Dog Tricks

Dog Tricks

Here below are a few simple tricks to try with your dog

The Dog Roll

A dog roll looks very cute and it's fun for your dog to learn too! Difficulty Level 2/5

You’ll need:

- some tasty treats

- a lot of patience

- several sessions

- your dog (it’s helpful if your dog already knows the ‘down’ or ‘lie-down’ command)

- a grown-up

1. What you’re trying to do is to get your dog to lie down. From lying down you want it to turn its head to one side, (left or right doesn’t really matter) because this is the first stage of a dog rolling onto its side. Once it can roll onto one side, it’s easy to coax it onto its back and then over onto the other side again… Well, that’s the plan!

2. Get your dog to lie down then put your arm over the back of its neck with a treat in your hand.

3. Try and tempt your dog to turn its head towards the treat.

4. If your dog does turn its head give it the treat.

5. Keep practicing, each time get your dog to turn its head a bit more.

6. As your dog gets used to this and turns its head round it should naturally begin to roll onto its side.

7. When your dog is rolling half way onto its back start to add your command, which is, ‘roll-over’. Say ‘roll-over’ just before you ask your dog to roll. (How’s it going so far?)

8. Once your dog is used to rolling onto its side, see if you can get it to roll further onto its back.

9. Once on its back, you can tempt your dog over to the other side so that it has made a full turn. Wow!

10. Remember lots of rewards and lots of patience and don’t expect to teach this trick in one session - good luck!

The Hoop Jump

The idea is that you get your dog to, first walk, then eventually jump through the hoop! Difficulty Level 1/5

To do this you will need:

· some treats

· patience

· a hoop

· an adult

· your dog

This trick is for fully grown dogs only - 1-1.5 years for medium sized breeds and up to 2yrs for large breeds.

Puppies and teenage dogs should never jump as their bones and joints are still developing.

1. Have your hoop in your left hand and your dog on your left side too. (You can change hands if it’s more comfortable).

2. Hold your hoop a bit out in front of you, so that the bottom of it is on the floor and so that your dog (with any luck) can walk through it.

3. With your right hand holding the treat, tempt your dog or puppy through the hoop.

4. Some dogs might be a bit scared of the hoop, so be patient and try to keep the hoop as still as possible.

5. If your dog goes through the hoop, give it the treat and say “Good dog!” Do this a few times and reward your dog each time.

6. Once your dog is doing this every time, ask it to sit first and then call it through the hoop. And of course give it a reward.

7. A couple of centimetres at a time so that he/she has to jump a little to get through. Gradually get the hoop higher and higher, rewarding your dog every time! Crufts Agility Trials here you come!

Closing the Door

You’ll never have to sit in a draughty room again! Difficulty Level 4/5

You’ll need:

· a big old fat marker pen with a lid (that doesn’t work)

· some tasty treats

· heaps and heaps and heaps of patience

· a grown-up

· your dog

The idea is that first of all you teach your dog to touch the pen with its nose. When it can do that, you hold the pen against the door (at nose height) so it touches the pen on the door and makes the door move using the command “shut the door!”. Once your dog can do that, you simply take the pen away the door and the dog (should) touch the door with its nose and make the door close. Well, again, that’s the plan… good luck!

1. Hold the pen out towards your dog. Have a treat ready in the other hand to tempt it. When your dog touches the pen, give it a reward IMMEDIATELY (within 1 second) and say “good dog!”

2. Do this lots of times holding the pen in different places.

3. When your dog can do this, hold the pen against the door at nose height and encourage your dog to touch the pen.

4. Give your dog lots of praise and a tasty treat every time it touches the pen. If it can do this every time begin saying, “shut the door” just before you get it to touch the pen.

5. Now open the door up a little bit and get your dog more excited so that it rushes up to the door and makes it close slightly (don’t forget to say, “shut the door” before you get it to close it each time). Big reward and praise when your dog does this.

6. Keep opening the door a bit more each time and get your dog to make harder pushes. Eventually you can take the pen away altogether and just say, “shut the door,” instead. Your dog should touch the door hard enough to close it.