Copyright © 2011 Kat Drew

There are several important issues to think about when you want to teach your dog tricks. Things like the amount of time you should spend on the tricks and what you should actually do when you want to teach the actual trick you are planning on.

As a rule I say to make sure to teach your dog the action of the trick first. Then you can attach the command word to the trick. This is the same rule for any obedience training.

If your dog seems very uncomfortable with a trick, and does not seem to understand what you want or does not seem able to do as you want, after you have been working on it for a few days, then maybe skip this trick for now and move on. Think about how you are teaching this particular trick. Think about why the dog is not understanding it. Nevertheless, jumping back and forth from trick to trick is not a good idea. Although occasionally a dog just has trouble with one set of movements.

Do not try and train your dog on a trick that might interfere with a specific health problem. If your dog has back problems, then a trick such as rolling over might be too difficult. Do not force tricks on him. Test him and respect his limitations. If he thinks he is not living up to your expectations he will not enjoy the training either. Having success if makes training more fun for the dog as it does for you lol.

Make sure that your training sessions are done without outside distractions and do not work on a trick for too long. Praise and reward your dog for performing what you asked of him. DO NOT punish him for not doing the trick correctly. Just keep working on it. Always remember that tricks are enjoyment for the two of you. The journey is not a race to hurry up and learn each new dog trick. This is a journey of enjoyment and learning together. Some dogs are cleverer than others and some learn some tricks very quickly. Sometimes your dog will learn a trick after just one session. However, do not rush into the next trick and teach him three on the same day. Stick to this same trick for a few days. It give a good success feel for the dog when he is repeating a trick. Just look at his waggling tail for your proof of his enjoyment.

Doing tricks teaches you a lot about your dog and his potential. Training to do dog tricks can be very rewarding and a fun experience for your dog and you. I wish you the best of luck and hope that you enjoy this bonding experience with man’s best friend.

If you are serious about learning how to teach your dog tricks then go get Kat’s FREE and popular e-course at => http://www.dogtrainingacademy.org.uk

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Copyright © 2011 Kat Drew

Teaching your dog tricks can be really enjoyable for you and very rewarding for your dog. Helping and coaching him to do tricks can be a great playtime bonding activity.

As soon as your dog has learned his first trick, he will be beaming with confidence and want to learn more. He will be wagging his tail just waiting to do new tricks to please you. Enjoy the fact that he may turn into a bit of a show off in the process!

There are lots of dog tricks that you can teach your dog, but the main ones are:

To shake, to bow, playing asleep, playing dead, to spin, to beg and many more.

These are advanced tricks to teach your dog so it is a good idea that you have already taught them the basic obedience commands. These are: Sit, Down, Come, Stay, Heel, Fetch, Stand, Leave It.

Teaching your dog tricks is a wonderful addition to fetching a ball or a frisbee. Sometimes you want to do something different to mix it up a little bit. Dogs love to use their brains and learning new tricks is the perfect brain exercise. And these dog tricks can be performed indoors which is great when the weather is bad. Your dog gets to exercise indoors using his brain as well as his body.

Dog tricks can also be used as a substitute for bad behaviour and habits that your dog may have picked up. For example, if your dog runs out the front door at the slightest chance, you can teach him to shake when someone comes through the front door. He will look forward to being able to show off his newly learned tricks to the visitor at the door. Another fun example is if you meet a child, or even an adult, that is afraid of your dog, you can get your dog to perform a cute trick such as taking a bow. Your dog will seem less threatening and more interesting after the trick.

When you begin teaching your dog new tricks don’t make your training sessions too long, make them short and fun. Learning tricks is entertainment for your dog so you do not want to make it seem like work. Your dog cannot concentrate for long and he will get tired and not understand the training.

Once your dog has mastered one trick, you can move onto the next. Don’t be in too much of a hurry, through, as dogs rely on repetition to learn.

Special tools are not needed for you to teach your dog tricks. Just load yourself up with a few of your dog’s favourite treat and you are ready to begin. And you can come up with more tricks to teach him as you get better together. And remember this is fun journey for both of you and not a race to the destination. Your dog can keep learning tricks for years into the future.

If you are serious about training your dog and teaching him tricks go get your FREE and popular e-course at => http://www.dogtrainingacademy.org.uk

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This is a video of Splash’s Exercises. In the end Kiko gets jealous and joins in. Splash does weights, the downward dog, leg crunches, stretches, and more, watch to find out what exercise…

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