Tricks to Teach Your Dog
While tricks are not nearly so important for a dog to learn as manners, they can be a lot of fun. Now that you are familiar with the general principles of training a dog, you will find it easy to teach Beans some tricks.
Let It Alone: Place a toy in front of Beans. When he starts to pick it up, hold him and say “Let it alone!” When he learns to sit by the toy without touching it, pat his head and gave him a little reward. This is a useful command to keep him from chewing up slippers or digging in flower gardens.
Kiss Me: This is easy. Pick Beans up in your arms. Hold his face close to your cheek and say “Kiss me.” Even though he won’t understand the words at first, he will automatically lick your face.
Catch It: Toss a bit of meat or dog biscuit toward Beans, calling “Catch it!” When he gets used to catching food in the air, then toss a small ball or other toy that won’t hurt his mouth.
Bring It to Me: Most dogs naturally like to retrieve. Throw a ball for Beans, and when he runs to it and picks it up, call “Bring it to me:” If he doesn’t come right away, call “Here, Beans:” This is a command that he should know by now, so he will come to you with the ball. Repeat the lesson until he also obeys the order, “Bring it to me: ” Later, when he understands what the words mean, he can then be taught, “Bring me my slippers,” or “Bring me your leash.”
Drop It: After Beans learns to retrieve, he should then learn to drop the toy at your feet when you tell him to.Teach him this by saying “Drop it” while at the same time you gently open his jaws and take the toy away from him, letting it drop to the floor. This is a useful command when he starts to eat something he shouldn’t, or when he picks up something he might hurt with his teeth.
Stand Up: Hold a bit of food high in your hand and say “Stand up, Beans.” He will naturally rise to his hind legs in his effort to reach the food. If he wobbles a little, hold your other hand under his front legs, saying “Good Beans. That’s right.” If he falls down, hold the food in the air again and repeat the command to stand up. Don’t reward with the food until he does stand up.
Sit Up: This is taught much the same way as stand up, but you hold the food lower, about the level of Beans’s nose when he sits up. Cover the food with your fingers so he won’t get it as you hold his front legs steady while he tries to sit. Little by little, he will learn to keep his balance and sit up alone.
Roll Over: Hold a toy in one hand, down close to the floor. Say “Roll over” at the same time that you roll Beans over with your other hand. Then give him the toy at once. Or you can use a bit of biscuit, but don’t let him eat it until you have rolled him over. Soon he will learn to roll over by himself whenever you hold a toy or a bit of food near the floor, and give the command to roll over. Always reward him by giving him the food or toy as soon as he obeys.
Dead Dog: Place Beans on the floor so he is lying on his side. Hold him there firmly, saying “Dead dog.” Walk away from him. If he starts to get up to follow, say “No!” Push him down again, repeating “Dead dog.” When he stays there after you have walked away a little, give him a reward. He will gradually learn to stay there even when you leave the room, until you call him.
Shake Hands: Get Beans to sit down on his hind legs. Have a bit of food hidden in your left hand. With your right hand, tap under Beans’s right wrist and lift up his paw from the floor, saying “Shake hands:” As soon as he lifts his paw and puts it in your hand, give him a reward.
Shut the Door: Take Beans to a door that is open a little way. Lift up his front paws until they rest on the door, As soon as the door begins to close, say “Shut the door.” Repeat this, praising and rewarding Beans whenever he shuts the door.
One final word to remember about teaching any commands: Always use the same words for what you want your dog to do. For instance, if you want him to learn to shake hands, always say “Shake hands” and don’t confuse him by saying “Hello” or “Howdy.”






