Home | Training
	Scroll through all tricks or select specific trick from list.
	Focus Sit Down Stay Come Walk Nicely on Leash Off / Up Quiet / Speak Settle Back Up Beg		Jump Over an Object Jump Thru a Hoop Jump Over Person / Dog Crawl Circle Go To Your Spot Take It / Give Retrieve Teach Names of Toys
FOCUS
Before you can teach your dog any commands or tricks, you need to be able to get and keep his attention focused on you. Start in a quiet place and call your dog’s name. The second he looks at you, tell him “good dog” and give him a treat. Make sure your treats are extra special so your dog is excited and happy to look at you. As you are getting reliable responses in quiet places, start adding distractions and working at different places. Practice while out on walks, at your friend’s house, at the pet store, etc. Also practice waiting longer before giving him the treat. This will teach him to keep watching you if he wants the treat. Once you can get his attention and keep his attention, you can ^back to top
SIT
Sit is one of the easiest to teach and most important to know commands. If you teach your dog to sit for what he wants, he won’t be jumping on people, stealing food, charging company coming in the door, etc. To teach the sit, hold a treat in front of his nose and slowly move it back over his head. Keep the treat low enough that your dog does not have to jump to get it, but high enough that his head stays up. As you move the treat backwards, your dog’s head will follow it and his body will go into the sit position. The second his butt hits the floor, give him the treat. As he gets the idea, start using an empty hand to lure him into position. As soon as he sits, give him a treat from your other hand. This will teach him that a treat is coming whether he sees it or not. ^back to top
DOWN
With your dog in the sitting position, hold a treat in front of his nose. Slowly lower the treat to the floor, keeping it under his nose and between his paws. When his elbows hit the ground, say good dog and reward with the treat. When first learning, it’s okay if he gets up after getting the treat; it’s the position we want to reinforce – we aren’t working on a “down-stay” yet. Once he’s got the hang of it, start using just the hand signal to get him down. Still have the treat ready, but hiding in your other hand. When his elbows hit the ground, bring your other hand around and give him the treat. Your dog will start learning that the reward comes, whether he notices food in the signal hand or not. ^back to top
STAY
Once you have your dog paying attention to you, you can work on the stay command. If your dog already knows stay, that’s great and you can move ahead to working with distractions. If you are just beginning to teach stay, you should start in a quiet environment with no distractions so your dog can concentrate on what you are teaching him. Start with lots of small treats. Have your dog sit and give the verbal command to stay. At the same time, give the visual command which is to bring the palm of your hand to within a few feet of your dog’s face and then take it away. You should stay right in front of the dog, count to 5, then release and give him a treat. As he gets comfortable with this new command, you can start increasing the time, but only increase the distance by a foot or two. It is critical when teaching the stay that you are close enough to your dog to correct him if he starts to get up. Be very gentle in your correction so you don’t scare him into not wanting to play this game. And be quick so you get him sitting back down before he gets all the way up. As you are increasing the time, step in every 5 seconds or so and give your dog a treat. He will soon learn that as long as he sits in that spot and doesn’t move, he will be rewarded. ^back to top
COME
With your dog sitting at your side, give the stay command, go to the end of the leash and face your dog. Wait 30 seconds or so, call your dog’s name and give the command to come. The second he is up and moving, praise him enthusiastically. Channel him in with your body language, treats and love. Have him sit in front of you and give him a treat. This exercise can also be practiced while walking with your dog. When your dog is ahead of you, call his name and give the come command while backing up. It is important that you always do this exercise on leash so you can enforce the command. As you are getting a more reliable recall, slowly start adding distractions. And for the dogs that love to play keep away – they should sit and you should touch their collar before they get the treat. ^back to top
WALK NICELY ON LEASH
Get your dog’s attention and have him sit at your side. Show him the treat you have for him and take a few steps forward, encouraging your dog to come with you. Keeping his attention, stop, have him sit, and give him the treat. It should be no longer than 10 seconds from the time you first call his name until he gets the treat. Practice this routine a few times a day. As he gets the idea of following you and sitting, you can add a few more steps and/or some little distractions. If you faithfully get out every day and practice, you should be able to walk a city block with your dog at your side within a few weeks. Remember to keep your training sessions fun and upbeat. ^back to top
OFF / UP
The UP is easy as that is what the dogs like to do and the action alone is rewarding for them. They like to jump UP on us, UP on the furniture and UP on the bed. So, use a signal like patting yourself or the couch or bed and say UP to get your dog to jump up. Tell him he is good and reward him. Now tell him OFF and point to the ground or lure him OFF with a treat. (Be careful not to use DOWN as we have already taught the dog that DOWN means to lie down.) When he has all four feet on the floor, tell him he is good and reward him. If you practice this often and make it like a game, your dog will soon have UP and OFF in his vocabulary and you will be on your way to having more control over your dog. ^back to top
QUIET / SPEAK
	Excessive barking is something I hear many dog owners complain about. In the case of watchdog barking (where the dog barks to alert you of an intruder or a change in the environment), you first have to teach the dog to both bark and stop on command. To do this, give the dog your command “speak”, do something that you know will make him bark (knock on the door), and when he barks tell him good dog. Now give the command “quiet”, show the treat (which will distract him from barking). After 3-5 seconds of quiet during which you praise him, give him the treat. Practice this exercise often, gradually extending the length of time of the “quiet” up to a minute or two. Do this over and over until the dog barks on command without any prompting, and he quiets on the first quiet command without having to be shown the treat. You still give him a treat, just don’t show it to him upfront. ^back to top
SETTLE
	Teaching your dog to settle down when he is overly excited is a very useful exercise. Start by intentionally doing something that will get him excited. Then say “Settle” using the tone of voice that you use for other commands, and stop your arousing antics. When your dog settles down, praise and reward him. Talk in low, long soothing tones to keep him quiet. Then try it again. Repeat this exercise a couple of times each day. After several weeks of practice, ask your dog to settle when he really is excited. Start with mildly exciting situations, gradually working up to times of increasing excitement. ^back to top
BACK UP
Teaching your dog to back up on cue is fun and has practical uses. In a crowded space you can ask him to back up to be out of the way; it makes him aware of his space which helps in obedience work and agility; and it’s one of the first steps to learn for dancing with dogs. To teach BACK UP, hold a treat between the thumb and middle finger of both hands. With the dog standing, extend your index fingers to either side of the dog’s muzzle, pointing rearward. Position the treat under your dog’s nose so he looks down. Say a cue word such as “Go back” or “Back up”, and push the treat toward the dog’s chest, allowing him to nibble. When he steps back to stay with the treat, praise him and give him the treat. Gradually increase the steps your dog takes before getting the reward and raise your hands with the treat above your dog’s head. Then start phasing out the treat-lure by making the same gesture without a treat. When he backs up, even if only one step, reward with a treat from your pocket. For best results, practice in a narrow space where your dog can’t turn around – like between the couch and coffee table. ^back to top
Beg
	Whether you call this trick “Beg” or “Sit Pretty” it is an adorable favorite. Start with your dog sitting in front of you. Show her a treat, and raise it above her nose until she lifts her front paws slightly off the floor. Click or praise and give the treat. Gradually lure higher, until she rises up and balances on her haunches. After she gets the hang of this, make the same upward motion with your hand without holding treats. This hand signal becomes the cue. When your pup follows it, give a treat or praise reward. This trick is good for strengthening your dog’s back, abdomen and legs, but too many repetitions can overstress those same muscles. Have fun, but be careful not to overdo it. ^back to top
JUMP OVER AN OBJECT
	Most dogs love jumping and it is great exercise for any healthy* dog. The easiest way to start your dog jumping is by placing a board in a doorway. Begin by taking the jump with your dog. Take a long running start, and as you approach the board, lift slightly up and forward with the leash and say the command “over”. After taking the jump, praise your dog. If he is hesitant to jump, do not force him over. Use a lower board, and use a treat to help lure him over. Once he gets the hang of it, put him on a sit-stay facing the board. Then you step over the board, holding the leash, and call him over the jump. Once he is good with that, you can stand on the same side of the board and send him over the jump. Tell him “over … over” and he should jump away and then back toward you. *Jumping is very stressful on a dog’s joints. Most dogs should not jump any higher than their shoulder height. Never allow a puppy younger than 18 months to jump above his hock height. Do not jump a dog that is dysplastic, arthritic, pregnant or has back/leg problems. ^back to top
JUMP OVER A PERSON / DOG
	This is a goofy stunt, but it’s as easy to teach as it is funny to watch. Get a friend to help and warm up your dog with some hoop jumping. Now stretch out on the floor and get comfortable. Have your friend take a running start and jump over you with your dog, telling the dog OVER. Once he will jump over your body with your friend, start sending him over both ways on his own. Practice, praise and have some treats ready for him when he successfully jumps over you on his own. If you want to get even goofier, lie down and tell your dog OVER. As he jumps, roll back toward where he was coming from, calling to him GOOD BOY, OVER. Repeat until tired. You can add some variety to this trick by lining up a few friends on the floor and have your dog jump the width of all of them. Or put your other dog on a down stay and have the first dog jump over the second. ^back to top
Jump Thru A Hoop
	The easiest way to start is in a hallway, or with some solid objects on either side of the hoop (like the couch and coffee table), and with the hoop touching the floor. This way your dog cannot go around or under the hoop. Using some very tasty treats, lure your dog thru the hoop. If he is at all hesitant, let him nibble on the treat as he walks thru the hoop. Once he is comfortable walking back and forth thru the hoop, lift the hoop up an inch or so from the floor and give the command jump. Have a treat in your hand on the other side of the hoop so the dog can see it. As soon as he jumps thru the hoop tell him good boy and give him the treat. Then quickly change hands and have him jump back through the hoop, getting another treat. As he gets the hang of it, you can increase the height of the hoop and start working in more open areas. If your dog tries to go around the hoop, move the hoop so it stays in front of him, and if he tries to go under, lower the hoop so he can’t. Keep the treat close to the center of the hoop so he focuses on going thru the hoop. And be sure not to ever accidentally hit him with the hoop or let his back legs get caught as he is going thru the hoop, as this will likely scare him and make him hesitant to want to play this game. ^back to top
CRAWL
Teaching your dog to crawl is probably one of the easiest tricks there is. Start with your dog in the down position. Put a treat right in front of her nose and move it straight out just an inch or so. When your dog sticks her neck out, tell her good dog and let her have the treat. Do this over again a few times, each time waiting for just a little more forward movement. Some dogs are more comfortable with the movement and will catch on fast. Other dogs need more time to get used to moving their legs forward on the ground without getting up. If your dog does get up, just signal her back into the down position and start over. As you keep working on getting your dog to crawl longer distances, gradually phase out using the treat as a lure. Use your empty hand to cue the dog to crawl, and then reward with a special treat from your pocket. ^back to top
CIRCLE
	More like a trick than a command, you can easily teach your dog to turn in a circle on cue. Use a treat to lure your dog around in a circle first one way, then the other. The motion you make with your hand will become the cue. After your dog is easily turning the circle with a treat in your hand, start making the hand motion without the treat in your hand. When he turns the circle, immediately give him a treat from your other hand. Start off doing slow, wide circles, working up to faster, tighter circles. Once he has the hang of it, give each direction a name and say the word as you make the hand motion. After practicing several times, start saying the word before you signal. If your dog doesn’t respond, give the hand signal, too. Aside from entertaining your friends, this trick is useful when your dog has wet feet. You can lay a towel down and as he turns around he will be drying his own feet! ^back to top
GO TO YOUR SPOT
	Another useful trick is teaching your dog to go to her bed, mat, or other “go-to” spot on command. To start, stand by her bed and show her a treat. Say “Go to your spot” and lure her onto it with the treat. When she steps onto her bed, praise and give her the treat. Do this several times. Next, move a step away from the spot and say “Go to your spot” as you gesture toward it with the hand holding the treat. As she moves toward her bed, say “Yes” and toss the treat onto it. Gradually send her to her bed from farther away, tossing treats there when she gets on it. Once she consistently runs to her spot when sent, ask her to lie down before giving the treat and praising. Gradually increase the time she lies there, tossing treats at varying intervals, so she will want to stay a while. When she consistently lies on her bed at your command, replace treats with praise. ^back to top
TAKE IT / GIVE
		An important skill for any dog to have is the ability to let go of toys or forbidden items when asked. Teaching this is easiest done as a two part lesson: to take something on command as well as give it up on command. Start by wiggling a toy in front of your dog. The toy must be large enough for both you and your dog to hold. Say “Take it” and offer her an end. If she grabs on and/or tugs, respond playfully, but don’t overexcite her. After a moment, say “Give” and offer a treat from your other hand, holding it about a foot away and slightly to the side of your dog’s head, so she has to choose. Make sure your treat is tasty enough so your dog will swap the toy for the treat. When she let’s go, don’t pull the toy away. As soon as she’s swallowed the treat, offer the toy back, saying “Take it”.Practice swapping for rewards until your dog readily gives up toys when asked. Then start phasing out the swap item. Say “Give” but don’t show a treat. Accustomed to the reward, most dogs will release the toy anyway. Immediately produce a treat, and give it to your dog. Then wiggle the toy, and offer it back, saying “Take it”. This teaches your dog she won’t lose treasures permanently by giving them up. ^back to top
Retrieve on Command
	Once your dog has learned to “take” an object on command, you can begin teaching him to retrieve on command. With your dog sitting in front of you, hold the object you are working with just a little bit off to the left and ask your dog to take it. Once he has it, tell him to give and reward him. Each day, work holding the object a little farther out – alternating between your left and your right side – eventually having the object far enough away that your dog has to stretch or get up to take it. Once he has it, call him to you, tell him to give and reward him. As the two of you are getting the hang of this game, start holding the object closer to the ground, then on the ground with your hand still touching the object, and finally on the ground without you touching it. As you work on this trick, watch your dog for any signs that he is confused on what you want. If he isn’t getting it, go back to having the object closer to you. And be sure your reward is of high value so your dog will want to give you the object. Keep working on having the object farther and farther away. It is best to have your dog on a sit-stay when practicing, so he doesn’t run off after the object as you start tossing it farther away. You want him to wait for your command to “take it”. If your dog isn’t solid on his sit-stay, this is a great time to get some training in on that, too. You can put his leash on, tell him to sit-stay and then toss the object while stepping on his leash incase he starts to break. If he breaks, put him back in his sit-stay, wait a few seconds and try again. Once he has the object, call him to you and ask him to give. Most dogs enjoy running and they like to carry things. You may find that just playing this game with you is reward enough and you won’t have to use as many food rewards. ^back to top