Some dog training tricks are harder to teach than others. Wait. Say or bark or Howl. Army Crawling.
The dog breeds which are easiest to train are those which possess certain characteristics and are good in the show. They’re the dogs with long, heavy coats, big ears, the sort of dogs who jump up on visitors or take over your furniture. The American Bulldog, German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Golden Retriever, Collie, and Australian Shepherd is especially noted for being difficult dog training tricks to teach. They’re also the dog breeds most frequently involved in “barking” competitions. This is a competition wherein dogs try to “talk” their way to the top of a ladder or a pole!
If you want to learn how to train a big dog, it would be wise to adopt the attitude of a martini-mixed martial arts fighter pilot. Patience, training, and perseverance will go a long way. There are dog tricks training “rules” which dictate when certain tricks should be used. If one technique is deemed illegal, a quick consultation with the dog trainer should lead to an acceptable replacement.
Teaching the dog to sit is simple enough if you know how. Simply take your dog’s hand and place it gently on his stomach, behind his chest, so that his tail is resting between your index finger and thumb. Next, using a voice that you’re sure he can recognize, say “sit.” Praise him each time until he stays sat.
Teaching him how to fetch requires some patience and a bit of manipulation. First, demonstrate to him the proper form for throwing a toy. Have him stand in front of a toy, then hold it above his head and toss it a few times in a forward motion. Reward him with a treat and a pat when he successfully completes this demonstration.
Another useful trick is to have him stand directly in front of a door. Then, using a gentle, positive tone of voice, tell him to “enter.” Praise him each time he complies. If he runs away from the door, immediately get him back to the door and deliver him a treat and a pat, so he’ll understand that if he runs towards the door, he gets no treat and only a pat.
Another useful trick for crate training your dog is to have him sit in a crate and turn around while you hold him by the leash in front of the crate. Take him into the crate and turn him around. Reward him with a treat and a hug. Once he understands that he will be rewarded for turning his body away from the crate, you can work on twirling him in the air until he catches himself and turns around again.
One more great trick for getting your dog to obey your commands is to use the whistle device. The whistle works by emitting a high pitched sound each time your dog licks your hand. You can even make it sound like a game show host is calling your dog. Your dog will soon begin to associate licking with receiving a treat.
For a similar reward system that utilizes the “nose to the ground” approach, use a small bell that your dog can carry in his mouth. Whenever your dog noses your hands, ring the bell and offer him a treat. He will soon associate the action of touching your hands to get a treat.
This next trick involves a very cute idea called the “sticky treat”. Simply take a small stack of chocolate chips or other snacks and wrap them up in paper towels. Bring the package directly to your dog’s nose and say go back, then stick one of the little treats on his nose. He will keep his head down and continue to stick the treats on your dog’s nose.
If you are having a difficult time teaching your dog basic commands such as sit, stand, and come, a demonstration is the next best thing. A demonstration can be used for a variety of tricks and commands, but it is particularly helpful for teaching how to get your dog to walk on a leash. You can have your friend stand still on a leash and have him “walk forward”, “step forward”, and “backward” in front of you.
After he has performed all three actions in the direction of your demonstration, have him sit pretty still. Have him remain sitting until you give the command to begin the leash walk. Then, just say “step forward” and have him follow suit. You can increase the difficulty of the demonstration dog trick by adding a bit of distance between the two of you. You can even add an additional treat as he performs the demonstration dog trick. Once he has mastered the sit pretty much perfectly, you can increase the distance and number of steps in the demonstration dog trick.
