Cool Tricks to Teach a Dog

Your dog has learned the basics: sit, stay, down, come and leave it. What now? Just because your dog has mastered basic obedience doesn't mean you have to stop training. In fact, continuing your dog's education will reinforce your dog's memory of basic commands and give you a chance to play and bond with your dog. Using positive reinforcement training techniques, you can teach your dog tricks that will be fun to show off to your friends.

  1. Shake

    • Show your dog a treat and hold out your empty hand, palm up. Say "shake." It may take a moment or two, but your dog naturally will try to get at the treat with its paw. Even if it misses your offered hand, reward it by praising it with the phrase "good shake!" Give it the treat as well. Repeat this process until your dog places its paw in your hand every time. Gradually start withholding treats. Keep praising however, so that your dog is reassured that it is still doing the right thing.

    High-Five

    • This trick involves getting your dog to stand up on its hind legs and smack your open hand with its paw. Let your dog know you have treats on hand. Hold an open hand up in front of the dog, fingers pointed toward the ceiling. Say "high-five" and wait for your dog to try and paw at your hand. If your dog already knows how shake it may catch on quickly. If it doesn't understand, you can help it along by first saying "shake" and then saying "high-five." Stop saying "shake" once your dog starts to understand what you are asking it to do. When your dog does attempt a high-five, reward it with praise and a treat. Gradually stop giving treats as a reward as your dog gets better at performing the trick.

    Wave Hello

    • Any dog that knows how to shake can learn this trick. Hold out your hand as you would with shake. With your other hand, wave at your dog as if you were saying hello to it. Speak the word "hello," followed by your dog's name. Because your dog knows that an open hand means shake, it will automatically offer its paw. Move your hand away so that the paw cannot land in your palm. Instead it will wave through the air. Praise your dog and give it the treat instantly. As you practice this, stop offering your dog an open hand. It will start to make a connection between your verbal command and your wave. Simply wave at it and say "hello." As your dog learns the trick, slowly stop using treats as rewards.

    Play Dead

    • This trick is comical to watch but it may take some convincing to get your dog to perform it. Start by asking your dog to lie down. Take a treat and hold it close to your dog's nose. Move it back toward its shoulder and then across its back to the opposite shoulder. Speak the words "play dead" as you do this. Your dog will try to follow the treat with its nose and will end up rolling onto its side or back. It may not roll all the way over at first. That is OK. Reward it as soon as it starts to roll over at all. You can gradually start requiring it to roll over farther until it is fully on its back before you give it a reward.