Teaching your dog “tricks” can be about a lot more than fun and games. Tricks can create more options for desirable behaviors and build confidence. From your dog’s point of view, there’s no difference between being taught an important life skill and “trick,” so let’s explore why teaching tricks can have so many positive effects.
Why Tricks?
Thinking of a new skill as a “trick” can take the pressure off of always getting it right. This helps us keep it fun for our dogs, which enhances learning. When our dogs are having a good time, they’ll stay engaged longer and work harder. It’s more rewarding for us as teachers too, when we can enjoy the process with our dogs.
This doesn’t mean the actual trick can’t have important benefits. Thinking of new skills as tricks allows us to think creatively about what we’re trying to accomplish. A common way of asking a dog to pay attention might be to teach eye contact. But when I cue my dog to do her favorite trick (“spin”), she is far more likely to respond, especially when she’s worried about a strange dog nearby. And after she spins, I have her attention to ask for the next thing.
Teaching tricks can be confidence building as well. The act of learning (as long as it’s fun) is valuable for strengthening cognitive skills and increasing a dog’s willingness to engage in unfamiliar activities or places. Tricks provide ways of interacting with the world in predictable and familiar ways.
Finally, when we focus on the fun and keep it positive, we can eliminate punishment from the experience. Since there’s less pressure when we view skills as “tricks”, most people find it easier to let their dog get it wrong. Or you might notice there are times when your dog doesn’t want to participate. This gives insight into how they are feeling – nervous, tired, sore, etc. Observing your dog’s willingness to do a trick can make you more aware of important needs and feelings so you can both be the best caregiver possible, as well as getting the best responses possible from your dog.
Where to Start
In this way, everything can be viewed as a “trick” but here are a few skills that I like to start with:- Nose Target: the dog touching their nose to something (often a hand)
- Build polite greetings by having the dog touch people’s hands (or feet) rather than jumping up
- Increase confidence by providing a predictable, but optional, way to interact with a new person or object
- Paws Up: put front paws on an object or surface
- Provide additional exercise and build focus on walks
- Create clarity on what to do in a situation (letting other dogs walk past, waiting for something, etc)
- Develop confidence in interacting with objects
- Build physical strength and balance which can support increased confidence
- Spin (turn in a small circle), Bow (lower front end to the ground), and/or Bounce (jump up for a high hand target)
- Encourage movement that is generally loose and playful to let us change a mood and get “silly”
- Check in on how dog is feeling
- Provide cute alternatives for dogs who don’t want to greet or directly interact with unfamiliar people
Taking it to the Next Level
Once you’ve started some tricks, you can expand on them, add more complex skills, and leverage the power of “tricks.”
Build Body Awareness
Working on balance and body awareness can improve confidence and focus. Note: Check with your vet for safety when adding uneven surfaces, jumps, etc.
- Expand the “paws up” skill to include smaller and less-stable surfaces
- Teach a “hind paws up” skill as a more challenging version of “paws up”
- Check out Movement Puzzles
Nose Work
“Nose work” refers to teaching dogs the skill of sniffing out something hidden. This activity taps into a natural dog behavior and can support confidence, independence, and cognitive skills. It’s great for dogs of all ages, dogs with physical limitations, and dogs with behavioral challenges.
You can start with food or teach your dog to hunt for specific smells. If they really enjoy it, you can even compete in the sport of nose work. Learn more here.
Start Buttons
Not those talking buttons! “Start button” skills allow your dog to actively participate in care and handling tasks (nail trims, brushing, vet care, etc). By giving the dog control to start the “game”, handling and vet care can become “tricks” that are easier to accomplish.
Start button skills can range from moving into a certain position to looking at an object to do a certain behavior. A chin rest is one example.
Bonus: Tricks as Reinforcement
A behavior that has a history of being reinforced (like tricks that earn treats) can become a type of reinforcer themselves. This means that, in some circumstances, you can cue your dog’s favorite trick to reinforce (reward) other behaviors.
Ex: You ask for a down-stay and then release your dog to do a favorite trick, like a spin. The opportunity to do the trick “pays” the effort of the down-stay.
This is great for when you are asking for a few behaviors in a row. Mix the trick in to keep the motivation up. But don’t rely on this to completely substitute for your main reinforcers, like food – just as an occasional “keep going” bonus. And you have to make sure your dog really does enjoy that trick!
Tricks aren’t just fun and games. They can be an integral part of a behavior plan for building confidence or providing appropriate alternative behaviors. Tricks add mental and physical stimulation. Plus you and your dog can love having fun together!
If your dog has a behavior problem that you need help solving, consider scheduling a private behavior consultation.