12 Easy Tricks to Teach Your Dog

Teaching your dog fun tricks is about more than just impressing your friends. Teaching a dog tricks can:

1. 1. Strengthen your relationship with your pet. When you spend time training your dog, you can increase your bond with each other, improving obedience and behavior.
2. 2. Teach your dog patience. Dog training is all about patience and repetition, and teaching your dog tricks can help them learn how to wait patiently (or work) for a reward.
3. 3. Help expend your dog’s excess energy. For especially hyperactive dogs, tricks can help use up their energy and give them dedicated time to exercise and move around, which can lead to a decrease in destructive or annoying behaviors.

Teaching your dog new tricks can strengthen their obedience and encourage good behavior. Here’s a list of fun, easy dog tricks you can teach your pet:

1. 1. Sit: The “sit” command is one of the easiest tricks your dog can learn and serves as the basis for many other simple tricks like “shake” and “stay.” To teach this trick, keep your foot on your dog’s leash, allowing them only a little room to move but not enough to jump up. Hold a treat above their head so that they move into the sit position naturally, then say “sit.” Repeat and reward until your dog understands the sit command.
2. 2. Stay: Teaching your dog the stay command can help keep them safe and calm while developing their impulse control. This trick also helps forge a trusting relationship between an owner and their pet. A dog who knows how to stay is less likely to jump on people, dash out the front door, or go where they’re not supposed to, which, along with safety, can provide owners with peace of mind. You can teach your pooch the stay command by using short training sessions, a stern vocal cue, and positive reinforcement to make sure they understand when they need to stay put.
3. 3. Shake paws: To teach your dog how to shake hands, they must first know the sit command and be able to stay in the sitting position. Once you’ve got them in place, keep a treat in your closed hand, and wait until they sniff or paw at it. Reward them, and repeat. Eventually, your dog will paw at your hand every time, and you can turn this into a paw shake. Only reward your dog once they’ve learned how to keep their hand in yours without pawing, or else they’ll learn how to paw rather than shake.
4. 4. Play dead: Playing dead builds on the basic commands “lie down” and “stay,” so be sure that your dog knows those tricks before you start teaching them to play dead. Using the verbal command and hand signal your dog is already familiar with, command them to their down position. Hold a dog treat between your first two fingers, a few inches above your dog’s nose. Bring the treat over to their side, luring your dog to roll over to continue looking at the treat. When your dog is lying on the correct side, reward them with the treat and verbal praise. Repeat the action several times, rewarding your dog each time for lying on their side.
5. 5. Roll over: Once your dog knows how to sit and lie down, they are ready to learn how to roll over. Once your dog is in the down position with its belly on the ground, paws resting in front, and head facing up, you're ready to begin teaching the trick. Place the dog treat close to your dog's nose so they can smell and see it. Be alert in case your dog tries to snatch the treat before performing the trick. Your dog should turn their head to follow the treat. Move the treat, so your dog has to roll onto their side to follow it, then rotate the treat around, so they have to roll over to keep the treat in sight. Once your dog completely rolls over, give them the treat.
6. 6. Speak: If your dog knows the quiet command, you can teach them to speak. Get your dog excited until they bark, then issue a vocal cue and reward the noise with a treat. As you move forward with your training, be sure to mark a single bark at a time so your dog does not get the impression that you are rewarding them for barking wildly.
7. 7. Kiss: This trick is easier for a more affectionate dog to learn, but most dogs can learn to kiss. Encourage your dog to lick your face by putting a dog treat near it. Once they give your cheek a little lick, issue a verbal command when they do so, as well as a treat.
8. 8. Spin: Use a treat to lure your dog in a circle, and say “spin” or “twirl” as you move your hand in a complete circle. Reward your dog as soon as they complete a spin. You can raise the difficulty level of this trick by issuing different commands for spinning clockwise and counterclockwise.
9. 9. Beg: Get your dog in the sitting position and hold a treat up to their face. As your dog reaches to take it, slowly raise the treat above their head until your dog is on their hind legs trying to get the treat. Say “beg” or “paws up” to encourage them to follow a verbal command.
10. 10. Bow: Dogs are naturally inclined to bow, which you can use to your advantage when teaching this trick. Using a treat, stick your hand in front of the dog’s nose, and slowly move your hand in between their legs and toward their stomach. This slow movement will cause your dog to bend down to reach the treat while keeping their backside in the air. Once they take a bow, lure your dog back to a standing position to keep them from going entirely into the down position, finishing off with a reward.
11. 11. Wave: After your dog learns to shake paws, you can teach them to wave. Place a treat in your closed hand, and wait until your dog sniffs or paws at it, then raise your fist higher up so that they have to “wave” their paw in the air. Gradually increase the height they have to lift their paw and reward your dog when they complete the trick.
12. 12. Back up: “Back up” is a useful command because it can help get your dog out from under your feet. Get your dog in the stay position, then turn and move away from them. After you turn back to face them, walk towards them while they’re in the stay position, leaning your body forward. Most dogs will back up naturally as you move towards them, so you’ll need to issue a verbal cue or a hand signal to let your dog know they should move that way when hearing your command.

Your dream of having a dog who understands words like “sit,” “stay,” “down,” and—crucially— “no” is just a MasterClass Annual Membership away. The only things you’ll need to train up a well-behaved pup are your laptop, a big bag of treats, and our exclusive instructional videos from superstar animal trainer Brandon McMillan.