Three Tricks to Teach Your Dog in January
By Katie Meneses
January is National Train Your Dog Month! With the cold outside, it makes for a great time to teach a new trick to your new puppy, or your dog. Every dog, big or small, old or young, can learn new tricks. Here are a couple tricks, as well as some tips to teach them to your dog.
Trick 1: Handshake
A classic trick, handshake, is great for beginners. Start by placing a treat in your hand, and closing it into a fist. Then, hold your hand out to your dog, palm up but fist still closed. Your dog should naturally paw at your hand to get to the treat. When they do, immediately open your hand to let them get to the treat, and begin praising them. Repeat this, giving the command “shake”, or your chosen command cue, until your dog starts to understand the command. Then, you can start phasing out the treat, offering it instead after they put their paw in your hand.
Trick 2: Speak and Quiet
A common behavior problem among dogs is excessive barking. One great way to solve this is to teach the “Speak” and “Quiet” commands.
The best place to start is with the “Quiet” command. The first step is to set up a situation that will cause your dog to bark, such as knocking or a doorbell ringing. Once barking, go to the window and look outside briefly to acknowledge their concern. Then, return to your dogs side with a treat or toy and get their attention. Once they stop barking, give them the treat or toy and say “Quiet”, or your command cue of your choice. Repeat this, saying the command when they stop barking, but gradually increasing the time between when they get quiet and when you give the treat. This can take some time to teach, and should be practiced frequently, but briefly each time.
On the other end of this process is teaching the “Speak” command. Begin by encouraging your dog to bark naturally, as with the “Quiet” command. When your dog barks, give your command as “Speak”, or the que word of your choice, in a clear and upbeat voice. Then, praise your dog and give them a treat or toy. Repeat this process until your dog begins to understand.
Once your dog learns the commands separately, you can begin using them together. Practice by starting with the “Speak” command, and getting them to bark a few times before giving them the “Quiet” command.
Trick 3: Back Up
Teaching your dog to back up can be a fun trick to show friends, or a nice way to keep your dog from crowding you in the kitchen, or at the door. This trick does have to start with the stay command first. If your dog knows stay, it will make the new trick easier to train.
To begin, start by commanding your dog to “Stay”. Then, take a few steps away and turn to face them. Begin moving toward your dog. Some dogs will take a few steps back immediately when you approach. If your dog does not back up right away, continue stepping forward until they do, leaning forward slightly. When your dog backs away, you can say the command “Back up”, or your chosen command cue. Follow the command with praise, a treat, or a toy.
Continue to repeat this process until your dog picks up on the command. Most dogs pick up on this command quickly, and just need to practice a few times a day to get this trick under their belt!
Tips for Teaching Tricks
- Treats or Toys? – Every dog is different. Some prefer treats as rewards, while other prefer play.
- Training Clickers – Many dogs do well when a training clicker is used in the training process. Giving a few clicks, followed by a command, and then a treat, can help lead to quicker training sessions for some dogs.
- Positive Reinforcement – It is important to use positive reinforce throughout the training process. Keep your voice happy and upbeat, and never punish a pet for getting a trick wrong.
- How often? – Training should be worked into daily life. Make it apart of your routine, spending a few minutes a day revisiting the tricks your pet knows, or beginning to train the new ones. This keeps the training fresh for your dog.
- Consistency – the biggest part of training your dog is consistency. You must keep the training the same, especially when addressing problem behaviors. Consistency makes the training process easier throughout the process.
Make the best out of January, and celebrate National Train Your Dog Month by training your dog with some of these new tricks.
For more tips on training your dog, checkout this Hill’s Puppy Obedience Guide. You can also check out one of our blogs, Training Talk: Bringing Home a New Puppy, for some tips specific to puppy training.
Disclaimer: This written content is meant to be educational and is not medical advice. Always consult a veterinarian about medical advice for your pet.
