10 Dog Tricks

A fun way to have your dog interact with family and friends is to train it to perform tricks on command. Dogs are very eager to please and love the attention and approval they get when entertaining a crowd. Here are some simple tricks that are regular crowd pleasers and fairly easy to train your dog to perform.

  1. Sit

    • Nearly every well-trained dog knows how to place its rear end on the ground while proudly presenting its chest and face. Many tricks start with the "sit" command.

    Stay

    • Asking the dog to wait (stay) while in "sit" or lying down as the trainer walks away or talks with others is a clear sign of an obedient dog. After a lot of practice, a dog can maintain "stay" for up to 30 minutes.

    Speak

    • While the cue to command the dog may be different, the goal is always the same: the dog vocalizes on command. The "speak" command can cue a dog to bark, vocalize to sound like it is "talking" or howl on cue. This is especially fun when the dog's cue is a gesture or particular word, so that the trainer can ask questions and mimic a conversation with the dog.

    Come

    • Another classic and sign of a well-trained dog is "come." On command, by whistle, call or some other noise, the dog is recalled to the side of the trainer reliably and with enthusiasm.

    High-five or shake

    • While in "sit," a trainer can teach the dog to offer its paw to the trainer's open hand for a "high-five" or "shake." This trick is particularly popular with children.

    Play dead

    • The dog suddenly drops its whole body on command in order to "play dead." A playful variation requires the dog to not only lie down quickly, but also roll on its back with its paws in the air. Verbal cues can be combined with a hand gesture for an enhanced effect: for example, saying, "bang!" while making the hand form a gun-like shape.

    Roll over

    • The trainer gives the dog a prompt like a circular hand motion or the verbal command "roll over." The dog then lies down, rolls onto its back and again into lying down by rolling like a log.

    Fetch

    • A trainer throws a rope, ball or Frisbee that the dog then chases down, picks up in its mouth and promptly brings back to the trainer. Dogs can be trained to set the object at the trainer's feet or into his hand.

    Release

    • When a dog has an object in its mouth, the trainer says, "release" or "mine" to signal the dog to release the item either at the trainer's feet or into her hand. This is a particularly useful trick as it can quickly get an undesirable item out of the dog's mouth without a resistance.

    Dance

    • Dangling a treat or toy above the dog's head, the trainer says, "dance!" The dog responds by standing on its hind legs and either jumping or moving in a circle to get the toy or treat.