Did you know that this month is National Train Your Dog Month? What a perfect way to start 2014 off by teaching your dog some new tricks! Of course you don’t have to only train your dog in January…you can train your dog each month or whenever you want. Training is definitely an important part of having a dog and it can be really fun for you and your dog. Most people might think it’s hard to train a dog a couple of tricks, but I don’t think it’s that hard at all!
My fiance and I taught my Miniature Schnauzer Simba the simple commands “sit”, “stay”, and “lie down”. Once he knew these commands it was very easy for him to sit and learn how to do tricks. If your dog does not know any simple commands, you should teach him commands first before trying to teach him a trick. Also have your dog’s favorite treats handy to make learning easier and much more fun for your dog.
Now, let me tell you the 3 easiest tricks to teach your dog and how to teach the tricks to your dog.
- Up – Hold your dog’s favorite treat up in the air and repeat the word “up” until he stands on his hind legs. After he does so, give him a treat and say “good boy” and rub him. If you keep practicing this trick, your dog will be able to do the trick without you holding up a treat and you can just hold up your hand. Your dog may even eventually be able to do the trick just by command.
- Shake – Say “shake” while holding your hand out and place your dog’s paw in the palm of your hand. After he does so, give him a treat and say “good boy” and rub him. Keep practicing this trick and your dog will place his paw in your hand for you to shake on his own.
- High Five – Say “Give me a five” while holding your hand up in the air and make your dog’s paw hit your hand. After he does so, give him a treat and say “good boy” and rub him. Keep practicing this trick and your dog will give you a high five on his own.
Check out my Mini Schnauzer Simba doing these 3 easy dog tricks below:
After learning those easy tricks, Simba also learned how to roll over, jump over things, go under things, and more. He’s very smart and a pretty fast learner! I’m very proud of him. It’s fun to see him learn more things and be excited to do so. I also think it makes our bond stronger which is another great reason to train and teach your best friend a couple of tricks. I hope you have fun teaching your dog new tricks. Maybe your dog will even learn how to do more advanced tricks like…play the guitar! 😉
Helpful Dog Training Information
Need help training your dog? Read up on some information and watch step by step YouTube videos. You can also take your dog to training classes (at PetSmart for example) where he can learn along with other dogs. YouTube videos were very helpful for me when I started training Simba. I share the YouTube Channel along with a couple of other helpful dog training links below. I hope you find this information helpful!
Kikopup Dog Training YouTube Channel
Are you going to teach your dog some new tricks? What tricks does your dog already know? Any tips for the newbies? Share in the comments below!
