Are you eager to deepen your bond with your canine companion while showcasing their intelligence? Teaching your dog advanced tricks is one of the most Cool Things To Train Your Dog To Do, offering an engaging way to challenge their minds and bodies. Beyond simply impressing friends and family, mastering these impressive skills can also pave the way for earning prestigious AKC Trick Dog titles, solidifying your dog’s reputation as a true canine scholar. This journey of learning fun tricks enhances their mental stimulation and physical coordination, making your dog not just well-behaved, but truly brilliant.
To embark on this exciting training adventure, you’ll need a few essential tools: ample patience, dedicated time, a generous supply of high-value dog treats, and your dog’s favorite toys if they’re particularly toy-motivated. If you’re accustomed to clicker training, have your clicker ready to precisely mark desired behaviors. Additionally, choose a quiet, distraction-free environment to ensure your dog can focus entirely on the lessons at hand.
1. Teach Your Dog to Catch
The “catch” trick is a fantastic way to improve your dog’s coordination and focus. Begin with your dog sitting directly in front of you, capturing their attention with a tempting treat. Gently toss the treat with an underhanded motion. If your dog successfully catches it mid-air, offer immediate praise and positive reinforcement. If they miss, try to quickly retrieve the treat before they can eat it off the ground, then reset and try again.
A happy Labrador Retriever intently watches a tennis ball about to be thrown by an older man, ready to catch it during dog training.
Repeat this exercise a few times during each training session. Once your dog consistently catches treats, gradually introduce lightweight toys they enjoy. The moment they catch a toy, shower them with praise and follow up with a treat. This progression helps them generalize the skill from food to other objects.
2. Master “Under the Bridge”
“Under the bridge” is a charming trick that involves your dog crawling beneath your raised knees. To teach this, sit on the floor with your knees bent, forming a triangle shape that your dog can comfortably pass under. Ensure you have highly motivating treats or a favored toy. Position your dog on one side of your body, holding the treat or toy in your hand on the opposite side. Reach the lure under your legs, allowing your dog to sniff it.
Slowly lower the treat or toy towards the ground, guiding it under your legs. As your dog follows the lure, their body will naturally lower, and they will crawl through. The instant they emerge on the other side, offer praise and the reward. After several successful repetitions, introduce a verbal cue like “under” or “bridge” as they begin to move. As your dog becomes proficient, you can gradually stop luring them, relying solely on your verbal command, followed by praise and a treat upon completion.
3. The “Speak” Command
Teaching your dog to “speak” on cue is often easiest through a method called capturing, where you reward a naturally occurring behavior and then add a command. Have treats readily available. Whenever your dog barks spontaneously, especially out of excitement, immediately mark the behavior with your chosen cue (such as “talk” or “speak”) and give them a treat. Using a clicker can be incredibly helpful here, as it allows you to mark the precise moment of the bark, clarifying to your dog exactly what you’re rewarding.
A long-haired Dachshund enthusiastically barking in a grassy backyard, demonstrating the 'speak' command.
After some practice, your dog will begin to understand that you’re looking for them to bark. To prevent excessive barking, once the trick is understood, make sure to only reward your dog when they bark specifically in response to your cue, reinforcing controlled vocalization.
4. Engaging Leg Weaves
Leg weaves create an impressive figure-eight pattern as your dog gracefully moves between your legs. Start in a safe, leash-free area to prevent entanglement. Stand with your legs wide apart and your dog in front of you. Hold a treat in one hand behind your legs, using it to lure your dog between and then around your legs. Bend your knees slightly as you guide them. As your dog passes through, praise and reward. These things to teach your dog tricks are highly engaging and build excellent coordination.
Once your dog is comfortable with this, use another treat to guide them through your legs and around one leg until they return to the starting position in front of you. Allow them to lick or nibble the treat to keep their focus. Praise and treat when they complete the full motion. Next, repeat these steps to teach them to weave around your other leg. When your dog consistently follows the lure through your legs and around both sides, it’s time to link the movements into a continuous figure-8.
Begin by luring your dog through your legs and around your right leg, then immediately around your left leg, before finally rewarding them. Gradually fade out the treat lure by using an empty hand to guide them. Once your dog follows your empty hand, introduce a verbal cue like “weave” or “legs.” With more practice, you can fade out the hand lure, and your bending-knee body language will become the physical cue. For an even cooler display, teach them to weave while you walk forward, initially using large, slow steps and reintroducing the treat lure to build confidence. As they gain experience, you can increase speed and decrease step size.
5. The Classic “Shake Hands”
Teaching your dog to “shake hands” is a popular and endearing trick. Extend your hand towards your dog. Initially, ignore licking or sniffing. The moment your dog paws at your hand, mark the behavior with praise or a click, and immediately offer a treat. Repeat this until your dog consistently paws at your hand when you present it. This classic trick is part of the broader concept of teaching new tricks to your dog and strengthens their focus.
An intelligent Australian Shepherd gently places its paw on a person's hand, practicing the 'shake hands' trick outdoors.
Next, build up the duration of the paw placement. Wait a second or two before clicking/praising and rewarding, gradually increasing the time your dog’s paw rests in your hand. Once they consistently hold their paw, introduce a verbal cue like “shake” or “hello.” Now, flatten your hand and hold it vertically, as if to shake a human hand. Begin to introduce a gentle up-and-down movement with your hand before rewarding, mimicking the shaking action.
6. “Yes” and “No” Head Nods
This impressive trick makes it appear as though your dog can answer “yes” or “no” to your questions. To teach “yes,” hold a high-value treat in a closed fist (or use another distinct hand signal). Slowly move the hand holding the lure up and down, encouraging your dog to follow it with their nose, creating a nodding motion. Reward them as soon as they complete the nod.
Once your dog consistently follows your fist’s up-and-down movement, try performing the motion without a treat in your hand. When they nod, praise them and deliver a treat with your other hand. With practice, the closed fist will become the physical cue for nodding.
To teach “no,” use a similar capturing approach but with a different hand signal, such as a closed fist with your pointer finger extended. Move this hand slowly from side to side. As your dog follows your hand, they will naturally shake their head. Praise and reward them for this head movement. Through repetition, the finger-up signal will become the physical cue for them to “shake their head no.”
7. The Elegant “Bow”
The “bow” is a graceful trick where your dog lowers their front end while keeping their hindquarters up, a great stretch for them. Start with your dog standing in front of you. Get their attention with a treat in your hand and then lure their nose downwards, between their front legs and back towards their chest or belly. As your dog follows the lure, they will naturally move into the bowing position. Praise and reward, then toss a treat slightly away to encourage them to stand up, preventing them from simply flopping into a “down.” Repeat this over several training sessions.
A small, fluffy dog performs a perfect 'bow' position, stretching its front legs while keeping its hindquarters elevated.
While luring between the front legs works for many dogs, some might just lie down. If this happens, Penny Leigh, CPDT-KA, Director of the AKC GoodDog Helpline (GDH), suggests lightly placing a hand or finger on your dog’s stomach, just below the loin, to indicate you’re not asking for a down. Once your dog consistently performs the bow with the food lure, switch to luring with an empty hand, still rewarding after the bow. When they follow the empty hand, introduce a verbal cue like “bow” or “fancy.” With practice, your dog will build strength and coordination to hold the bow longer, and you can even evolve the physical cue to you bowing or curtsying.
8. How to Teach Your Dog to Circle
Teaching your dog to “circle” or “spin” is a dynamic and fun trick. Get your dog’s attention with a treat or toy. Hold the lure just above their nose and slowly move your hand in a large circle. As your dog follows, they will walk in a circle. Praise and reward. After a few repetitions, when your dog consistently follows the lure in a circle, add your verbal cue of choice (e.g., “spin,” “twirl,” or “around”).
Next, use the same technique to lure your dog in the opposite direction. Once they consistently follow the lure that way, add another distinct verbal cue. When your dog reliably spins in both directions on cue, you can perform the circular hand motion without a treat, using only your verbal cue. Praise and treat when they spin.
9. Play “Peekaboo”
The “Peekaboo” trick, often called “middle,” is useful for maneuvering in tight spaces or keeping your dog close. Begin by standing in front of your dog, both of you facing the same direction. Hold a treat in your hand to gain their attention. When your dog steps forward and comes between your legs, praise and reward.
A focused dog stands comfortably between its owner's legs, practicing the 'Peekaboo' or 'middle' trick during a training session.
After a few repetitions, introduce a verbal cue like “middle” or “peekaboo” as your dog moves between your legs. Once they are in position, use your release cue (if you have one) or toss a treat to encourage them to move out, allowing you to practice again. With consistent practice, you’ll be able to fade out the treat lure, and your dog will respond directly to the verbal cue to assume the “Peekaboo” position. Learning tricks to teach a 4-month-old puppy or an older dog brings immense joy.
Unleash Your Dog’s Inner Genius
Embarking on the journey to teach your dog these cool things to train your dog to do is more than just learning tricks; it’s about building a stronger relationship, enhancing communication, and providing invaluable mental and physical stimulation. Each new skill mastered boosts your dog’s confidence and enriches their life, transforming them into an even more engaged and well-rounded companion. Whether you’re aiming for AKC titles or simply seeking joyful moments together, the effort you invest will yield a lifetime of rewarding experiences.
Ready to start with something simpler? Explore our guide on 7 best and easy dog tricks for beginners to build a solid foundation before diving into these advanced feats.
References
- AKC Staff. (n.d.). Why Trick Training Is Good For Dogs. American Kennel Club. Retrieved from https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/articles/why-trick-training-is-good-for-dogs/
- AKC Staff. (n.d.). AKC Trick Dog Titles. American Kennel Club. Retrieved from https://www.akc.org/sports/trick-dog/
- AKC Staff. (n.d.). Dog Training Treats: What to Use and When. American Kennel Club. Retrieved from https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/dog-training-treats/
- AKC Staff. (n.d.). What Motivates Your Dog To Work?. American Kennel Club. Retrieved from https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/what-motivates-your-dog-to-work/
- AKC Staff. (n.d.). Clicker Training Your Dog: Mark and Reward. American Kennel Club. Retrieved from https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/clicker-training-your-dog-mark-and-reward/
