How to Teach My Dog Tricks Fast

A well-trained dog is not only a joy to own, but a fun companion to show off to your friends and family. Most breeds of dogs can be taught a wide variety of tricks to suit your individual needs, which can be both fun and functional. Teaching your dog tricks can be done quickly and with just a few tools.

Things You'll Need

  • Collar and leash
  • Treats
  • Toys
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fit your dog with a collar as soon as you decide to begin his trick training. A collar helps you control your dog and offers him comfort as he knows you are close by him. Attach a 6-foot leash to the collar to give your dog a little freedom of movement while preventing him from wandering away during training.

    • 2

      Teach your dog basic obedience commands before starting your trick training. Many tricks, such as crawling, integrate basic obedience commands, like lie down, and cannot be performed unless your dog knows how to lie down. "Sit," "Down," "Come" and "Stay" are all valuable skills to teach your dog prior to starting your trick regimen.

    • 3

      Start with a simple trick, such as shake hands. Teaching your dog simple commands builds his confidence and gives you a solid base of easy tricks to build more difficult ones on. To teach your dog the shake hands command quickly, pick up the paw while giving the command for shake hands. Release the paw and give your dog a treat to indicate that he has responded properly.

    • 4

      Repeat the shake hands command, lifting the paw each time until the dog learns to pick up his paw on his own. Work in short 10- to 15-minute training sessions to keep the dog from getting bored, making sure to praise and reward him as soon as he performs the trick correctly.

    • 5

      Move onto more difficult commands once your dog has mastered the simple ones. Difficult tricks, such as sit up are a two-step process, but can still be taught in a very short time. Ask your dog to sit, then give him the command to sit up. Hold a treat above his nose, raising it slowly out of his reach until he stretches up to grab it. Repeat the sit-up command and give your dog the treat as soon as his front feet leave the ground. Each time you attempt the trick, hold the treat further away from your dog until he is consistently sitting up on his back feet when asked to sit up. Give your dog the sit up command each time you feed him or give him a treat and he will learn to sit up in a very short time.

    • 6

      Add variety to your dog's training routine to keep him from getting bored. Ask him to perform a new command and practice until he does it correctly, then take a break and play with a toy for a few minutes to keep him happy and encouraged. Your dog will focus best when he is happy and will learn a wide variety of tricks in no time flat.