Top 20 Coolest Tricks to Teach Your Dog
#20: Jump Rope
Most modern kids aren’t overly interested in skipping rope. Rather than let this time-honored piece of exercise collect dust in the closet, why not use it to help keep your pup active? This is definitely an advanced trick, but the wow factor is off the charts. First, you’ll need to teach your dog to leap on command — which we’ll be addressing later in the video. Armed with this tool, a lot of the hard work remains yours to do. Tie one end of the rope to a fixed point. After getting the dog comfortable with the rope, complete a full loop and give your dog the leap command. It’ll be slow-going at first, but you can eventually work up to full speed.
#19: Speak / Be Quiet
As Spider-Man knows, “with great power comes great responsibility.” In this case, you’re encouraging your dog to use their powerful vocal chords and taking on the responsibility of seeing this training through to the end. Quit halfway through, and you risk having a dog that barks nonstop! First, teach them to “speak” by giving the command then providing them a trigger that would usually cause them to bark — like a knock at the door. Reward your four-legged friend and repeat. Eventually, you can eliminate the trigger. Now comes the “quiet” command. The key here is to give the dog a treat that’s even more high value than what they get for speaking and get them to sniff it in your hand so they stop barking.
#18: Play Dead
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This is a trick that you see a lot of canine actors perform in movies and television shows, but is totally doable by the average dog. The dog falls over onto their side and then stays there until released. The sky’s limit in terms of fun verbal commands like “hit the dirt” or “fire in the hole”. You can also train your dog to make it seem like they’re playing dead to avoid something they dislike with a cue like “bath time”. You can also incorporate hand motions to make it more interesting. An example would be the ever-popular shooting hand motion combined with a “bang” verbal command!
#17: Roll Over
This is one of those tricks that some dogs take to quickly, while for others, the movement is simply too awkward to feel natural. But with perseverance and enough treats, any dog can learn to roll with the best of them. Note: for this trick, your dog will already need to be good at lying down on command. By holding a treat in your hand and rotating it around their head, you can lead them through the roll. Move in baby steps and be sure to reward them at various logical points as their body goes through the progression. This will help them internalise the movement!
#16: Look at the Camera
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It’s hard enough getting friends and family to pose for a photo. So what hope is there for your dog? Actually, this is one of the easier tricks on our list. But if you like sharing photos of your furry friend on social media, the payoff is massive. Dogs tend to be very treat-focused. If you show them a treat, their eyes will fixate on that hand. So draw your pup’s attention to a high-value treat, make them stay, and then hold the treat next to your phone or camera while giving the command “look” or “say cheese!” Sure enough, they’ll stare at the treat and begin to form an association between the command and the phone or camera.
#15: Leap
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Don’t have a jump rope lying around? No worries! You can still teach your dog how to jump on command and this has a lot of potential applications, including jumping through and over objects. The “leap” command is a prerequisite to the aforementioned jump rope trick and is actually the more challenging portion of the training. It begins with a simple “sit” command. Next, a high-value treat is introduced and held above the dog’s head, at which point the “jump” command is given. They’re unlikely to jump at first, but they should be rewarded for any upward motion they make in response to the command. As they begin to get the hang of going for the treat, raise your arm higher to encourage a true jump. Feel free to demonstrate with a jump of your own!
#14: Spin
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This is an easy one that dogs always seem to enjoy. And it makes sense, many dogs spin of their own accord when excited. Without giving your dog any initial command (like “sit” or “stay”), hold a treat relatively low above your dog’s head, making sure they notice it. Without opening your hand, move the treat in a circular motion. Without any command telling them to stay put, they should follow the treat in a circular pattern. When they complete a full circle, praise and reward them. Once they get the idea, add the verbal “spin” command, and your pup will soon be spinning with the best of them. Just don’t overdo it… dogs can get dizzy too!
#13: Peek-a-Boo
Fact: Dogs are cute. But when they act like people, they’re even cuter. Teaching your dog to play peek-a-boo, be shy or “cover their eyes” is not only adorable, but also relatively easy. The most common method is to lightly place a piece of tape or sticker on their forehead or nose, and then they go to swipe it off, say your chosen command and praise them. The tape shouldn’t be pushed on, just lightly placed! Your dog’s comfort should always come first. Alternative methods involve guiding the hand in a variation of paw, or tickling their nose with something instead of using tape.
#12: Army Crawl
There’s something truly adorable about seeing your pup crawl around like it’s pulling off some sort of covert op. Before your dog can learn to slink along the floor like it’s in the military, it’ll need to have a solid foundation of “down”. If your dog pops up from this position before its release, revisit their fundamentals. Once you have the dog lying down, begin encouraging them forward using a high-value treat. If they start to pop up, reaffirm the initial down command. It takes time, but they’ll eventually figure out that they can get the treat without getting up. The moment they do it correctly, shower them with praise. Then, steadily increase the distance of the treat and start using the “crawl” verbal cue.
#11: Take a Bow
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Half standing, half lying down, but infinitely more charming than either, the “take a bow” command is sure to delight anyone who witnesses it. Because the movement is similar to lying down, however, it can be a bit tricky for your pup to figure out. So as always, be patient! Start with your dog in a standing position. Hold the treat in front of their nose and then begin lowering it towards the ground. The timing of this is a bit challenging because you need to praise and reward them the moment they hit the transitional point before they actually lie down. By keeping the treat close to their body, you’ll encourage them to bow rather than just lying down.
#10: Smile
Looking at the camera is all well and good, but if you really want to impress people with your pet photography, you’ve got to capture your dog’s winning smile. Okay, this is far more likely to make people laugh than actually result in an award-winning photo, but it’s still a fun trick. To get your dog to show its teeth on command, you’re first going to have to get them comfortable with clicker training - otherwise called “mark and reward”. Then, you touch the dog’s whiskers or cheek, which usually involuntarily causes them to show their teeth — if only a little bit. Hit the clicker and reward them with a treat! Not all dogs will react accordingly, however, and so you may initially need to lift their jowls for them.
#9: Balance a Treat
For many dogs, self-control is the toughest aspect of training. But a dog that can control his or herself in close proximity to food is a pleasure to be around. Show your pup the ultimate exercise in self-control by teaching them to balance a treat on their nose. Begin by training your dog to wait patiently as you hold a treat in your outstretched palm directly in front of their nose, and only taking the treat when you give the command. Then, transfer the responsibility of holding the treat over to them. There will be some pretty hilarious failed attempts along the way, but don’t give up!
#8: High Five
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After sit, stay and down, most dogs learn to give a paw or “shake”. And while paw is certainly cute, aren’t you always wishing they could do something with a little more enthusiasm? Too often, a dog just seems so indifferent about the paw they’re giving. Well, with a few minor adjustments, you can turn that floppy paw into an awesome high five that’s sure to impress. Note: your dog should already know how to give paw before attempting this trick. Then by simply presenting your hand flat towards the dog in a stop motion, they will be forced to adapt and match your position.
#7: Dance
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We’ve all been there. You’re home, feeling blue, and need a pick-me-up. There’s only one solution - spontaneous dance party! But no one likes dancing alone. You glance over at your dog, and they give you a look that says “Me?” Go for it! There are lots of fancy twists, spins and jumps you can add to the routine over time, but in the short term, just have fun with it! It all starts with getting your dog comfortable on their hind legs. Trainers claim that dancing is confidence building for anxious or shy dogs, as it’s a trick that encourages movement and excitement in an appropriate manner.
#6: Kiss
Some dogs are lickers. Others not so much. While an overly affectionate dog can be a bit much, other times you just want your dog to give you kisses! Put a little dab of a sticky treat like peanut butter on your cheek and give your dog the okay to lick it. If you want the kiss to be a smaller one, make sure to have already introduced the “gentle” command, which encourages them to use a smaller mouth when taking treats. You can also use a clicker and reinforce the organic kisses they already give you. While this is a fun command that’s just all-around adorable, it serves a double purpose because you ultimately get to control the slobber factor!
#5: Lights Off
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This is an advanced trick. But get it down successfully and we guarantee that you’ll ascend to legend status amongst friends and family. For this trick, your dog needs to be able to reach the lightswitch with their paw while on their hind legs. If not, they’ll need a platform of some sort. There are a few different approaches you can take, but essentially you want to draw the dog’s attention to the light switch with a treat and get them to interact with it using their paw. Some people choose to begin with a dummy lightswitch and work up to one at actual wall height. It takes a lot of patience, but it’s worth it.
#4: Open & Close Doors
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This next one might seem a little daunting at first, but the key is to take it in small steps. It’ll take time, but it will be well worth the look on a houseguest’s face when your dog enters the room through a fully closed door! Again, start with something familiar. Take their rope toy, and connect it to a door handle. Encourage them to tug on it. When they manage to pull the doorknob and open the door, you should walk through the doorway, call for them to follow, and then shower them with praise. Just don’t put one on any door you might not want your dog to open!
#3: Fetch Me a Drink!
This is one of the more absurdly elaborate tricks you can teach your dog. But once they have learned to do the trick consistently, jaws will literally hit the floor whenever they perform it. Fetch is a popular game between dog and master, and a way to exercise your pet - but teaching a dog to fetch you a cold beverage goes beyond the ambitions of most dog owners. For this trick, your dog will already need to know how to open doors with a pull-string, hold objects and fetch on command. Then, you just add them together! Now, if we could only train a dog to mix a decent mojito…
#2: Backflips
If your dog can fetch, they can also learn to leap high in the air to catch a Frisbee or ball. Dogs, when properly exercised, are impressive athletes, capable of pretty incredible feats of agility. Teach your dog to spice up that massive leap by training them to perform a backflip. This trick is only for dogs that are in excellent shape and are not prone to back or leg injuries, as it requires a lot of strength. So if you’ve got an overweight or elderly dog, stick with one of the less physically intense tricks on the list!
#1: Skateboard
It might be hard to believe, but your dog can skateboard. And if you don’t skateboard, they can probably skateboard better than you. Thanks to their four legs, dogs are much better at maintaining their balance than us two-legged beasts, and this translates to their ability to do board sports, whether on land or water. Although for surfing, you will need to know how to do it first! The hardest part about teaching your dog to skateboard is getting them comfortable with being on a moving object. The basis of this comes first from teaching your dog to stay in a standing position on the unmoving board. Just make sure you keep them off busy streets and steep hills!
