Dogs are more than just pets; they’re your best friend, your faithful companion and your trusted protector. Their love and devotion are unconditional, and there’s no doubt that dogs provide companionship and comfort to their owners as well as unconditional love. But who said that dogs can’t have fun too? They’re incredibly intelligent animals that learn quickly, so why not teach them to do some tricks? Here are five easy tricks to teach your dog.
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1. Use the Wait Command
The wait command is great for situations where you don’t want your dog to take off after a squirrel or other distraction. It is also one of the 5 easy tricks to teach your dog to stop what they’re doing and focus on you, as well as giving them time to observe and think about how they should react. The command also teaches dogs an important lesson: their behavior affects whether they are rewarded or not.
The more control you have over your dog, the better! If you teach them good habits now, like staying when told, leash walking becomes easier and safer. Learning these commands helps strengthen your bond with your pet so that both of you can enjoy each other’s company even more! Teaching your dog tricks will provide hours of entertainment (and exercise!) for both of you.
2. The Floppy Ears Trick
Some dogs are proud of their floppy ears, while others do not. Yet, there are still a variety of tricks that can be taught regardless of how your dog’s ears flop. One such trick is called the floppy ears trick, which involves holding one or both of your dog’s ears down and shaking them as you say down!
This makes it easier for your dog to understand what you want from him since you are training with his natural ear movements. Once he understands that one trick, you can combine it with other commands so that once he hears down! His ears will automatically go down and stay down until released.
3. The Turn Around Trick
Instead of walking your dog in a circle, try walking them in reverse as one of the 5 easy tricks to teach your dog. Not only will they get to sniff out new places, but you’ll also find yourself having more fun and getting some exercise while you’re at it. To help your dog learn how to turn around in place, start by rewarding her when she begins turning around.
Start adding distance until she learns that all she has to do is turn around and start walking back towards you for a treat or pat on the head. For example, begin with your dog facing away from you and reward her every time she turns around. Once she starts doing that consistently, add an extra step so that once she turns around and faces you, reward her again.
4. The Shake Hands Trick
Like humans, dogs feel more comfortable when they know what to expect. They will often greet each other by sniffing and licking noses, so that’s how you can introduce your dog to shake hands. Let them lick and sniff your hand for a few moments, then offer your hand palm-side up in front of their nose.
When they begin licking it or nuzzling it with their nose (which means yes!), gently touch their paw pads with your other hand. If all goes well, they should start bringing their paws up to shake! This works best if you do it on a mat or someplace where there’s less distraction so that your dog can focus fully on what you’re doing. It may take a few days before they get it, but once they do, you’ll have a new trick under your belt!
5. Sniffing Out Food
Dogs are naturally talented when it comes to sniffing out food. If you don’t want your dog rummaging through trash and eating things they shouldn’t, you can use their ability to smell by training them to alert them to certain smells.
There are tons of scents dogs can be trained to detect (like food, drugs, and even human remains) but one of the most valuable is a cancer scent! Being one of the 5 easy tricks to teach your dog, sniffer dogs have been shown to help detect lung, breast, and prostate cancer with 97% accuracy.
Final Thoughts
Now is a great time to teach your dog some new tricks, as winter weather is on its way. Start with something easy like sit or stay, but work up to more complicated tricks like fetching your newspaper in front of their fenced-in backyard. After all, you’ll want them to have fun and feel rewarded for their hard work during those cold days when they can’t go outside and play!
