8 Brilliant Tricks to Teach Your Dog

In the world of trick training, there are hundreds of tricks you can teach your dog and a wide variety of skills needed to perform those tricks. Some are flashy, like a performing animal in a circus, and others might require the development of a particular skill such as nosework, coordination or precision-based training, to name a few. There are some tricks though, that always seem to be crowd pleasers no matter what venue you are in and are sure to show your friends and family that your dog is at the head of the class when it comes to tricks!

Here are 8 tricks that you can teach any dog to show people just how brilliant your canine companion really is!

All you need to get started are some tasty treats to reward your dog with, a clicker or way to mark the correct behavior (such as the verbal cue “Yes”) and a few minutes each day to have fun with your dog teaching them their new skill.

Trick #1: Say Hi, Say Bye!

Sadie the Mini Aussie is practicing her “Say Hi” at a distance! 

Show off your dog’s brilliance by giving every guest a proper hello and goodbye wave when they visit.

Step 1: 

Start by teaching your dog a shake paw cue. Close your fist over a treat and let your dog investigate it. As soon as he lifts a paw to touch your hand, mark and release the treat to him. Gradually wean off the treat hidden in your hand until you can just lie your hand out flat and he presents his paw.

Another way you can get a paw shake, if you find your dog is not offering his paw, is to lure your dog off his front feet. If you want your dog to lift his left paw, take a treat and elevate it from your dog’s nose upwards, towards his right ear. This will cause your dog to look towards that direction taking weight off the left paw. Slip your hand underneath to connect with him as he lifts up. Mark and Reward.

Geronimo, the Cane Corso, demonstrates how to shake a paw with his owner.

Step 2: 

Once your dog is giving his paw freely when you present your hand, begin to elevate it higher (aiming for near the shoulder/head area) until you get a High 5 from your dog, with your fingers now pointing towards the ceiling.

Kim & Rocket demonstrate how to elevate your hand higher to achieve a High Five.

Step 3: 

For the waving action, present your hand for the High 5. Your dog will go to hit it, but before he can touch you, quickly take your hand down before he can connect. This will cause your dog to give a batting action in the air. Mark and Reward this action.

Step 4:

Practice backing your hand away, until it looks like you can wave Hi and the dog is batting the air once. I like to add in the verbal cue “Say Hi!” when teaching this, so I can easily switch it to “Say Bye!” if we are leaving a place too.

This puppy is getting quite good at learning how to wave.

Step 5: 

Gradually add in one bat at a time. Start with one, Mark and Reward for this, and once your dog is offering it easily, increase your criteria to two bats before you reward. Try to work up to 3 or 4 bats and your dog will look like a polished greeter the next time your friends or family arrive!

Trick #2: Black Jack

A few fun props and your dog could be a master Black Jack dealer

Who wouldn’t want to sit down with your dog and play a nice game of cards? With a little practice, you might find your dog is quite the card shark!

Step 1:

Lay a playing card on the ground face down and encourage your dog to touch it with his paw. This is a form of target training. You can do this by playing with the card on the floor, similar to how a cat might bat at a ball of yarn back and forth and encourage your dog to mimic you as he plays. Mark with a clicker or “Yes” and reward every time your dog has any paw contact with the card.

Step 2:

As your dog starts getting the hang of it, begin giving him the verbal cue of “Hit It” as you signal to the card.

Step 3:

Now it’s time to deal some cards! Deal one card face down to your dog and then to yourself. Then deal another card face up to you both. Ask your dog, “Do you want to Hit or do you want to Stay?” Put more verbal emphasis on the choice you would like him to perform. If your dog hits then you deal them another card. Do the same for yourself (or for whoever you have recruited to play with your dog). Now flip over the face down cards. Whoever is over 21 busts!

Watch this fun instructional video on how to play Black Jack with your dog!

Pro Tip… If you really want to keep your friends guessing, be sure to mark or stack the deck in your dog’s favor so they win every time. Maybe even place some fun bets. You could pay out in dog bones, cash or favors (ex. “If my dog wins, you have to do the dishes for a week!”)

For Added Flair… Set up the scene. Sit your dog in front of a low table or stool that you can deal out the cards on. A cute dealer’s visor on your dog or some green felt and chips on the table to give everyone the vibe is sure to go a long way in entertainment value!

Trick #3: Teach Your Dog to Read

This smart Siberian Husky is boning up on his reading skills.

This trick will help you hone in on your non-verbal skills and will keep everyone questioning, “Can that dog really read?!”

This fun, instructional video will help you teach your dog how to read.

Step 1:

Think of one trick that your dog knows really well by it’s visual signal and write it on a sheet of paper. (Ex. Sit Spin, Down, etc.)

Step 2: 

Each time you practice the trick, work on giving the visual cues more subtly or teach your dog to respond to another part of your body for the cue.

Some examples might be:

For Sit: Instead of a hand cue, I teach the dog to respond when I lift the paper higher

For High Five: I might put a sticker or paw print on the paper for my dog to paw target

For Down: I cue the dog by looking at the ground instead of pointing down

When your dog performs the behavior when you show them the paper and give them the hidden cue, mark this by immediately saying “Yes” or clicking your clicker and reward with a tasty treat.

Loki the Chinese Crested Dog is practicing reading “Bow” in his book.

Step 3:

Once your dog is confidently performing this word, start with a new cue and proceed through Steps 1 & 2 again. Continue to do this until you have a nice little book for your dog. The more creative you are, the more fun your book becomes.

Before long you’ll be wowing your guests with your dog’s reading abilities!

Trick # 4: My Dog Can Count

Want to be able to show off your dog’s brilliant math skills? Then this is the trick for you!

Step 1: 

Start by teaching your dog to “Speak”.. The easiest way to start this is by what we call “Catching a Trick”. Do something that might cause your dog to speak. Examples might be putting the sounds of other dogs barking on your cell phone or TV, knock on a door or getting him super excited during a play session. Each time your dog speaks, immediately mark this with your clicker or “Yes” and reward with a treat. Practice several times until your dog seems to be picking it up.

Step 2:

Begin to put it on a verbal and visual cue. I like to pulse my finger at my lips and say “Speak” for this. Give the visual and verbal cues, then simulate the noise/motion that triggers the bark. Mark and reward the barks as in Step 1 and gradually start to back off the original trigger used until your dog can respond just to the cues you have taught him.

Seppala is learning how to speak with a hand puppet type visual cue.

Step 3:

Now we can start having some real fun with this! Ask your dog a simple math problem, for instance, “What is 8 – 5?” As you ask the question, pulse your finger at your lips as you taught your dog previously. If your dog answers, Mark and Reward. For this question, we want to work up to 3 barks, so you want your dog to respond with a bark each time you pulse your finger. You can reward after each bark in the beginning, but as your dog gets better, only reward after your dog has responded with the correct amount of barks to answer your question.

Step 4: 

Try to make your visual signal more subtle over time. I like to give a kind of “Thinker”  gesture at my mouth as I ask the question and drop my hand away when we’ve achieved the correct amount of barks.

The more creative you get from this point on, the better. What fun questions might you ask you want to ask your dog? This is also a great addition to Trick #3: Teach Your Dog to Read. Try writing a really long math equation down with a simple number answer. Your friends will be amazed!

Trick # 5: Carry In the Groceries

Rocket is learning how to carry groceries in for his mom.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a little extra help carrying in those bags each week?

Step 1:

Get a reusable shopping bag or a material-handled bag. This is easier for the dog to carry at first rather than a plastic bag. Put one or two items in the bag to give it a little weight and include some favorite dog treats in there too.

Step 2:

Hold out the handle of the bag and teach your dog to “Take It”. If your dog is hesitant at first, reward any little mouthing on the handle by shaping the behavior with your clicker. You can even play a little back and forth tug game with the handle at first to help jump start some interest.

A little game of tug can help your dog “Take It” for the first time if they are hesitant.

Step 3:

Once your dog is taking the handle reliably, start handing your dog the bag as you are getting it out of the car. Say “Take It” and walk forward a few steps towards the house. If your dog can carry the bag the short distance without dropping it, lavishly reward with some of the treats you put in the bag earlier. If he drops the bag as you are walking, simply pick it up and ask your dog to “Take It” again. Be ready. You might need to do this frequently during your first practice sessions.

Your dog will get better with holding and carrying items with practice.

Step 4:

Set up a box or target mat you want to teach your dog to “Take It” to. Once your dog is carrying the bag a good distance, aim for your dog to drop the bag in the house at the desired location. Walk your dog up to the box or mat with the bag in his mouth and tell him “Inside” while holding a treat over the area. This will cause him to release the bag in or near the designated spot. Again, Mark and Reward this behavior lavishly with another treat from inside the bag.

Step 5:

With practice, start combining the cues “Take It, Inside” until your dog can take your bag all the way from the car to inside the house on his own. Voila….instant helper!

Trick # 6: Bring The Remote

When everyone settles in to watch some TV, wouldn’t it be great to have your helpful hound get the remote for you? Especially if someone is hoarding it!

The book referenced at the beginning of this video “101 Dog Tricks” by Kyra Sundance, is a great reference book for many amazing tricks! Check it out here.

Step 1: 

Play a little game of fetch with the remote (I like to start with an old one, with the batteries removed, that I don’t mind getting slobbered on or tooth marks in). If your dog is not initially interested in picking it up, try tying a little treat pouch to it so your dog has something to grip that is softer on his mouth. Give him a treat from within the pouch any time he picks it up or returns it to you.

A little game of Fetch can make any game fun as Echo the Schnoodle demonstrates.

Step 2:

Once your dog is proficient with Step 1, start placing the remote in one spot and signal your dog to “Get the Remote” without the fetching game.

Step 3: 

Increase the difficulty by hiding the remote in different locations or setting it next to various items so your dog has to search for the remote. Remember to always Mark & Reward for each step of this practice.

Trick # 7: I Can Name All the Things!

Loki the Chinese Crested is learning the difference between his fish, dog and tuggie.

Dogs can develop quite an extensive vocabulary and this game is great mental stimulation for your dog. Impress your friends by showing them just how many items they can name.

Step 1:

Put out two different items you want to teach your dog the names of. You can start with your dog’s own toys or get creative using other items (ex. fork & spoon, keys, leash, etc) If you plan on teaching your dog lots of words or you want your friends to play with your dog, feel free to write the names somewhere on them so you can keep track.

Step 2:

Place the two items on the ground a couple feet apart from one another. Point to the item you want your dog to retrieve and say “Get (item name)”. Feel free to play a little game of Fetch with the item to entice your dog’s interest. Practice with this same item repeatedly until your dog is reliably retrieving it every time without you having to play fetch or point to it.

Step 3:

Experiment practicing with the items in a variety of locations until you are confident your dog knows that item’s name.

Step 4:

Now introduce that second item you wanted to name. Repeat the process you started in Step 2. Be ready, your dog might want to retrieve the first item you taught him. Reinforce this new item until your dog is consistent with it as well.

Step 5:

After some practice, signal to the original item again “Get Item #1”. Always remember to Mark and Reward for the correct response. Start to bounce between the two items until your dog is reliably going to the correct item every time without your visual cue to help.

Step 6:

Continue this process by introducing one item at a time and then bouncing between the other words you have already taught. Before long, your dog will have an impressive vocabulary.

Trick # 8: Roll A Cart

You could roll out a food cart to guests at your next party…or your best friend!

Picture it… your visiting with friends or relatives before dinner or the big game and it’s time to bring out some munchies before the main event. How impressed would they all be if your dog pushed in the goodies like your own little waiter!

For this, you will need a rollable cart that is appropriate for your dog’s size, making it easy for him to put his paws on and walk forward.

Step 1:

Start by propping the cart so it is stationary and does not roll forward at all. Lure your dog’s nose upward, over the side or bar you want your dog to learn how to push from. If he brings his paws up on the cart, Mark and Reward.

Step 2:

Start adding the cue “Paws Up” and practice until your dog is comfortable doing so without the lure.

This happy pup is practicing his “Paws Up” on a stationary item before moving on to a rolling cart.

Step 3:

Now add a little movement. Block the front wheels with your foot as you cue the “Paws Up”. Let up a little so the cart can roll forward, but you can easily stop it from going too far or too fast.

Step 4:

Increase movement as your dog builds confidence taking steps and keeping his paws up. Remember to reward each step in the process, even if it is one step at a time, until your dog can roll the cart across the room without you having to lure him. Add in a verbal cue such as “Roll It” or “Push” and your dog could be helping to serve your guests, pushing a shopping cart next time you go to the pet store, roll a piece of luggage for you or even push a stroller!

Who knows what other creative items you could teach your dog to push. Here, Seppala the Siberian Husky, has learned how to push a lawn mower!