How to Teach Your Dog Tricks

The key to teaching your dog tricks is a lot of repetition and rewards. It is important to reward your dog with praises and/or treats when he is learning how to perform a new trick. Positive reinforcement is key. Only practice tricks for a few minutes at a time, your dog may become tired or frustrated because repeating tricks over and over may cause your dog's muscles to become fatigued. After each session reward your dog with a fun play session.

Paw

This is a fairly easy trick to teach your dog. The paw trick is your dog shaking your hand. Start by having your dog sit and simply reach your hand out and take hold of your dog's paw while saying "Paw". After a while all you have to do is reach out your hand and say "Paw" and your dog will put his paw in your hand.

Kiss

This is a fairly simple trick where you get your dog to lick you on command. Simply say "Kiss me" anytime your dog licks you. As an incentive you can put peanut butter on your face for him to lick off and say "Kiss me" while he is licking it off. After a while your dog will "kiss" you anytime you give the "Kiss me" command.

Catch

Catch is probaly one of the easiest tricks you can teach since it'll come naturally to most dogs. Simply toss a treat (small enough so that they won't choke on it and big enough for them to see it) into the air and when your dog sees it they will grab it before it can hit the ground. This may take a little while for your dog to get this trick so keep on practicing by tossing up treats.

Fetch

Fetch is another trick that comes naturally for most dogs. Simply throw a ball or another object that you want your dog to retrieve and he'll go get it and return it to you. If you dog doesn't fetch the object, throw the ball and run with your dog to retrieve the object. Give your dog a treat every time you retrieve the object (you can cut a slit into a ball, place treats inside the ball and take them out of the ball when retrieved for a stronger association with the ball and the treats). After a while you can throw the ball and your dog will automatically go after the ball and return it to you in order to get the treat. After a while slowly wean your dog off the treats by only giving them a treat every other retrieval, then every 3 retrievals and so on.

Beg

This is one of the more advanced tricks, your dog stands up on their hind legs to beg. Start by having your dog sit and hold a treat at his nose and bring it above your dog's head at a height where they have to stand on their hind legs to reach the treat. While doing this say "Beg" and give him the treat when he is standing on his hind legs. You can help your dog stand up by holding his paws for support. Each successive time you perform this trick, wait a little longer before giving him the treat.Speak

Try to get your dog to bark by finding an activity or game that gets your dog excited and talk to him in an upbeat tone of voice. Once your dog starts barking say "Speak". Reward him by playing the game or doing that activity which got him to speak and/or reward him with a treat. After a while your dog will learn to bark whenever you give the "Speak" command.

Bow

This trick is where your dog looks like he is taking a bow by bringing his head to the floor. To start out with get your dog in a standing position. Hold a treat in front of your dog's nose and bring it downward, his head should follow the treat while his body should stay off the ground (if he lays down simply place your hand underneath your dog to keep him from laying down and continue with the trick) and give him the treat after a couple seconds and say bow. After a while your dog will learn to bow whenever you give the "Bow" command.

Leash Training a Dog or Puppy

Adjusting to the Collar

If you are putting a collar on a puppy for the first time they will probaly be resistant to it for the first few hours that it's on, but don't take it off of him it will take time to adjust and before you know it will feel natural to them when wearing it. You want the collar to fit securely but not so tight that it's uncomfortable or hard for your dog to breathe. When your puppy is getting used to the collar it is a good idea to try and distract him from thinking about the collar by playing with him or giving him a treat. If you have a puppy that's still growing you need to check your puppy’s collar about every week and increase the size as he grows.

Adjusting to the Leash

After your puppy or dog becomes adjusted to their collar attach the leash to his collar. Supervise your puppy as he runs around with the leash dragging behind him. Take it off after a few minutes and repeat the same process at a later time except for each successive time leave it on a little longer. Something that might help your puppy associate the leash with pleasent events is by putting the leash on right before he eats or placing the leash next to the food bowl before attaching it to him.

After your puppy is comfortable with the leash on pick up the end of the leash and follow him around for several minutes inside the house where he's used to the surroundings. During this process try not to allow the leash to apply any pressure to the collar or it may scare your puppy. During this process it is important that you praise your dog and possibly reward him a treat from time to time.

Once he is comfortable with the leash on inside the house, bring him outside the house to a familiar environment such as the backyard with the leash on. Place him on the left side of you so that he'll get used to walking on the left side of you each time you go out with the leash. Bring your dog to the area that they usually go potty with the leash on.

Walking Your Dog

Before you walk your dog it is important that they are calm so give them a sit-stay command before putting on their collar/leash. If your dog starts to run towards the door right after you put finish putting the leash on simply do a quick jerk with the leash and immediately release the leash to give it some slack, give a stop command then give a sit-stay command and then praise him when he is sitting. After a few minutes take him outside for a walk.

It is important that the dog doesn't lead you or pull on the leash when you are walking him. During the first few times simply walk your dog around the house or in the backyard where he is familiar with the surroundings. If he pulls forward on the leash give a stay where you are, give a quick jerk with the leash and immediately release the leash to give it some slack and issue the stop command (you may have to repeat this several times before your dog stops) then give a sit-stay command and then praise him when he is sitting and praise him for his good action of sitting, wait several seconds then continue with the walk. After he understands that you are doing the leading when you are walking him you can bring him out into the real world for a walk and if still tries to pull ahead just repeat the process above with the jerking of the leash. When he is doing a good job it is important that you give your dog praises and encouragement.Quiet

When your dog starts barking, say the "Quiet" command and immediately jerk the leash. Repeat as necessary. After several times, try to just say the quiet command without pulling on the leash. Eventually, your dog will respond to just the auditory command.

Drop It

You can teach your dog how to drop objects you wish he shouldn't carry in their mouth in the same manner as the previous command. If you see your dog has something in his mouth that you want him to drop, command him to "Drop it" then quickly jerk his leash. Eventually, your dog will drop what is in his mouth after you say "Drop it."

Leave It

If you happen to see that your dog is about to pick up, you can use the "Leave it" command. Before your dog picks up the item, give your command and apply a sharp jerk on his leash. Just as the previous commands, your dog will associate the jerk of his collar with something you don't want him to do and will eventually respond to the command and it won't be necessary to jerk the leash.

Dog Training Commands

Training your dog how to perform simple commands is an essential for all dog owners. The time it will take will vary depending on how much time you invest in training your dog each day. Generally, dogs trained about 20 minutes each day will follow simple commands after 2-3 months of training.To teach any command, you should follow these simple steps:

1. Decide what you would like your dog to do.

2. Make up an auditory and/or visual sign to initiate the desired action.

The auditory command should have his name in it (e.g. "Buddy, sit"). Your voice should be of right tone and volume (e.g. don't mumble, shout).

3. Say the command only once.

4. To help the dog make the association of the command to the action, make your dog perform the action after the command is given.

5. Use reinforcements for good behaviors (e.g. petting him or treats)

6. After your dog follows the commands consistently, use distractions and see if he still obeys.Sit

To teach your dog how to sit, first place a leash on the collar of your dog. Say the command in a firm voice once. Pull up in the leash while pushing down on his back until he is in the sitting position. For larger dogs, if you are unable to push the dog down into the sitting position, and easy way to do this is to walk the dog forward a couple steps and this will allow you to easily push the dog's rear down. If your dog is fidgeting around and won't sit, keep a firm grip on the leash while pulling upward. After your dog is in the position, praise the dog, but do not let him get up. This enables the dog to associate your command with this position. After a few seconds, you can allow your dog to get out of that position by petting under his chin. This tells the dog it is okay to move. Continue this process until your dog obeys the command.Stay

After you teach your dog to sit, you can teach him to stay. First, have him sit. Then command him to "Stay" while you stand in front of him with the leash over his head. You should act distracted (e.g. look the other way, tie your shoes). if your dog gets up, you should pull the leash upwards until the dog sits again. Prevent your dog from lying down by holding the leash high enough that he can't comfortably lie down. After some time sitting and not getting up, you can pet under its chin, which the dog will associate with being okay to move. After your dog successfully stays seated, you can eventually move one or two paces away. You can also start to use other distractions like food or toys. The dog should still obey your command and stay in a sitting position, despite the distractions.Lie DownTeaching your dog to lie down starts out similarly to the sit routine. Command your dog to lie down. You should then force the dog to lie down by placing your hand above his shoulder blades and pushing down. This can be very tricky. Some dogs my hold their front legs very rigid that it is too difficult for you to push them down. If this is the case, you should push down on the shoulder blades while you lift up on of their legs. You may want to wear gloves and long sleeves because the dog may resist you by flailing its paws. When the dog is in the proper position, you may reinforce the dog, but don't allow him to move until you pet him underneath the chin, which signifies he can get out of whatever position he may be in.

After teaching the dog to lie down using this method, the next step is to teach him to lie down without pushing his front down. You should pull the leash diagonally toward the back. The first few times, you should push down on its front so he knows to lie down. After that, he should associate the diagonal pull on the leash and the command with the proper action.

After you dog learns this, you can teach him to lie down by just using words. To do this, you should command him to go down quickly several or more times a minute.Stand

Teaching your dog to get up from lying down or the sitting position is very similar to the previous methods. Hold his collar and give the command. Pull forward on the collar slightly. As the dog stands, reinforce his behavior, and make him stand still for about 20 seconds. If the dog tries to move, jerk the collar in the opposite direction until he stands still. After he stands still for about 20 seconds, release him by petting under his chin.Stand, Stay

After you dog consistently obeys the stand command, you can teach him the stay command. Have your dog stand. Walk around your dog while one hand is firmly holding his collar prohibiting him to move, while the other hand is petting and reinforcing him for not moving. After you dog stands without moving, you can try walking around him, without petting him.

Behavior Training a Dog or Puppy

Correcting Misbehavior

When your dog misbehaves you need to let him know that he is doing something wrong immediately. If you wait too long they will not associate your corrective actions with their misconduct. Physical punishment is usually not necessary. Startling your dog with a firm "No", blowing a hand held air horn or rattling a can filled with coins or rocks should deter your dog or puppy from continuing with their current action. You may want to administer a remote correction, which is simply making the noise without your dog knowing you were the one making the noise so that the dog won't associate you with the corrective action, if he does associate you with the action then he'll just wait till you are away and perform it. After you stop the dog from misbehaving sit him down and praise him for his good behavior of sitting.

Biting

Teaching a dog not to bite should begin when your dog is a puppy. For the first 3-4 months age, it is okay if he puts his mouth in your hand but after that point it should be discouraged. If after that point if he bites down on your hand you should let out a little yelp and walk away, this way your puppy will learn that anytime he bites a human they will not receive any attention. Giving your dog toys to chew on should help relieve any biting problems that occur.

Excessive Barking

If your dog barks excessively they should be brought inside until they learn to control their barking habits. It is natural for a dog to bark, so you have to let them know that it's ok for them to bark but need to quiet down when they are told to do so. To get your dog to stop barking, tell him to, "Be quiet" while waving a treat in front of his nose (dogs' can't sniff/lick the treat while barking). During the time that he has stopped barking praise your dog and after about 3 seconds give him the treat. Next time he barks repeat the same process except wait about 5 seconds and for each successive time increase the time before giving him the treat (10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds) till he learns to stop barking for a full minute or more. After a while the dog will stop barking on command without the need for treats but it is still important to praise your dog for his action of being quiet.

Stairs

Dogs may be afraid or tentative to go up and down stairs. To assist larger dogs manage going up and down stairs; you should leash the dog and keep a firm grip on the leash, with very little slack. For your protection, you should also have a firm grip on the railing as well. Stand with your dog at the bottom of a flight of stairs. It would be best if the stairway was wide and had good traction. Look straight ahead and start to walk up the stairs. If he doesn't go up at first, you should start over and try again. It may take some time for your dog go up the first step. For smaller dogs and puppies, you are able to use a different method. First, place the puppy on the first step, and walk a couple paces away. Encourage the dog to jump off the step. If the dog is hesitant, you may want to persuade him off by using a toy or treat. After this is successful, you can place the dog on the second step, then eventually at the top to the flight of stairs.

Car Rides

Do not feed your dog before the car ride. Start out with short trips and slowly increase the lengths of the trips to let your dog get accustomed to the rides. Allow your dog to settle down in the back seat of the car. Do not open the window wide enough for the dog to stick his head out the window. Then provides an opportunity for the dog to be seriously injured. You may want to give the dog a toy to distract him while he is in the car. It is advised for the first few trips that you bring towels or newspapers and cover the back of the car just in case your dog has to vomit.

Eating feces

If your dog is eating feces, startle him with a loud noise (such as rattling a can of rocks or blowing an air horn) as soon as you see that he is sniffing or about to eat the feces. You can avoid this problem by picking up any feces that may be on your lawn before your dog can eat it. Visits When you take your dog for different types of visits (e.g. veterinarian, groomer), you want them to be calm and under control. Walk your dog a little to calm him down before you take him in, because the car ride there or being in a new environment may get him animated.

Pawing and Jumping

It is not uncommon for a dog to jump up and place their paws on you to try to get your attention. Simply turn away from him, walk away and ignore him. You don't want to give him any attention by trying to push him down or he will keep jumping up and pawing you. The next time you see your dog moves toward you, make him sit down before he has an opportunity to jump up and reward/praise him for his good behavior of sitting.

Crate Training a Dog or Puppy

Crating or crate training your dog is a great way to keep your dog from causing any trouble when he is not yet properly trained. Crating is also a great potty training tool as well. Dogs will tend to hold it in rather than soil their crate which is viewed by them as their personal territory and when let out of the crate they will go and relieve themselves after you take them to an appropriate area. Crate training will develop your dog's control of their bladder and bowel movements. Depending on your dog the crate training process can take anywhere from several days to several weeks.

It can take some time for your dog to get comfortable with their crate so you need to introduce the crate slowly. Put the crate in a room where he'll get a lot of attention.

1. Introduction
To start off with put a soft towel or blanket inside the crate and play/talk with your dog near the crate. Next encourage your dog to enter the crate by putting some treats or his favorite toy just outside the door of the crate, then at the beginning of the crate and after that toss the treats all the way into the end of the crate. If he doesn't want to go in don't force him in, let him go at his own pace. Leave the crate door open during this process. This process can take anywhere from several minutes to a few days.

2. Meals
The next step is to feed your dog meals near the crate. After several meals put the food as far into the crate as he will go, if he doesn't go in start by putting the food in the beginning of the crate and place by food a little further into the crate each time until the food is in the back of the crate. When you think your dog is comfortable with eating in the crate close the door when he begins to eat and open the door as soon as he is finished. With each meal after that leave the door closed a couple of minutes longer each time until you reach about 10 minutes. If your dog begins to whine or cry while inside the crate don't let him out until he has been in there for the predetermined amount of time or he will do it every time. It is important that your dog is able to see you when they are in the crate.

3. Longer Time Periods
When your dog is comfortable in the crate you will be able to confine him for longer time periods. To start off with call your dog over to the crate and give him a treat. Give a command to signal for him to go into the crate such as "bed" and encourage him to go in by pointing to the crate with a treat in hand. After he enters the crate reward your dog by giving him the treat and pet him and say "good boy/girl" then close the door. Next quietly sit by the crate for a few minutes then go into another room for a few minutes. Come back sit quietly by the crate for another few minutes then let him out of the crate. Repeat this process several times a day. With each successive repetition, slowly increase the amount of time you leave him in the crate and the amount of that time you are away from the crate. When your dog stays quietly in his crate for at least 30 minutes when you are away from the crate, you can begin to leave him crated when you leave the house for short periods of time or at night when he sleeps. This process can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks.


Leaving your Dog Home Alone
After your dog feels comfortable at being alone for 30-minute periods; you can leave him home alone. Give a command to signal for him to go into the crate such as "bed" and encourage him to go in by pointing to the crate with a treat in hand as in step 3. Vary the time from 5-20 minutes after you put him in the crate to leave so that your dog won't know when you have left. When you return don't make a big fuss over the dog but acknowledge him and let him out of the crate. You should periodically crate your dog for short periods of time when you are at home so he won't associate being crated as being abandoned by you. It is also a good idea to leave few toys in the crate to entertain your dog.

Crating at Night
Get your dog into the crate by using the procedure in step 3. It is a good idea to put the crate by your bedroom or in the hallway just outside of your bedroom so that you can hear if your dog starts to whine which could be him telling you that signal that he needs to eliminate. After a few nights gradually move the crate away from your bedroom to the location where you want the crate to remain.

Selecting a Crate
The crate should be just large enough for your dog to stand up in and turn around in without his shoulders touching the ceiling. If the crate is too large then your dog will find an area of the crate that he can soil.

Whining
Whining or crying when your dog is in there crate may either indicate that they need to be let out to eliminate or he just wants to get out. Wait a few minutes and if he's still whining go and see if he needs to eliminate and if you are pretty certain that he does then let him out to eliminate, after he is done bring him back to the crate, don't spend time playing with him. If your dog continues to whine but doesn't need to eliminate just ignore him. If the problem persists you may need to start the crate training process all over again.

Amount of Time In The Crate
Too much time in the crate can be bad for your dog. Your dog will feel frustrated/trapped if he is in their for too long. In general, an adult dog shouldn't spend more than 8 hours a day in a crate while a puppy under 6 months shouldn't spend more that 4 hours at a time in the crate because they haven't developed their bladder and bowel controls and are prone to soil it.


Potty training
Since dogs do not like to soil their "territory", when your dog is in their crate they will try to avoid eliminating when they are in there. That means that when they are released they will want to relieve himself. Let your dog out about every hour and give them four or five minutes to eliminate, if he does not eliminate return him to the crate, if he does then praise/reward him by giving him a treat, playing with them or giving them extra attention. If you feed your dog on a regular schedule, then he should eliminate at about the same time. Once you figure out his schedule, you can take him out to eliminate at the same time every day. It is advised that you put your dog in the crate about an hour before the scheduled elimination time to prevent him from eliminating early. Most dogs can be slowly weaned off crating as they get older, but your dog may be accustomed to the crate so it is a good idea to keep it around to allow them to nap in it.

Important Note
You should never leave a choke collar or a leash on a dog when they go into the crate because they may choke themselves to death.

Potty Training: Puppy and Dog

The Den
By nature dogs do not like to soil their den. By establishing their den they will try to avoid eliminating when ever they are in their den and will tend to hold it until you take them out of their den to eliminate so it is important that they know where their den is. Whenever you are not home your dog should be left in his den so he doesn't soil the house.

Scheduling
Set up a schedule for your dog and stick with it everyday. Feed your dog the same amount of food at the same time and monitor his/her activity and take note of when they need to relieve themselves and let them out during that time. If you stick to the same schedule then they will relieve themselves at the same time. Train the dog to relieve themselves on command when they are going by telling them to "Go Pee" or "Potty " and reward them with a treat and/or by petting them. Soon they'll associate the action with the command and be able to eliminate on command.

Feeding Amounts
If you give your dog unlimited access to food and water they will eat and drink all day long and need to poop and pee constantly so you need to limit the amount that they take in. Puppies under 3-4 months of age should be fed 3 times a day and dogs older than that only need to be fed twice a day (puppies 6-14 weeks old should be given unlimited access to water). Feedings don't have to be proportional; you can feed them a smaller portion when you don't have time to let them out to eliminate and a larger portion when you have more time.

Signaling
Before taking your dog outside to eliminate stop at the door and wait until he sits, then let him outside to eliminate. After a while he'll learn that by going to the door and sitting he is signaling you to let him outside to eliminate.

When to Let Him Out
Dogs have a greater tendency to go when they are active, after they eat, and when they wake up. Puppies have less control over when they go and need to be taken out more often, control over their bowel and bladder movements won't be fully developed until they are about 6 months of age. Taking a puppy out every hour in not uncommon. Adult dogs only need to be taken out about 3-4 times daily. It is advised to take your dog out to eliminate when they wake up, about 15 minutes after each meal for puppies (and about an hour after meals for an adult dog) and before they go to sleep.

House Training a Dog or Puppy

House training is important for a good relationship between the dog and its owner. All dogs are capable of being house trained whether they are a puppy or an adult dog but the sooner you start the better. Dogs are creatures of habit, so if you let bad habits develop early it will be harder to change them in the future.
The Dog's Den
Untrained dogs and puppies should not be left free to roam the house unsupervised. If no one is going to be home or you are unable to keep a close eye on your dog, then you should confine him to either their crate or a small confined area (the dog's den) covered with newspapers where he can't do any damage. In the confined area you should put a few toys, their bed (can be a towel, cardboard box or open crate), and their food and water bowl (don't leave it filled up though because they will eat and drink and need to eliminate continuously). Just remember that you should not leave your dog confined all day, but give your dog sufficient playtime and exercise.

New Area Introduction
Once you have established the dog's den or living area, which can be any confined area of the house, try spending as much time as you can with your dog in that area. As mentioned earlier put a few toys, their bed and feeding bowls in their den. Feed your dog, let him sleep and play with them in this area.

After your dog gets used to their bed, you can introduce the dog to new areas of the house by moving the dog's bed to different areas of the house. You want to confine your dog to his bed, close the crate door if his bed is a crate or leash your dog to a piece of furniture if the bed is something else, it's important to never leave your dog unattended when you leash your dog. Another way to introduce your dog to other parts of the house is by leasing your dog to yourself by tying the leash around your waist. This way you can keep a constant eye on him and make sure that he doesn't cause any mischief. Once your dog is potty trained, you can let your dog eat, sleep, and play with supervision in the rooms which you have already introduced. Do this one room at a time.

Chewing
Dogs are naturally inclined to chew on things, which helps keep their teeth and gums healthy and exercises their jaw so it is wise to buy chew toys for him to chew on. By giving them their own toys to chew on they'll be less inclined to chew on things which they aren't supposed to chew on. If your puppy does chew on objects which he isn't supposed to you must give him a stern "No Chew" command, then make him sit down, and praise him for his good act of sitting and give him a toy that he can chew on. The "No Chew" command must be given when he is in the act of chewing so he'll associate his chewing with the command. It is important that you constantly praise and reward your dog for their good actions such as when they eliminate in their area or play with their toys.

Off
Keeping your dog off furniture is an important part of house training. If your dog is on furniture that he's not supposed to be on, give him a stern "Off" command and quickly bump him off by pushing his stomach with your knee or hand then make him sit down, and praise him for his good act of sitting.