What are Dog Tricks?
Dog tricks are actions we train our dogs for fun and for their benefit as well as ours. This benefits your dog for they can learn something new in their life. It also counts as an exercise or activity they can do to help pass their time.
At the same time, they can earn what they have always wanted from you. These are your attention, your time, your love, your care and most especially, your bag of treats!
Dogs certainly love it when you get to teach them many things. However, the process of doing so may take a long while, a lot of patience and a lot of understanding. Some dogs breeds may find it harder to learn than some breeds that excel at these quite quickly. It can take weeks or months for some dogs while some will only take a few days or a week.
I have two dogs at home and I tried to teach every one of them a few tricks. I have discovered that my Siberian husky got the lesson no less than three days. As for my Shih Tzu mix Chihuahua, it took her longer than expected. But I guess the learning speed depends on a few factors. These factors are interest, treats, and the level of fun it would be to do it. When you are teaching them, you must take note of these factors.
How can I teach my dog some fun dog tricks?
Teaching your dog some tricks can be a challenge and may take up most of your time. But if you are really interested and so is your dog, then this won’t be just a challenge but a fun activity that allows you and your dog to make and strengthen bonds to one another. There actually many ways on how to train your dog. There is the Clicker Training and the General Training. Let’s get to know them more!
Quick video about clicker training:
[thrive_text_block color=”orange” headline=”Clicker Training”]This training comes with the use of a clicker. A clicker click has many meanings and can be quite understandable for your dog in the long run. It signals when, how and what in the process of teaching your dog some cool tricks. At the click of the button, it can tell your dog that he or she is doing exactly what you are trying to make them do. In every click, you teach your dog what it means. This allows your dog to shape their behavior. Always pair the clicker up with treats.[/thrive_text_block]
[thrive_text_block color=”purple” headline=”General Training”]In General Training, a clicker is not involved. This process is only done with treats and more hand gestures. While the clicker trains with the sound of the click, general training trains with the use of your hand gestures and treats. Your dog will be able to learn from your hand gestures like sign language. This is most useful for dogs who are deaf. Both the Clicker and this practice is still considered effective. It just depends on the dog’s condition.[/thrive_text_block]
So these are the two kinds of dog training there is! It’s up to you on which method you would like to initiate on your dog. Some dogs also work well with the clicker and some work much best with general training. These dogs are mostly the one who gets irritated with some sounds easily.
10 Fun Dog Tricks you can try teach your dog
Are you still unsure on what trick to start with when teaching your dog? There are quite a lot of tricks you can teach them. When I was teaching my dog, I started with teaching them how to sit since I found it very cute and satisfying. This is one of the most basic tricks and I think it’s a good starter to let your dog know that he or she is going to enter the zone of learning.
But if you want to start off with someone else and something new, don’t worry! I have ten examples to help you choose which dog trick you can teach your dog for the first. Pick one among the 10 examples or just do them all! That would be a really great idea. But first, make sure you got the hand of it before proceeding to the next. Not all dogs want to a certain trick.
When you have mastered all of them, you may be able to teach your dog a trick off the list! Have your own trick to teach. Now, let’s move on to the 10 examples!
The 7 Fun Dog Tricks you can teach your dog
- Trick 1: The Kiss
- Trick 2: Speak when Told
- Trick 3: The Handshake
- Trick 4: Play Dead
- Trick 5: Roll Over
- Trick 6: The Hug
- Trick 7: Sitting Pretty
Conclusion
On your first try on teaching your dog the trick of your choice, don’t give up! It can seem like there would be no progress but with some patience, things can actually get done. Just always make sure to have treats at your side and if you want a clicker, go on and use it!
Also, remember the factors to consider or else things would be more difficult to handle. These factors are treats, interest and, the level of fun! I wish you a good luck on your sessions with your dog.