Dog Tricks Training Guide

Teach your dog the easy way with our dog trick how to's

See also teaching your dog to be off leash and games to play with your dog

Doing tricks with your dog is a great way to bond with him and reinforce basic training.  It can also be pretty fun and a way to show off your dog's intelligence when your friends come to visit. 

Our dog tricks training guide builds on the basics of dog training, so make sure your dog knows how to sit, stay, lay down and come before you teach him anything else.

Read on to find 5 fun and easy trick how to's for you and your dog to do together.  Once you learn these dog tricks and how to train them, you'll see that training your dog to do tricks is quite easy.

Easy Dog Trick  - Give Me a Kiss

This is a cute trick that’s pretty easy to teach your dog. With this trick, your dog will give you a kiss on command. It’s up to you if you want him to kiss you on the mouth, the nose or the cheek.

Here’s how it goes:

1. Put your dog in the sit position. Treat him for sitting.
    

2. Place one of your dog’s treats in your mouth – sticking out between your lips so your dog can see it. (If you don’t like the idea of putting dog food in your mouth, use people food like cereal, for the trick.)
    

3. When your dog puts his mouth by your mouth, give him the treat.
   
   

4. Repeat these steps a few times.
    

5. Begin saying “Kiss” when your dog moves toward your mouth for the treat. Do this several times.
    

6. Take the treat in your hand, say “Kiss” and when your dog moves toward your mouth, give him a treat.
    

7. When you say “Kiss”, begin touching your dogs mouth with your mouth or cheek when he moves toward you. Treat him after each kiss he gives you.
    

8. Practice until your dog automatically presses his mouth to your cheek or mouth when you say “Kiss.” Treat your dog for doing the trick properly.

How To Train Your Dog The Shake Trick

Learning to shake is a typical trick that many people teach their dogs, but it’s still an impressive one. Dogs who like to use their paws to move things around or use their paws in play are naturals for this trick.

Teach your dog to shake hands like this:

1. Put your dog in the sit position. Treat him for sitting.
    

2. Holding a treat in one hand, extend your other hand towards your dog.
    

3. Pick up his paw and say “Shake.”
    

4. Immediately after you let go of your dog’s hand, give him a treat.
    

5. Repeat several times.
    

6. Then, say “Shake” and see if your dog extends his paw. If he does, he has learned the trick – shake his paw and give him a treat. If not, give it some more practice until he automatically extends his paw when the command is given.

Wave Hello Dog Trick How To

This trick is a lot of fun for your dog to do when he’s meeting someone for the first time or saying goodbye to someone. It involves your dog waving his paw in the air. The wave trick is an extension of the shake trick, so make sure your dog has mastered shake before he learns to wave.

Here’s how it goes:

1. Put your dog in a sit and stay position. Move away from him and walk back to him and treat him a few times.
    

2. Back in front of your dog, say “Shake.” Treat him for performing the trick correctly. Do this about 4 times.
    

3. Take one step away from your dog and ask him to “Shake.” Instead of extending your hand and shaking his paw, extend your hand and quickly withdraw it. Treat your dog. Do this several times to get your dog in the habit of swiping the air with his paw instead of making contact with your hand.
    

4. When your dog will extend his paw to you with just a cue of your extended hand, begin to say “Wave” as the command. Practice several times; treating your dog every time he does the trick properly.

Easy Dog Trick  - Bang Bang! Play Dead

Playing dead is a simple extension of lying down for your dog. If you add a little drama and use the words “Bang! Bang!” forming your hand into a gun shape, this becomes a more impressive trick.

Teach your dog to play dead like this:

1. Put your dog in the lie down position. Treat him for lying down.
    

2. Use a treat to lure your dog to lie down on his side. If he needs a little help getting into position, place your hand on your dog’s side and gently push him to lie down to one side. Treat him for lying down on his side.
    

3. Repeat several times and say “Bang Bang!” each time your dog lies on his side. Remember to treat your dog each time he gets into the position.
    

4. Practice these steps until your dog automatically lies on his side when you say “Bang Bang!” Treat him for performing the trick properly.
    

5. Begin forming your hand into a gun shape each time you give your dog the command.
    

6. Over time and with practice, your dog will be able to do this trick from a standing or sitting position.
    

Hold the Cookie Dog Trick How To

This trick is the ultimate in delayed gratification for your dog. It involves your dog holding a treat or cookie on his nose until you instruct him to drop it and eat it.

Here’s how it goes:

1. Put your dog in the sit position. Treat him for sitting.
    

2. Take a treat in one hand and place it on top of your dog’s nose.
    

3. Treat your dog immediately.
    

4. Repeat this sequence and gradually extend the amount of time that your dog holds the treat on his nose until he can hold the treat for a few seconds. Remember to treat him every time he holds the treat.
    

5. When your dog will hold the treat for a few seconds, say “Hold it.”
    

6. As you practice, you can gradually make the hold time longer until your dog will hold the treat for thirty seconds. Remember to say “Hold it” and treat your dog every time he holds the treat on his nose.