Shake Hands

Start by having your dog sit. Say, "Shake hands," and take his paw with your hand. Hold his paw and say, "Good dog!" Let go of his paw. Do this a few times every day.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only  

 Turn Around or Turn Left
See it!

Start by having your dog stand up facing you. Let your dog see a treat in your hand. Stand still and say, "Turn around". Lead the dog's nose around to the left (clockwise) with the treat so he walks in a circle. When he comes back to where he's facing you again, say, "Good dog!" and give him the treat.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

Twirl or Turn Right

"Twirl" is the same trick as "Turn Around" (see above), but this time your dog turns to the right (counterclockwise), instead of to the left.

Start by having your dog stand up facing you. Stand still and say, "Twirl". Lead the dog's nose around to the right with the treat so he walks in a circle. When he comes back to where he's facing you again, say, "Good dog!" and give him the treat.

If you choose to use the words, "Turn Right", use them all the time. Don't use "Twirl" sometimes, and "Turn Right" other times. Be consistent.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

 Crawl See it!

Start by having your dog lie down. Hold a treat just in front of his nose and say, "Crawl." If he starts to stand up, say, "No, down...crawl." Pull the treat away, keeping it low, near the ground and say, "Craaawl." When your dog moves even an inch or two without standing up, praise him and say, "Good dog! Craaawl."
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

 Speak

Choose a game that your dog loves to play, like catch with a ball, or hide and seek with a toy. Then get him excited by saying, "Let's play! Want to play?" and show him the ball or toy. Jump and act silly so he barks and then say, "Good dog, speak!" Then play the game as his reward for learning "Speak".
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

 Play Dead
or Take a Nap See it!

Have your dog lie down on his tummy. As you gently roll him over on his side, say, "Take a nap." While he is lying on his side, keeping his head on the floor, say, "Take a nap." Don't give him a treat. Encourage him to stay there for a couple of seconds. Then say, "Ok" or "Wake up!", let him stand up, and give him his reward.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

Beg 

Have your dog sit, facing you. Hold his favorite treat just above his head and tell him, "Say please." Your dog will probably lift his front feet off the ground to reach the treat. As soon as the feet are lifted, even a little bit, give him the treat.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

 Kiss

Here's an easy one: Every time your dog licks your face, say, "Give me a kiss. Good boy! Give me a kiss." If he isn't a licker, put a little peanut butter on your cheek and say, "Give me a kiss." When he licks it off say, "Give me a kiss," again.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

Roll Over  See it!

Start by having your dog lie down on his belly. You can stand over him or kneel beside him. Using a treat, hold it by his nose, and then move it around and behind him, so that he lies on his side and then rolls over. Tell him what a great dog he is!
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

 Say Hello See it!

Start by sitting on a chair. While holding a treat, put your hand between your knees and encourage your dog to get it. As soon as your dog's chin touches your leg, say "Say Hello!". Then say "Release" or "OK" and give him the treat after he lifts his head.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

TIP:
Only give your dog the treat after you have released him. Increase the time his chin is touching your leg, so eventually your dog will keep it there while you pet him. Then release him and reward him. Your dog will soon charm your friends with this trick!

 Take a Bow

(Method 1)

When you see your dog take a big stretch, with his head down low, say, "Take a bow." Every time he wakes up and stretches, say, "Take a bow." Someday you will say, "Take a bow." and your dog will take a big stretch, but it will look like he is bowing. As soon as he is finished, give him the treat.

(Method 2) See it!

With your dog in a stand position, take a treat and hold it near the floor, under his nose. As your dog reaches down to get it (he may try to lie down), slip your hand under his belly to hold his rear end up. Hold him in that position and say, "Take a bow." Keep the treat right by his nose, but don't feed him. Stay there for just a second, release him, and then feed the treat.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

Yawn See it!

Every time you see your dog yawn, say the command you want to use like "Give us a yawn.", or "Are you sleepy?". If he yawns enough and hears those words enough, he will eventually yawn whenever he hears those words.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

Wave See it!

Your dog should know how to shake hands before learning this trick. Face your dog and hold out your hand as if you are going to shake. When your dog lifts her paw to shake, don't grab it, just pull back your hand, and say "Wave". Then give your dog a treat.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

Quiet

This is easiest if your dog already knows how to speak. Tell your dog to Speak or catch him when he is barking. Get right in front of him and say "Quiet". The second he stops, even if it is to take a breath, give him a treat. You might want to hold your hand or palm in front of his face to add a visual signal. Practice playing 'quiet' often and your dog will be loving the word "Quiet".
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

Which One? See it!

Put a treat in one hand, show your dog, and then close both of your hands, making two fists. Hold your fists in front of you, about six inches apart and say "Which one?" Your dog will try to pry at your fists with his mouth to find the treat, but don't open your hands. Wait until he tries to use his paw (he will if you wait long enough), let him touch the correct hand and then give him the treat.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

Circle See it!

With your dog facing you, take a treat and lead your dog's nose to the right and around your body. Let him follow the treat all the way around behind your back and around to the front. Give your dog the treat and praise him. He will be making a complete circle around you.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

Come (to a whistle)

Have your dog sit in front of you. Using a dog whistle from your local pet store, blow it once and give your dog a treat. Do this several times and repeat several times during the day. Repeat this over several days, trying it a increased distances. Your dog should soon be running to you every time he hears the whistle.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

 Head Down See it!

Start by sitting on the ground with your dog. While holding a treat, put your hand in front of your dog's nose and lead him toward the ground. As soon as your dog's chin touches ground only for a second, say "Head Down!". Then say "Release" or "OK" and give him the treat after he lifts his head.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

 Go to Bed

"Go to bed" means go to the bed AND lie down. You should only need to say "Go to bed".
Put a bed, blanket, or towel 6-10 feet away from you. With your dog beside you say "Go to bed!" and then together go to the bed. Have your dog lie down on the bed, give her a treat, and praise. Repeat many times. Later on, try sending your dog by herself. At first, make sure that someone is waiting at the bed with a treat. Later, your dog will do it herself, and you will walk over to her while she is lying down and reward her.
Back

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

TIP:
It will take many repetitions, but she'll start to figure out that going AND lying down on the bed will get her a reward. It's important that your dog knows how to lie down. At first you might have to say Lie Down real softly to get your dog to go down, but try not to use it very much. What you want to say is "Go to Bed". Remember, "Go to bed" means go to the bed AND lie down.

Find the Treasure! (Dig)

'Find the treasure' means the dog will use one or two front paws to dig at the ground. Here's one way to teach it on command. Gather some treats and put them under a towel while your dog is watching closely. Don't let your dog use his nose to get under the towel. Keep encouraging him verbally and showing him that there are treats under the towel, and eventually, he'll start pawing at the towel. As soon as he moves that paw just a little, say, "Find the treasure!" Reward your dog immediately with a treat from your hand or even from under the towel.

Print all the Tricks, Text Only

The Trick is in the Training: 25 Fun Tricks to Teach Your Dog, by Stephanie J Taunton, Cheryl S. Smith
From an Amazon.com reader: This is a terrific book, especially for beginners. The book is very well illustrated with bright, clear, color photographs. The instruction is easy to follow and fun to read. There is a good variety of tricks in which to teach your dog. It is a very FUN book that makes you want to start training your dog right away! Note: This book is very simply done and should be readable by 4-6 graders.