identify toys or other objects by name from a group of 4 or more objects. Retrieving the objects is not required but a definitive indication of the objects with a mouth hold, nose or paw touch is needed.
• Emergency stop: – Dog will learn to stop in forward movement and hold position when cued by the handler. Dog should be trotting  as the handler gives the cue and should stop when the cue is given.

• Retrieve to hand – Dog will learn to retrieve an object to handler’s hand on cue. Object may be thrown or previously placed by the handler. Object can be anything including a ball, or toy.

• Hand signals (6 behaviors) – Dog will perform 6 hand signals as cued by the handler. No verbal cues should be given.

• Leg Weave – Training this dog trick you pup will learn to weave between handler’s legs as the handler walks forward. Handler and dog should move at least 4 steps.

• Hold object in mouth 5 sec – The dog will hold any object in their mouth for 5 seconds. The handler may not hold the dog’s head or touch the dog during the hold.

• Look left/Look right – With the dog in a sit or down facing away from the handler and handler (behind the dog facing away from the dog )the dog and handler both look over their shoulders mirroring each other looking back left and right in any order. 
• Mail carrier – Dog will take a note, piece of mail or envelope in his mouth from the handler and deliver item to another person’s hand. Distance can be 3-5 feet for the dog to travel with the note. 

• Jump wraps – Dog will wrap to the left and right over a bar jump in any order. Low jump height is fine. Dog will complete one wrap after the other as the handler cues each wrap.

• Paw wrap around object – The dog learns to wraps one paw around a cane or similar non-stable object on cue (broom, mop, rifle, etc.) and to hold it for 5 seconds. This trick is a precursor for the the advanced trick Hug an Object. 

• Pick a card from a deck – Handler will have a deck of cards with several cards fanned out at dog’s level and the dog will take a card into his mouth from the deck on cue and give the card to the handler.
• Rollover – On cue the dog will roll over in either direction.
• Shell game – Shell game (nose a correct pail): Handler will place 3 pails out with a treat under 1 cup. Handler will shuffle the cups and then cue dog to find the correct pail with the treat. Dog should indicate the correct pail with his nose.

• Open a door – Dog will open a door using a rope or tug.

• Peekaboo – As the handler is standing the dog will come behind the handler and between the handler’s legs and stay in that position as the handler walks forward five feet.

• Sit pretty – Teaching this dog trick your pup will sit up on his rear legs as if to beg.

• Figure-8’s Through My Legs – With the handler standing and with legs spaced apart the dog will weave between each of the handlers legs with two rotations.

• Honk a bike horn – When cued by the handler the dog will honk a bike horn using either a paw or nose press or his mouth.  Dog should honk the horn at least twice.

• Target mark (go to flat/low mark)- On handler’s cue the dog will go to target 5 feet from the handler and wait in any position for five seconds until released.

ADVANCED DOG TRICKS

• Back up – Dog learns to back up 5 feet. Dog may be in front of the handler facing the handler or in heel position moving backward with the handler.
• Bow – On handler’s cue the dog will bow with elbows on the ground while the rear end stays in standing position. Dog should hold the bow position for 4 seconds.

• Distance work – The dog will perform any three behaviors at a distance of 10 feet from the handler. The dog can be on a pedestal or on the floor. Examples of behaviors to perform: down, sit, spin left or right, stand, sit pretty, etc.

• Double hoop circle (2 hoops at my sides, dog circles me) – The handler will stand while holding two round hoops that are appropriate size for the dog. The handler will stand with the hoops held out on both sides. The dog will circle the handler and jump through the hoops as the handler holds the hoops. The dog should go through the hoops twice.

• Drop on recall – the handler will cue/signal the dog to come. The dog must come directly at a brisk trot. After the dog has traveled a few feet the handler will give a cue/signal to drop, and the dog must drop immediately to a complete down position. The dog must remain down until the handler gives the command or signal to come.

• Food Retrieval – When prompted by the handler the dog will retrieve a food item such as a raw egg, a hot dog, a slice of bacon, etc and deliver the food item to the handler. The dog should not eat or chew on the item. Dog should retrieve ~ 6 ft.
• Phone (get phone when it rings) – Upon hearing a phone ringer noise (electronic, actual ring or handler saying ring/ring) the dog will pick up the phone and bring it to the handler.
• Fetch the leash – Your dog will fetch-to-hand his leash from its regular spot, when it’s time for a walk. Leash should be at least 6 feet away from handler and delivered to hand.

• Head down or chin rest – On cue the dog will place his chin down on an object such as the floor, a pillow of the handler’s palm. The dog should hold the position for at least 5 seconds.

• Heel at side with auto sit – When cued by the handler the dog will heel on either side of the handler for 20 feet and automatically sit when the handler stops.

• Hide yourself – The dog will learn to move on cue away from the handler and go hide behind an object or inside a box.
• Hide your head – Are you playing hide-and-seek? Have your dog hide her head under a cushion.
• Hug a toy or object: With the dog in a sit the dog will place his front paws around an object such as a cane or the handler’s leg and hug the object.
• Jump into my arms – With the handler standing the dog will jump into the handler’s arms to be caught.
• Fetch mail from the mailbox – The dog will learn to open the lid and fetch mail.
• Fetch a soda from the fridge – The dog will learn to go the fridge, open the door and bring a soda to the handler than close back the door.

• Pick up flat item and give to handler – On cue the dog will pick up a flat item like a credit card or coin from the floor and deliver it to the handler.

• Play dead – Training this dog trick your dog will learn to lie on his side or on his back in a playing dead position on cue and wait until released.

• Play the piano – Dog will use use paws or nose to push piano keys to make sounds with 2-3 swipes on the keys. Any toy piano can be used.
• Pull a wagon with a rope – With a rope attached to a wagon or cart the dog will pull the item 5 continuous steps.
• Remove socks/slippers – One cue the dog will remove the handler’s socks or slippers and deliver them to hand.
• Say your prayers – One cue the dog places his front paws on a chair or the handler’s arm and then places his head between his front feet in a head bowed position. The dog should hold the position for 5 seconds.

• Spin a tide circle on a pedestal – With all 4 feet on a small block the dog will spin 360 degrees on cue. The block shall be narrower than the space between the back and front feet of the dog standing on the ground naturally. The dog should not sit while turning.

• Tap light – On cue the dog will use his paw or nose to activate a desk bell, tap light, or button. Using one or two feet is allowed with purposeful foot placement.
• Tidy up toys in a box – Training this dog trick your pup will learn to place his toys in a box on cue.
• Turn the page/reading – Dog turns pages of a book using their nose to flip the pages, like they are reading. Dog should show turning 2-3 pages.
• Turn on/off light switch – On cue the dog will turn on/ off the light switch with his paw.
• Wave – On cue the dog will raise his front paw in a wave.
• Wipe your paws on door mat – The dog will wipe his front paws on a door mat, rug or towel on cue.

Certified Trick Dog Instructor – CTDI

Cristina Galanek

More dog tricks! Do more with you dog!

More resources HERE!