Well, maybe not that one!
To teach your dog tricks even easy ones you need to have some small reward treats, be in a quiet suitable place and keep the training sessions to 10 – 15 minutes or your dog will start to get bored. Remember when he gets something right lots of praise and a reward treat. Just be careful not to get him over excited or he will lose concentration.
Getting your dog to give you his paw
First get your dog to sit, then as you say the word ‘paw’ take your dog’s paw in your hand, give the dog a treat, repeat this. After a few times, do not take his paw so quickly, say the word, count to one then take it. Now you should notice he is bringing his paw up as you say the word. If he does not, go back to saying it at the same time. Do it a few more times then slow your response again. After 2 or 3 sessions most dogs will this one up quite happily.
The high five is a progression of the above trick
Hold a treat in your fingers and raise your hand slightly higher than you would for the paw trick. Your dog will think you want to do the paw trick and will reach for the treat with his paw as we taught him earlier. As he reaches up you say, “high five” and give him the treat. Once your dog has mastered the paw trick, this one should be very easy to learn and with just a few sessions, he will be doing it on hand signal rather than voice control.
Getting your dog to jump through a hoop
Before you start this one, I would just like to ask you to be a little sensible and not hold the hoop too high, as you do not want your dog to hurt himself while doing the trick. Sit your dog on one side of a hoola hoop. Get the dog’s attention on your hand. On the other side of the hoop, take a treat in your hand and give the dog the command to release him from the sit. At first he may attempt to go around or under the hoop. If this happens, start again. Your dog wants the treat and will soon learn that going around or under does not get it, so he will soon start going through the hoop. When he does, say hoopla and give him the treat. He will soon be jumping through the hoop on the command of hoopla. If you have a smaller dog,you might want to start with the hoop touching the ground so the dog just goes through the hoop and then, slowly raise it as he gets used to the trick.
Oak Tree Animal Hospital – Tampa
Tampa, FL 33604
1.813.938.2020