It can be a lot of fun for both you and your dog to turn playtime into a training session. With the help of a treat or favorite toy, you can teach your dog all sorts of fun tricks, and then you can wow all your guests with them whenever they come over! In this article, we are going to take a look at 29 fun tricks that you can teach your dog today! We will go over both tricks that you may have heard of before (such as sitting) along with some fun ones that you may not have (such as playing the piano.)
29 FunTricks Your Dog Can Learn Today
1. Shake a Paw
Shaking hands is often one of the first tricks that people will teach their dogs after some of the more basic tricks like sit and stay. It is very cute and usually does not take too much time. Sit in front of your dog and hold out your hand while saying shake. In the beginning, you will likely have to pick up your dog’s paw and place it in your hand while saying the command. Follow it up with a treat, and before long, your dog should be lifting his paw to shake all on his own.
Full article: How to teach a dog to shake a paw
2. Give a Kiss
If you are looking for a quick and easy trick to teach your dog, ‘Give kiss’ is one of the easiest tricks there is. To teach your dog this trick, all you will need to do is put a small treat of some sort and add the command as he goes to lick your cheek. Before long, your dog will be giving kisses and affection on command. It can also help prevent your dog from licking you or other people when it may be less wanted.
3. Sit
Sit is often one of the first tricks people teach their dogs. Say the command or hold up the hand signal you want to use; if your dog happens to sit down on his own, reward him right away. If not, you can gently push his butt down and then reward him with a treat, toy, or praise.
Full article: How to teach a dog to sit on command
4. Bark
Bark or speak is a command that can help you get control of your dog’s excessive barking. Often paired with quiet, you will be able to communicate with your dog when is a good time to bark and when it is not. If you want to put this one into place, you will start by waiting for when your dog barks. When he does, follow it up immediately with the command and then reward him. Before too long, you should be able to switch the order and say the command cueing your dog to bark.
5. Back-Up
Back-up is not only a fun command that can impress your friends, but it can also help teach your dog not to jump up on you or guests and prevent him from rushing out the door whenever you open it up. The easiest way to do this is usually to have your dog stand directly in front of you. Take a step towards him while saying the command. As long as you are close enough, he should step backward to make room for you, in which case you will reward him with a treat, toy, or praise.
6. Spin
Spin is another quick and easy trick that your dog should be able to get down pretty quickly. By holding a treat by your dog’s nose and moving it in the circle you want your dog to move in, you can get him to spin pretty easily. Just add in the command, and he will spin down before no time. Some people like to add in specific directions in addition to the command spin. It can impress people that your dog understands the difference between spinning left and right.
8. Wave
Teaching your dog to wave hello and goodbye is pretty easy and is sure to wow any people that you have over. To teach your dog this trick, you usually want to start by teaching your dog to shake since it is the same motion. To switch over to wave, start to give the command for a shake, but do not hold your hand out. As soon as your dog starts to lift his paw, give the command wave and reward him with a treat. After a few times of doing this, your dog should be able to wave in addition to shaking.
9. Fetch
While fetch is a classic trick and game that people play with their dogs, it is not something that your dog does instinctually. This can be confusing when your dog loves to chase after balls and toys but will make you follow them around to get them back. To teach your dog to fetch, and throw his favorite toy and when he chases after it and picks it up, call him back to you. If he comes back with the toy, reward him. If not, try again. Before long, your dog should get the hang of it.
10. Beg
When people teach their dog to beg, they are usually teaching their dog to sit back on his hind legs while holding his front two paws up. Some dogs do this naturally, which makes it fairly easy to teach, while other dogs require more patience because it can be hard to get them into position for the first time. If you are struggling with this one, some people find it easier to first teach their dog to stand on their hind legs and then slowly teach them to sit back.
11. Come When Called
Teaching your dog to come when called is a really important trick, especially if you ever want to go out with your dog into a public space while keeping him off-leash. When teaching this command, some people use the word come, but other people will teach their dog to respond with a whistle instead. Either is perfectly fine. When starting it out, say the command or make the noise when your dog is near you and immediately follow up with a treat. Your dog will begin to associate the word or noise with getting a treat, so you can increase the distance and distractions. If your dog starts to ignore the command, get closer and remove some distractions.
See our article: How to teach your dog to come when called
12. Roll Over
Rollover can be a lot of fun, and you can use it as a building block to work towards other tricks such as play dead. Before you start teaching rollover, you want to teach your dog to lie down. Once you have that, you can start using treats and gentle nudges to get your dog to roll over. This can take a bit of time and patience because often, dogs do not want to roll over. But, with a little bit of practice, you and your dog will have this trick down.
Full article: How to teach a dog to roll over
13. Take A Bow
‘Take a bow’ is one of those tricks that can seem challenging, but it is a very natural movement for your dog and, therefore, very easy to teach. You will likely see your dog go into this position when playing with another dog or stretching. Often, the easiest way to teach this trick is by utilizing that playfulness. Get your dog excited to play, and when he moves into this position, state the command and reward him with a treat.
14. Stand On Hind Legs
Some dogs naturally stand up all the time, in which case this trick should not be too hard. With other dogs, you will need to go slower because they are not used to the position at all. Start by holding the treat in the air in their head while saying the command. Your dog should stand up on his back legs just to reach the treat. With time, your dog will learn the command and stand up without you holding the hand above his head. Make sure as you move to just the command; you are still consistent with the reward.
15. Hug
It can be so much fun to receive a hug from your dog, and sometimes after a long day, it is just what you need. Of course, you can hug your dog whenever you want, but it can be really special to have your best bud hug you back. To teach this command, it is usually best to start sitting on the ground. In the beginning, after you say the command, you likely will need to move your dog’s paws up to around your neck before rewarding it with a treat, toy, or praise. But, before long, your dog should be hugging you all on his own.
16. Crawl
To teach your dog how to crawl, start by getting your dog to lie down and then moving a treat away from them on the floor while saying the command. Your dog should move towards the treat to get it, but every time he goes to stand up, gently tap him back down. Your dog should get the idea before long.
17. Pick Up a Toy
To teach your dog this trick, lay his favorite toy in front of him. When he goes to pick it up, say the command and reward him with playing, a treat, or lots of praise. Before long, your dog should make the connection and be picking up the toy on command.
18. Ring A Bell
There are two ways people will teach their dog to ring a bell. First, you can teach your dog to ring a bell after the command ‘touch’ by having your dog repeat the same motion but touch the bell instead of your hand. Other people will teach their dogs to ring a bell any time they need to go outside to go potty. Teach your dog this trick by ringing the bell every time you take your dog outside. Before long, your dog will learn the cause and effect of ringing the bell.
19. Lay Down
To teach your dog to lie down, start with “sit”. Once your dog has the hang of sitting, lower your hand and a treat to the ground while saying the command ‘lay down.’ Your dog should naturally lie down to get the treat, but if he starts to stand up and bend down instead, gently push him down. Once your dog gets the hang of that, you can stop lowering your hand and just say the command. When your dog follows through with the trick, make sure you reward him.
See our full article: How to teach a dog to lie down on command
20. Play Dead
This trick can be taught after either ‘lay down’ or ‘rollover,’ though some people have an easier time after rollover since your dog does have to roll to his side or back depending on the version of the trick you are teaching your dog. Most people make the command for this trick by holding up a finger gun and saying ‘bang bang.’ In the beginning, you may have to nudge your dog to the ground and onto his back. But before long, you will be amazing your friends when you hold up the finger gun and your dog falls to the floor playing dead.
21. Touch
People often use the touch trick to either get their dog’s attention or distract them in a stressful or overwhelming environment. Hold up your hand and say the command. Some dogs will naturally sniff or touch your hand just out of confusion or curiosity, in which case you should immediately follow up with a treat or other reward. If your dog does not touch your hand right away, you can use a treat of some sort on your hand to help entice your dog to sniff your hand.
22. Go To Bed
Going to bed can be a lot of help when a lot is going on or if your dog has a begging problem. It can allow you to direct your dog to a place where you know he will be safe and get him out of the middle of things. Start by taking their bed or blanket and setting it on the floor about 6 to 10 feet away from you. Say the command walk them to the bed and have them lie down. Once they do, reward your dog with a treat and lots of praise. Repeat this throughout the day until your dog starts going to the bed without you having to walk him there. Keep rewarding with treats, both for going and for staying there. A lot of people will add in some sort of release command, so their dog knows to stay on the bed until they hear that command.
Related: How to teach a dog to settle
23. Yawn
Yawn can be a fun trick, and you can teach it to your dog throughout the day. Every time you see your dog yawn, say the word and provide him with a reward. Before long (especially if your dog yawns a lot), your dog will make the connection and be able to do it on command.
24. Jump Through A Hula Hoop
Jumping through a hula hoop can be a really fun trick for both you and your dog. You will need to be patient and work through baby steps rather than just starting with the full trick. Start with the hula hoop on the ground and entice your dog to walk through with a treat. Use whatever command you are going to use at the end for the full trick and provide your dog with lots of praise when he walks through. Once they get the hang of it, you can lift it off the ground a little and have your dog step through to get the treat. Repeat the process, lifting it a little bit at a time until your dog has to jump through the hoop to get his reward.
25. Drop It
This can be a really helpful trick when playing fetch or if your dog tends to pick up a lot of things you do not want him to have. When your dog picks something up, say the command and wait for your dog to drop whatever is in his mouth and then immediately reward him with a treat. If your dog is not dropping the toy, sometimes holding up the treat can be a helpful enticement.
26. Wait
Wait is usually best taught at mealtime. Have your dog sit down, say the wait command, and put his food down. If your dog gets up to move toward the bowl, gently correct him and make him sit down again. After he has sat still for some time, say some sort of release word such as good boy or go to tell him he can go to his food.
27. Balance On Nose
Balancing tricks can be hard but doable. Have your dog sit in front of you and gently touch their nose, so they get used to having something there. Praise your dog for not moving away. Next, hold a treat near his nose, but do not allow him to eat it while repeating the command to leave it, so they know not to eat it again. Once your dog gets a hold of it, you can put the treat on your dog’s nose. After he keeps it there for a few moments, say the release word such as ‘okay’ and let your dog eat the treat.
28. Balance On Head
For this trick, you are going to follow the same process as the previous trick (balance on the nose), only you are going to put the treat on your dog’s head instead of his nose. Some people find it easier to start with balance on the nose, while others find it easier to start with balance on the head.
29. Play The Piano
Teaching your dog to play the piano is not a trick that you have to teach your dog for safety or behavior training, but it can be a lot of fun and a great party trick. Go to your local toy store and buy a small, dog-sized piano. When you say the command, put a treat on the piano where you want your dog to touch. When he leans down to grab the treat, it should make a noise, and you can reward your dog with more treats or praise. You can also try to get your dog to step up on/put a paw on the piano if you want him to play with his paws.
Practical Tips When Training Your Dog To Learn Tricks
- Use a clicker whenever you give your dog a treat or reward for doing the trick. Your dog will learn that the clicker sound means that he did the right thing.
- Stay calm while training. Dogs can tell when people are stressed or frustrated and can get upset themselves. If you feel yourself getting upset, take a break. Training should be fun.
- Start with basic tricks and build up. It is usually best to start with easier tricks like sitting and slowly build towards harder ones like balancing on the nose or playing the piano.
- Use treats or rewards your dog likes. Your dog will be much more motivated to learn the trick when you are offering his favorite treat or reward.
- Train in little bits throughout the day. Dogs can get bored and burnt out if you try to do one long training session every day. Instead, train your dog in short increments throughout the day.