10 easy tricks to teach your dog

Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Our cheat sheet of easy tricks to teach your dog is fun for pooch pals of all ages, but we do recommend mastering the basics of “sit” and “stay” before moving on to anything more complex. Get to grips with some of the basic commands in our guide to puppy training and then you can embark on some of our favorite beginner's dog tricks.

Whether you’re getting stuck into some serious dog training or you just want to teach your pooch pal some of our easiest tricks for fun, motivation is the key (and often it’s served best in edible form!). There’s no question of “trick or treat?” when it comes to training your four-legged friend - it’s all about trick then treat, although some dog trainers believe clicker training works just as well as a form of positive reinforcement. The final thing to remember when you’re teaching your pup some easy dog tricks is that they love learning in bite-sized chunks - just ten minutes at a time will be enough to “do the trick”. 

Now it’s time to “fetch” your notebook and put your thinking cap on, let’s take a look at these easy tricks to teach your dog. 

Easy tricks for dogs

1. Paw

A contender for one of the best easy dog tricks for beginners, “paw” is bound to be met with a flurry of “aww's” from onlookers. Get your pooch pal to sit as you hold a treat in your hand, enticing them to try opening your fingers to reach the treat. When they use their paw, give them a bit of a fuss before repeating the drill a few times and adding the command “paw”.

2. Shake

After “paw”, it’s only natural “shake” is a close second on our list of easy tricks to teach your dog. I mean, who doesn’t love being greeted with a paw-shake from a distinguished doggy? Get your four-legged friend to sit whilst holding a treat up to them, saying the word “shake” and tapping their front feet. As they raise their paw, catch it and shake their paw, demonstrating the action to them. Repeat a few times - practice makes perfect!

3. Wave

Learning to wave hello and goodbye is another one of our favorite easy tricks to teach your dog. It’s guaranteed to please a crowd, plus it’s pretty simple for our four-legged friends to master. After teaching your dog to shake paws, sit down and wave at them as you say “bye”. Show them they’re teacher’s pet by giving them a pat on the back (and a treat) every time they get it right.

4. Lie down

You probably don’t need too much encouragement to put your feet up, but your playful pooch may not be used to doing it on command. Once Fido’s mastered “sit”, guide their nose to the ground with a tasty treat, repeat until they relax on the floor, et voila, that’s another trick under your best bud’s belt!

5. Roll over

“Roll over” never gets old, but it does need to be learned in a few “pawts”. Now that your pooch pal has mastered the art of “lie down”, hold a treat to their nose as you guide them from side to side, moving the treat and praising them as you go. Repeat the movement and add the command “roll over” so they learn to associate the trick with tasty dog treats. 

6. Spin

Our four-legged friends may not be the most elegant ballerinas, but teaching them to spin is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Hold a treat in front of your dog’s nose and guide them in a circle as you say “spin”. Don’t forget to give them the tasty reward at the end of the show if they passed with flying colors, and repeat as many times as they need to get the hang of it!

7. Fetch 

Throw a toy or a ball, and most doggies will instinctively chase after it. But bringing it back to you is another story. If you want to save your legs (and your sanity), teach your pooch pal to bring the ball back by saying “come” when they reach the toy. Encourage your dog to bring it all the way to your feet before saying “drop it”. This is one of the most useful tricks to teach your dog, and your furry friend won’t miss a trick - it’s the best chance of keeping the game going!

8. Speak

We love simple dog tricks that are impressive and practical! If your pooch pal loves the sound of their own voice a little too much, teaching your dog to speak shows them when they’re allowed to vocalize their thoughts and when it’s time to hold their tongue. Teach your class clown to be quiet by rewarding them with a treat when they stop barking and keep “speak” short and sweet with just one bark.

9. Play dead

This one’s top of the list of cool dog tricks because, who doesn’t want their Fido to “play dead” like a bonafide Oscar winner? First, teach your pooch to roll over, then add the command “play dead” along with a hand signal that looks like a gun. This can be a great trick to keep up your sleeve for when your pooch needs a bit of time out, but don’t forget to reward them when they (eventually) get up!

10. Bow

Bottoms up! Rather like downward dog, your four-legged friend can be trained to put their chest to the floor and keep their rear end up in the air. Doggies are used to bowing to invite other pooch pals to play so it’s pretty easy for them to learn, especially with the incentive of a treat.

11. Kiss

Last but not least, kisses can be taught by placing a treat on your cheek and saying “kiss”. While this often goes down well with kids, this trick’s not one for everyone, so always make sure the subject of the kisses is up for it!

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about these fun tricks to teach your dog, but don’t let all that hard work go to waste when you have to go away! Dog owners - inviting a loving dog sitter to take care of your furry friend while you jet off will avoid unnecessary disruptions to their daily routine and ensure your pooch pal gets all the love and attention they deserve. Find out more about how it works here.