Unusual Tricks for Dogs:-
1. High five
Start by commanding your dog to sit, and reward him with a treat. Next, hold a treat in front of him but slightly out of reach.
Repeat the command “high five” whilst gently tapping one of his feet. Most dogs will raise their foot to paw at the treat in your other hand.
As he raises his foot, catch it with your free hand. As soon as you make contact, give your dog the treat and lots of praise.
Keep repeating these steps until your dog raises his foot automatically every time you give the command. If your dog needs a little encouragement to lift his foot off the ground, gently tap the inside of his knee with your finger until he bends his leg.
As soon as his paw is off the ground, gently tickle the bottom of his foot to encourage him to raise it higher. Continue to say the command slowly and firmly as you repeat the steps.
Some dogs will eventually be able to perform this trick without you having to give the command. Simply commanding your dog to sit and then raising your hand in front of him will be enough to get him to give you a high five.
2. Army crawl
Army crawling is a fun trick to teach to your dog that helps him improve his physical fitness.
Some dogs will begin to crawl without training when attempting to sneak onto the couch or hoover up crumbs from the carpet.
Start by commanding your dog to lie down. Hold a treat firmly between your fingers so that your dog can smell and lick the treat but cannot take it from your hand.
Hold the treat in front of your dog’s nose, and slowly drag it along the floor. As soon as your dog crawls just a few feet, praise him, and give him the treat. If the dog stands up to take the treat, quickly take it away, and start again from the beginning.
Try to get your dog to crawl for a slightly longer distance each time. Once he has mastered the trick, command your dog to lie down when he is at least 10 – 15 feet away, and then get him to crawl towards you.
As well as being an entertaining trick, teaching your dog to crawl may even come in handy in real life situations. If you enjoy mountaineering or hiking with your dog, you may come across dangerous terrain or small caves that require him to crawl for his own safety. It is also a handy skill for hunting dogs.
3. Dance
Dancing is generally considered to be a skill for smaller dogs, but larger breeds can also learn it with some gentle encouragement.
However, this trick is not recommended for dogs that are overweight or suffer from problems with their hind legs.
From the sitting position, raise a treat slowly up and over your dog’s head. Repeat a command such as “up”, “dance” or “spin” until he rises up on his hind legs.
You might need to move the treat slightly behind your dog’s head to get him to stand up. If your dog already has good balance, hold the treat in front of his nose, and then slowly move it around his head until he spins in a circle. Larger breeds such as Labradors and Bull Mastiffs may be slightly unsteady on their feet to begin with, so let them get accustomed to just standing up before getting them to spin.
If your dog is especially large and excitable, take care when commanding him to stand up. Some dogs will use their front paws to push you if they get excited which could end in disaster if they weigh more than you do. Smaller breeds such as poodles, Yorkshire terriers and chows are best suited for this trick.
4. Collect garbage
If your dog enjoys chasing tissues, sweet wrappers and any other type of garbage that crosses his path when out for a walk, take the opportunity to teach him an unusual and very helpful trick.
Teaching your dog to collect garbage is similar to teaching him how to play fetch.
Next time you take your dog for a walk, take some tissues or pieces of paper with you. Take him to a wide open space, and then throw one tissue into the air.
Command your dog to fetch the tissue and bring it back to you. If your dog does not yet know how to fetch, start by pointing to the item you want him to bring, and repeat the command. If he does not respond, walk over to the item with a treat in your hand so that your dog will follow you. Guide him towards the item or pick it up and offer it to him until he grasps it in his mouth.
After your dog masters holding the item in his mouth, start moving away from your dog slowly while commanding him to stay. After you have moved back at least 10 feet, call your dog towards you. Give him a treat only if he returns with the item in his mouth. Only command your dog to fetch your own garbage to avoid sharp items and harmful chemicals.
5. Salute
Teaching your dog to salute is a wonderful trick to welcome family members or friends who have been deployed on military service.
Command your dog to sit in front of you, and administer a treat. Take a yellow post-it note or small piece of tape, and stick it just above your dog’s eye.
As your dog raises his paw to remove it, give him plenty of praise, and reward your dog with a treat.
If your dog has extremely long fur or is afraid of the tape, there is another method to teach this trick. Ask your dog to give his paw, and then gently raise it over his head.
As soon as it reaches over his eye, say the command, and administer a treat. With a little patience, you will eventually get your dog to salute you just by hearing the command.
Be wary of what command you use to entice your dog to give a salute. A 71-year-old pensioner in Berlin was sentenced to five months in jail for teaching his dog named Adolf to give a Nazi salute after hearing the command “Heil Hitler.” The Alsatian-cross was taken into care in one of Berlin’s animal shelters where he was renamed Adi and put up for adoption.
6. Skateboard
Skateboarding dogs are the stars of some of the most popular videos on YouTube.
Smaller breeds such as bulldogs and pugs are perfect for this trick as they have a lower center of gravity. Start by introducing your dog to the skateboard gradually.
Some dogs can be terrified of a noisy, moving object that has the ability to chase them, so it is important to break them in slowly.
Place the skateboard upside down on a carpeted surface to allow your dog to inspect it at his own pace. Praise and reward him for any interest he shows in the skateboard. Spend a few sessions simply doing this and gently spinning the wheels to let him get comfortable before proceeding to the next step.
Turn the skateboard the right way up, and start slowly rolling it away from your dog on the carpeted surface. Never roll it directly towards your dog as this may spook him. Take the skateboard outside, and continue rewarding your dog every time he shows interest or touches the skateboard.
Slowly begin to entice your dog to mount the skateboard. You may have to give your dog some gentle encouragement at first by lifting him onto it. Once he stands still, reward him generously. Begin to build up your dog’s confidence before graduating to pushing him on the skateboard. Once he feels safe and secure, gently roll him forwards and backwards whilst praising and administering treats.
7. Kiss
All dogs will lick your face without much prompting, but teaching them to give a gentle kiss without the saliva can be a challenge.
Hold a treat in front of your face, and say the command. Offer your cheek towards your dog, and wait until he touches it with his nose.
As soon as he makes contact, pull away, and give him the treat before he has a chance to lick you.
If you are fast, your dog will eventually learn that all he has to do to get a reward is to lightly press his nose to your cheek.
If your dog likes to nip when overexcited, do not allow children to perform this trick with him. It is also wise to take care with extra-large breeds as a small kiss can easily turn into a painful head-butt. If your dog knows how to be gentle, you can take the trick to the next level.
Once he understands the command, teach him to give kisses to other family members and other dogs. Start by pointing at the other person and saying the command. You might have to give the person a treat to reward your dog with the first few times until he fully understands.
8. Handstand
A handstand is a fantastic trick to teach your dog that will amaze your friends and family.
Toy dogs such as Chihuahuas sometimes perform this trick on their own as their large heads and small bodies make finding their balance a much easier task.
It is possible to teach larger dogs this trick, but you must proceed very slowly in order to prevent your dog from hurting himself.
Your dog will first need to build up the muscles used to perform this trick before he can perform it without assistance. Start by having your dog stand in front of a wall with his back legs raised on a book or small block.
Repeat this step for several sessions until he gets used to it. Over time, add more books or blocks to increase the height of your dog’s back legs. Once your dog is comfortable standing on as many books as possible, gently take his feet and place them on the wall.
You will know when your dog is ready to proceed to each step by how well he raises himself off the ground to get into position. Once he is able to place his back feet on the wall without any trouble, hold a treat in front of his nose, and encourage him to move away from the wall. You may need to place a hand on his belly to help him get his balance at first.
9. Water fetch
Water fetch is a fantastic game to play with your dog during the hot summer months.
If you are heading out to the beach, pool or lake this summer, why not take your dog along, and use the opportunity to teach him a new trick?
Before your dog can learn how to fetch and retrieve items from the water, you will need to teach him how to swim.
This may sound strange to owners of Labradors or Spaniels that are natural swimmers, but smaller breeds and those with short legs may struggle to stay afloat.
If your dog belongs to any of the smaller breeds such as pugs, Bulldogs or Basset hounds, you may want to purchase a small life jacket for him to make swimming safer and easier. Start by getting into the water first and coaxing your dog to join you.
If you or a friend has another dog that enjoys swimming then bring them along to help your dog build up the confidence to get into the water. Start by standing on dry land and throwing a stick or ball into the shallowest part of the water. Praise and treat your dog every time he brings it back. Gradually throw the stick even further distances, but take care not to tire your dog out or push him too far.
10. Play piano
If you have a piano or keyboard in your home, why not teach your dog to play it and amaze your friends?
If your dog will do almost anything to earn treats, then teaching him to play the piano is extremely easy.
Larger dog breeds should be able to perform this trick with a standard size piano. Start by placing a toy piano or keyboard in the centre of a quiet room without any distractions.
As soon as your dog shows any interest in the piano, praise and reward him with treats. Keep the first few sessions short to ensure that your dog does not lose interest or become frustrated. Try tossing treats away from the piano whenever your dog shows an interest in it or nudges it with his nose and paw. As soon as he returns back to the piano, praise him enthusiastically, and toss another treat.
Once your dog begins to understand that good things happen whenever he approaches the piano, start limiting the amount of treats you give unless he concentrates his attention on the keyboard. Large and enthusiastic dogs may begin pressing keys without any prompting.
If your dog needs a little encouragement, try placing the treats on the keys so that he has to press them with his nose in order to win the treat. As soon as he presses a key, say the command “play” and reward generously.
