certain tricks. Each dog learns at his own
pace. It's up to you to be consistent and kind. In any event, always have your dog on
leash when teaching tricks. That way he'll understand this isn't playtime. Once the trick
is learned, you can take off the leash and move further away from your dog. Your goal is
for the dog to do the trick with only a signal or command from you.
Shake Hands:
Start by leashing your dog and commanding him to sit in front of you. Tell him,
"shake". He won't understand what you want him to do at first, so lightly tap
him on the chest and pull up with the leash with your left hand. At the same time grab the
dog's right paw with your right hand while giving the "shake" command. Praise
the dog. Practice with the leash on, but gradually cut out the tug on the leash.
Eventually you should be able to have your dog lift his paw only on the basis of your
verbal command.
Speak:
This trick will require a tasty treat as a reward. Leash your dog and command him to sit
in front of you. Hold the treat in your left hand between your thumb and forefinger. Make
sure the dog is watching you and then move the treat up and down while you
enthusiastically say "speak". As soon as the dog barks, give him the treat.
Repeat the exercise until the dog learns to speak on
command.
Sit Up:
Not every dog has the physical build to perform this trick. Large dogs are usually too top
heavy. and dogs with a more balanced physique (fore end to back end) are better
suited for sitting up. If you are not sure if your dog can sit up, test him first. Command
him to sit in front of you, on leash, and hold a food treat just slightly above his head.
Give a tug up on the leash and say "sit-up". If he sits up, even for a moment,
praise him. If you've seen that he can do it, it will now just be a matter of refining his
form. Continue to practice, repeating the command with an upward tug of the leash. Each
time the dog sits up, rewards him with a treat. As he develops his balance, make him hold
the position for a few more seconds before giving the reward. Some trainers recommend
practicing with the dog's back against a corner. The walls will give the illusion of
support and
will help the dog to stay balanced.
Roll Over:
Put your dog on his leash and command him to lie-down in front of you. Hold a treat in
your left hand directly in front of the dog's nose. Take one sideways step to your right
and say "roll over". You will probably have to start by physically rolling the
dog over onto its other side. Take another step to the side and repeat the command. You
will probably have to physically roll the dog over again. Continue until the dog
understands what you want from him. Then try to get your dog to roll-over with just a
verbal command and a circling motion of your hand. Praise him each time that he rolls over
and reward him with a treat.
Fetch:
The most difficult part of this trick is persuading your dog to release the object. Once
dogs pick up an item, they usually like to run around with it in their mouths. To keep
control of the situation, you must teach your dog to fetch while he is on long leash
(forbest results, try one of the retractable models). With the dog at your side, show him
the object and then toss it as far as you can while still being within the reach of the
leash. Tell the dog, "fetch" and let him run to the end of the leash so he can
pick up the object. Then tell him "bring it" and reel the leash in until the dog
is sitting in front of you. Tell the dog to "drop it". Take the object and
praise your dog.
Once the dog has mastered this to the extent that he can perform off-leash, you can even
teach him to fetch an item that you haven't thrown -- such as the newspaper. With your
dog's attention focused on you, make an imaginary throw towards the paper. Command your
dog to "fetch". When he runs to the paper, tell him "bring it". Then
tell him "drop it" when he comes back to you. After enough repetitions, your dog
will go and get the paper with just a verbal command from you.
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