How To… Teach your dog 5 simple tricks

By cheryl, March 6, 2015

Yesterday marked the start of Crufts 2015, the world’s largest dog show! Big or small, fluffy or short-haired, every four legged-friend is welcome to showcase their marvellous talents over the course of four very exciting days, with categories: Gundog, working and pastoral, terrier and hound, and toy and utility.

Now, we understand that not every tail-wagging friend is quite ready for such a big event, but we’re here to prove that you can teach an old dog new tricks! Here are five simple starting points, starting man’s best friend on their path to success!

You will need:

1 willing dog (The Skyline Gang’s furry friend, Rainbow, was very excited to join in!)
A pocket of dog treats
Lots of patience!

1. Rollover

Command your dog into the ‘down’ position. You can then slowly move your hand behind your dog’s neck (a treat in hand will certainly help!) when your dog’s curious nose is sniffing that hidden treat, you should gently roll it over and reward their efforts! Repeat this process several times with the command ‘roll.’ Five to ten minutes of this a day should gradually see your dog rolling completely over all on their own – clever boy!

2. High Five!

When your favourite pet has done something great, why not throw a high-five their way? If they already know the ‘shake’ command, simply hold your palm out and allow the paw to hit as it reaches out, commanding ‘high five!’ Treats and praise should be given aplenty, a few sessions doing this and your dog will be high-fiving your every success – don’t leave me hanging!

3. Twirl

Now, we can’t promise you a cha-cha-cha chihuahua straight away, but we can certainly get you started! This simple spin is very impressive, and very fun! Place a treat-filled hand above your dog’s head, once they look up at the treat put your hand behind your back and command to ‘sit.’ When they are ready again, place the treat over their head and move in a circle so that they follow it, ta-da! A twirl! Treats for everyone!

4. Crawl

Start your dog in the ‘lay’ position and command ‘crawl’ whilst doing this, hold a treat in front of the nose of your dog, moving it a few inches away from them, if they stand simply say ‘no, crawl!’ and start from the top! Be sure to give your dog lots of praise, they’re doing very well!

5. Take a Bow

Once your dog has completed their wonderful performance, they’ll want to end their act with a bow! Start with your dog standing up and hold a treat at the tip of their little wet nose! You can then slowly move it down, holding it close to your dog, this way you’ll attract the dog down until his elbows are touching the floor, there you have it, a bow!

Remember! If your dog isn’t having fun, they won’t want to learn! Don’t over-work them, and give them plenty of encouragement and praise.

We would love to see how talented your four-legged friend is, you can send your photos and videos to us via our Facebook page or Twitter @butlins using the hashtag #butlinscrufts, we’ll be re-tweeting our favourite!

Elly