Most Popular Tricks to Teach Your Dog

Thinking of teaching your dog some new tricks? You’re in for a fun and rewarding experience. Not only does training strengthen the bond between you both, but it also keeps your pup’s mind sharp and adds a little excitement to your routine together!

Whether you’re starting out with easy tricks to teach your dog, or aiming for something a little more impressive, we have a range of ideas for you to explore. So, without further ado, here are some of the best tricks to teach your dog, plus tips on how to keep training fun and successful.

Before You Begin – Training Tips to Keep in Mind

Before diving into our pool of dog tricks, it’s important to set the right foundation. Here are some quick reminders for a successful training session:

• Peaceful Environment—Start in a calm, quiet environment with minimal distractions. Make sure both you and your dog are in the right mindset before you begin.
• Positive Reinforcement—Use treats, toys, or other rewards to encourage your dog. Never shout or punish your dog if they struggle. Training should be a stress-free experience for both of you.
• Consistency—Be consistent with your cues and use a clear marker (like a clicker or a verbal cue such as ‘good’ or ‘yes’) to indicate the exact moment your dog has done well.
• Be Patient—Break tricks into smaller steps if needed and go at your dog’s pace. Remember, learning should be fun!
• Shorter Sessions—Keep sessions short and aim to finish on a high note, leaving your dog excited for the next session.
• ADAPTIL Calm—If your dog gets anxious during training, plug in an ADAPTIL Calm diffuser to create a more relaxed space. If you’re training in different locations, you could also try an ADAPTIL Calm Collar. Both are great options for helping dogs remain calm, making it easier for them to focus on training.

Now, let’s move onto some exciting dog tricks to teach your canine companion!

Easy Tricks to Teach Your Dog

Starting with a few simple tricks is a great way to build confidence and strengthen your dog’s understanding of training cues. With that in mind, here are a few easy ones to begin with:

1. Target Training

This is when your dog touches their nose to your hand or another object—a helpful skill to have when it comes to getting them to focus on you, or when they’ve been groomed or examined by a vet.

Start by rubbing a treat on your hand, and once your dog sniffs or touches it, mark the action and reward them. You can then add in a specific cue word, such as ‘touch’, so they begin to associate the cue with the desired action.

Once this is consistent, gradually increase the length of time between your dog touching your hand and the marker and reward. This will help your dog learn that holding their nose in that position is what you are looking for. Just be sure to take this slowly. Go second by second!

2. Drop It

This is useful for play and safety, especially when your dog picks up something they shouldn’t.

Start by playing with a toy with your dog for a little while, then hold the toy in bond hands to stop your dog from putting it all in their mouth. Stay still and wait for your dog to become bored and drop the toy. Immediately mark the action and give them a reward, so they associate dropping the toy as a positive.

Next, simply repeat the process. Over time, hold less and less of the toy and introduce your cue word, such as ‘drop’. From there, you can progress to requesting them to drop the toy without you needing to hold it first.

3. Stay

This can be a challenging trick to learn, but it can also be hugely important for helping to keep your dog safe when out and about.

Begin by standing close to your dog and asking them to sit (for more info on teaching a pup to sit, check out our in-depth guide here!). Then give a hand signal that you’ll use for ‘stay’—a flat hand with fingers together and palm facing the dog is often used—and say your chosen cue word. Remain facing your dog and take one step back, staying there for a few seconds but without looking at or acknowledging your dog. Then step back to where you were, make eye contact, and use your marker word and give a treat.

Repeat this gradually, increasing both your distance and time apart. You can also add complexity with distraction—move around the side of your dog, gradually moving further and further around each side before returning.

Advanced Tricks to Teach Your Dog

Ready for something a little trickier? Here are some of the best more advanced tricks for dog training:

1. Play Dead

With your dog in a ‘down’ position, use a treat in your hand to lure your dog to roll onto their side, moving the treat from near their nose and around their shoulder. Use your marker once they’re on their side and reward them. And remember, it’s important you don’t force your dog into position.

Over time, begin to offer the reward only after they’ve spent a certain time lying calmly on their side. You can also add a cue, such as ‘play dead’, and move your hands a little faster towards the floor.

2. Roll Over

This trick is similar to playing dead, only you’ll lure your dog into a side position and continue the movement until they complete a full roll!

This one is easiest broken down into smaller parts. First, train your dog to lie on their side as explained above. Then continue the same hand motion to guide them over to their other side, and finally back into a ‘down’ or sitting position. If your dog is struggling going one way, you could try the other in case this is easier for them.

Once you have this dog trick down, you can gradually add your cue word or phrase to prompt your dog without needing to use a hand motion.

3. Quiet

Teaching your dog to stop barking or be quiet can be a particularly handy trick.

First, create a situation that your dog will bark in. When your dog stops barking, simply mark and reward them. Over time, you can introduce a cue word—such as ‘quiet’ or ‘hush’—while they’re barking and again mark and reward them when they stop. The key here is to then practice this in different situations with a range of distractions.

4. Speak

The opposite of training a dog to stop barking, this dog trick encourages them to speak or bark on cue!

As before, encourage your dog to bark and then mark and reward this. Simply repeat this action and introduce your cue word, like ‘speak’ or ‘talk’.

5. Figure of 8

For this advanced dog trick, start by having two objects on the floor that you will train your dog to move around. Use a treat to lure your dog around these objects in a figure-of-8 motion, gently encouraging them as they go. Then repeat this motion until your dog is comfortable and moving fluently.

Eventually, you can remove the objects altogether, guiding your dog just by moving your hand with the treat in the figure-of-8 shape. From there, you can also try without using a treat (but still offering a reward for completing the motion!) and making the movement of your hand smaller over time.

Fun and Interactive Tricks to Teach Your Dog

1. Weaving Between Legs

Start with your dog sitting and staying in position, then hold a treat in your closed fist and let your dog sniff it. Then stand with your legs wide apart and hold the hand with the treat in it between your legs. Next, move your treat hand backwards so your dog walks between your legs completely, and then mark and reward them for completing the motion.

Once your dog has mastered this, you can try taking a step and asking them to go back through the other way, to create the weave. Over time, you can also add speed and number of steps—though you may need to practice this yourself as this takes some coordination! And lastly, once your dog is moving fluidly, you can add in the cue word you want to use, such as ‘weave’.

2. Bring It

This trick involves teaching your dog to bring you specific objects by rewarding them for picking up items on cue.

First, hold the desired item in front of your dog, drawing their interest with a bit of movement. When your dog touches the item with their mouth, mark this and reward them. Then move on to having the item on the floor and again mark your dog touching it with their mouth.

When they have mastered this, add the cue you want to use, such as the name of the item. Once they have made this association, you can also add the ‘bring it’ element: mark and reward your dog for moving towards you with the object in their mouth, eventually adding another chosen cue for this extra action.

3. Tidying Up

Teaching your dog to pick up and drop toys into a basket is not only fun but practical!

First, teach your dog to pick up a toy. This involves choosing a toy and showing it to your dog, then marking and rewarding them when they show interest. Over time, look for moments where they’re putting their mouth around the toy to mark and reward.

Next, you’ll want to bring in a cue, such as ‘get it’. Say your cue word each time your dog puts their mouth around the toy, repeating this process and marking and rewarding them each time. From there, you’ll want to repeat this with the toy in different positions, and eventually build up to beginning with the toy on the floor.

You can also bring in a cue to take the toy to a specific place, such as a box or basket. Mark and reward your dog whenever they go near the object and then start introducing their cue. You’ll then need to build everything together: ‘get it’, then ‘box’, and finally ‘drop it’.

4. Take a Bow

After performing an amazing trick, why not end with a bow?

Start with your dog in a standing position, then use a treat to lure them into moving their head and front part of their body down. This is best done by moving the treat towards the floor between their paws. Mark and reward your dog when they have their elbows on the floor—or any movement towards the floor to begin with.

The trick here is to reward your dog while they still have their hindquarters up. At first, your dog might be inclined to bring their whole body down, so you may find it easiest to break this trick up into parts and mark just a part of this action.

Eventually, you can add your cue word once they understand the action. Just make sure it sounds different to other cue words. ‘Bow’ can sound a lot like ‘down’!

Wrapping Up

Teaching your dog new tricks is an exciting way to bond, and it keeps our pooches mentally and physically engaged. But remember, training should always be positive and at a pace your dog is comfortable with. If your dog gets anxious or overstimulated, don’t forget that ADAPTIL Calm can be a huge help in creating a calm environment for learning!

Are you looking for more fun ways to bond with your dog? Check out the rest of our blogs online! You can also stay up to date with all the latest tips and product info by signing up to our newsletter.