5 Easy Dog Tricks Even Beginner Pet Parents Can Master
Watching a dog perform tricks may feel like watching a magician pulling off magic, but no rabbits are popping out of hats here. In reality, what you're ultimately witnessing is the finished product, basically the end result of a well-rehearsed process that took some time to master.
Whether your dog is learning to shake, grab a tissue from a tissue box when he hears you sneezing, or spin around in a circle, the process is similar to following a recipe: You’ll need to rely on a few key ingredients and careful preparation in order to obtain the desired results.
Prompts, markers and reinforcers are the base ingredients. Prepping time is where all the magic happens: You’ll be fading prompts, adding a verbal cue and mixing in distractions to help your dog generalize the behavior.
And the icing on the cake? That’s the end product when your dog performs the trick fluently, confidently and in various settings without depending on treats.
Let's take a look at the key ingredients and the behind-the-scenes process in more detail so that you have all the tools and necessary knowledge to master these five dog tricks that will impress your family and friends.
Related: 4 Basic Commands to Teach a Puppy Early
Prompts
Prompts are temporary aids that help your dog perform the behavior. There are various types of prompts that can be used in trick training.
Food lures are one of the most commonly used prompts that can be used to guide the dog into a desired position. Other prompts may include objects used as props or gestures that can be removed or faded over time.
Markers
Timing is everything when it comes to dog training. Markers are consistent signals that basically tell the dog, “Bingo, you got it right. Here comes a treat.” In a nutshell, markers bridge the gap between a desired behavior and the delivery of a reinforcer.
Commonly used markers are verbal markers (such as the word “yes!”) or the click of a clicker for dogs who are clicker trained.
Reinforcers
Reinforcers are rewards that help motivate your dog to repeat the behavior. Commonly used reinforcers consist of treats, toys, praise and attention.
I like to use high-value treats during the acquisition phase of trick training and then kibble during maintenance (if the dog finds that valuable enough), although I may temporarily swap back to high-value treats anytime I add an extra challenge.
As the dog learns the trick, I will gradually move from giving food every time the dog gets it right (continuous reinforcement schedule) to giving it intermittently (intermittent reinforcement schedule).
This gives me the opportunity to make the behavior resistant to extinction and teaches the dog to perform without expecting a reward every single time (although I may still offer some type of positive feedback, such as praise).
Fading the Prompts
To fade a food lure, make the lure smaller and smaller, start moving your hand without a treat and reward your dog by giving a treat from your other hand.
To fade a hand gesture, make the hand gesture less and less prominent until only a subtle signal remains.
Adding a Verbal Cue
Once your dog performs the trick consistently, you may wish to add a verbal cue. To add a verbal cue, simply say it before the behavior occurs and be ready to mark and reward immediately. Repeat several times until your dog responds reliably.
If you have been using a hand gesture and want a verbal cue to replace it, simply say the cue, followed by the hand gesture and then gradually fade out the hand gesture.
Adding Distractions
During the acquisition phase, it’s important to practice the training in an area that is quiet and free of distractions. Once the dog performs the behavior fluently, the next step is to start training in different rooms and settings. Gradually add some mild distractions.
Dogs use their noses to explore, making hand targeting relatively easy to train.
5 Easy Tricks to Teach Your Dog
Following are several easy tricks that you can teach your dog, with step-by-step instructions on how to train them. The best part? Many of these tricks come in handy in a variety of situations.
1. Hand Target
This easy-to-train trick builds on your dog’s natural instinct to sniff and explore. In addition to being a cute trick, hand targeting can help redirect nippy puppies, get dogs off couches and beds and help form positive associations with human hands.
Furthermore, it’s a foundational skill that can be used for more advanced training, such as in doggy sports like agility and canine musical freestyle.
How to Train Hand Targeting in 5 Easy Steps
To train a dog to hand target, all you’ll need is a clicker (or a verbal marker) and some tasty treats.
- Rub a smelly treat on your hand.
- Present your open hand to your dog.
- Wait for your dog to touch your hand with his nose.
- Mark that moment with your verbal marker or click of your clicker.
- Reward with a treat fed from your other hand.
As your dog gets better, you will no longer need to rub a treat on your hand because your dog has learned that touching makes treats appear like clockwork—no smelly prompts required.
Once the behavior is fluent, add the verbal cue “target” right before your dog makes contact. Practice in different settings and gradually introduce distractions.
Troubleshooting tip: If your dog isn’t interested in smelling your hand, you can hold a treat between your fingers, allowing it to protrude enough so that your dog can grasp it and eat it when you present your open hand. After a few reps, present the open hand without treats, and the moment your dog makes contact, immediately mark and reward with a treat from your other hand.
The "shake" cue can help lay the groundwork for more advanced tricks, like "high five" or "wave."
2. Shake
Teaching your dog to shake hands is fun and easy. It’s important, however, that you are careful not to let this behavior “get out of hand,” with your dog repeatedly pawing at you whenever he wants something. To prevent this from happening, put the behavior on cue and ignore any pawing that is not asked for.
How to Train Shake in 5 Easy Steps
To train this trick, you’ll only need your clicker (or just use a verbal marker) and some tasty treats.
- Have your dog sit in front of you.
- Let your dog watch you grab a treat, place it in your open hand and then close your hand into a fist around it.
- Present your closed hand in front of your dog. Your dog may sniff your hand or lick it.
- Mark the moment your dog paws at your hand with a verbal marker “yes” or click of the clicker.
- Reward your dog by feeding a treat from your other hand.
As your dog gets better, you will no longer need to place a treat in your hand for your dog to paw at it because your dog has learned that pawing at your hand makes treats happen.
You will also start opening your hand more and more so that your dog’s paw is placed on your open hand, giving the impression of a handshake.
Don’t forget to add the verbal cue “paw” or “shake” right before your dog paws at your hand. Practice in different settings and gradually introduce distractions.
Related: 12 Reasons Why Dogs Lick Their Paws Constantly
Spinning can help improve your dog’s flexibility, while also providing a fun way to disperse excess energy.
3. Spin
This is a cute trick to train a dog, and most dogs learn it fairly quickly. I like to make the hand gesture less and less evident and then work on introducing myself doing a spin too so that we both spin together simultaneously. This makes for an impressive trick that can be added into a canine musical freestyle exhibition.
How to Train Your Dog to Spin in 5 Easy Steps
To train this trick, you’ll need your clicker (or just use your verbal marker) and some tasty treats. To allow sufficient maneuverability, practice in an open area.
- Grab a treat and hold it so that it protrudes from your thumb and index finger.
- Show your dog the treat.
- Draw an imaginary circle in front of you. Your dog should follow the treat.
- When your dog completes the circle, verbally mark or click your clicker.
- Reward immediately by feeding a treat from your other hand.
As your dog gets better, you will no longer need to place a treat in your hand as you draw the imaginary circle because your dog has learned that following your hand makes treats happen.
Add the verbal cue “spin” right before your spins and start making your hand gesture less and less evident until you can simply move your finger in a small circle. Practice in different settings and gradually introduce distractions.
Troubleshooting tip: If your dog struggles to complete the full circle, initially mark and reward for making a quarter of a circle, then half a circle, and then once your dog performs the full circle, give your dog a jackpot of treats (several small treats scattered all at once for your dog to find).
Dogs naturally offer play bows when they’re playing, making this an easy behavior to “capture.”
4. Take a Bow
There are several methods you can use to train your dog to take a bow, from using props to using pressure, but one of my favorite hands-off approaches is using a training method known as “capturing.” Capturing entails marking and rewarding behaviors that your dog performs spontaneously and then putting them on cue.
How to Train Your Dog to Take a Bow in 5 Easy Steps
To train your dog to take a bow, you will need some tasty treats and a clicker. If you don't have a clicker, you can use your verbal marker instead.
- Because you'll be capturing, you'll need to always have some treats handy. Carry some treats in your pocket or treat bag so that you can use them at a moment’s notice. You will also need to have your clicker readily available. I like to use a
clicker that comes with a wristband , or you can simply rely on your verbal marker instead. - Think of past times when your dog has naturally taken a bow, such as when waking up from a nap or when in the mood for play.
- Observe your dog during the day, paying close attention to when he’s likely to bow.
- The moment you notice your dog is “taking a bow,” mark it with a click of a clicker or a verbal marker.
- Reward immediately by tossing a treat in your dog’s direction.
As your dog starts associating the action of taking a bow with getting treats, he’ll start to take a bow more and more frequently, looking at you with happy anticipation.
This is a good time to start adding the verbal cue “play bow” right as you notice the first signs of it happening. This way, you’ll be paving the way for a fluent and polished response to your cue alone.
Related: Why Is My Dog Whining and Carrying a Toy?
Who needs a human when you have a smart canine trained to turn on the lights?
5. Turn On the Light
This is an impressive trick, but the best part is that it’s fairly easy to teach, especially with dogs who like to interact with their environment. To train this trick, we’ll use a training method known as “shaping.” In a nutshell, we’re rewarding small approximations of the final behavior in an incremental fashion, gradually raising criteria to achieve the final goal.
How to Train Your Dog to Turn On the Light in 5 Easy Steps
For this, you’ll need a small battery-operated push button light, a clicker (or you can use a verbal marker) and some treats.
- Place a battery-operated push button light in the middle of a room.
- Verbally mark or click your clicker the moment your dog moves toward the push button. Toss a treat at a distance to reset and reward.
- Now, raise the criteria. Verbally mark or click your clicker the moment your dog is next to the push button. Toss a treat at a distance to reset and reward.
- Further raise the criteria. Verbally mark or click your clicker the moment your dog paws at the push button. Toss a treat at a distance to reset and reward.
- Verbally mark or click your clicker the moment your dog paws at the push button with enough force to turn the light on. Give a jackpot of treats to reward.
As your dog starts associating the action of pushing the light’s button with getting treats, he’ll start to do it more and more. This is a good time to start adding the verbal cue “ lights on!” a split second prior to it happening.
Troubleshooting tip: If your dog is stuck and not progressing, you may need to break up the exercise into smaller steps. For example, if your dog is next to the push button but doesn’t paw at it, you can initially click and reward your dog for interacting with it, such as sniffing the button, and then wait for more deliberate interactions, like nudging it with their nose or paw.
"Dog training and behavior modification, particularly for challenges involving potential aggression (e.g., lunging, barking, growling, snapping, or biting), require in-person guidance from a qualified behavior professional. Online articles are for educational purposes only and do not replace personalized, professional intervention. By using this information, you accept full responsibility for your dog’s actions and waive any liability claims related to their behavior. If your dog shows concerning behaviors, seek professional help immediately to ensure safety and proper care."
References
- How Dogs Learn by Mary R. Burch and Jon S. Bailey
- DVM360: The science behind behavior modification (Proceedings)
