How To Train A Dog To Wake Up

This tutorial is part of The Ultimate List Of Dog Trick Ideas which contains 99 other tricks like this!

This is a truly heartwarming trick used by dog trainers when teaching a dog to respond to the alarm clock and wake a deaf person in a morning. You can teach your dog to do this too although it will take time and patience it is great fun and very rewarding.

1. Have a friend hold your dog on the floor by your bed and set an alarm for a few seconds away, then show your dog that you have a treat for him and get into bed.
2. When the alarm sounds encourage your dog to jump onto the bed and have your friend release him.
3. Hide the treat under the blankets or quilt and when your dog tries to encourage release of the treat simply reinforce and reward this attempt, this is what will become the scrabble which will wake you.
4. Progress to asking your dog to wait by the bed then encouraging him to jump on you at the sound of the alarm clock, reward when he jumps up then reward again when he attempts to scrabble you for a second treat.
5. Now simply increase the time between settling into the bed and the alarm clock going off at the same time as keeping the confidence of your dog high with lots of encouragement and reward.

Top tip; this trick can be difficult to teach because your dog may lack confidence to respond to the sound and/or jump on the bed. Remember this is fun and keep everything easy with lots of encouragement. It takes professional dog trainers months to teach this trick well so don’t put too much pressure on yourself or your dog.

Dog trainers love this trick because it’s a great experience to be woken by a keen and loving canine rather than the electronic sound of an alarm clock.

How To Train A Dog To Differentiate Between Items

This tutorial is part of The Ultimate List Of Dog Trick Ideas which contains 99 other tricks like this!

There is no command to this trick because each item will have its own command word. However if you have a bone, bear and ball and would like your dog to recognize each by name then this is the trick for you.

1. To teach your dog the name of something you simply need to place it on the floor and each time he looks at it or touches it you must quickly say its name.
2. Begin with one item for example a ball and first teach him the name of it, then introduce item two.
3. Continue to say the name of the first item and each time he touches it or picks it up give him a treat, stay completely silent if he looks at the other item.
4. This can be repeated with many items until your dog is able to differentiate each by name.

Top tip; when you introduce a second item you can already have taught the name of that one, that way you can offer your dog a choice of two words. This can be increased to literally hundreds of items.

Dog trainers love this trick because it appears truly skillful to train a dog to pick out one particular item by name when faced with many.

How To Train A Dog To Fetch The Newspaper

This tutorial is part of The Ultimate List Of Dog Trick Ideas which contains 99 other tricks like this!

A great and most useful trick, your dog could easily learn that bringing you the newspaper is one of his daily tasks.

1. The first thing to do is encourage your dog to be happy carrying the newspaper, you can do this by passing it to him then taking it back straightaway and giving him a treat. It may help by rolling the paper up and securing it with an elastic bend to begin with.
2. Now when your dog is holding the newspaper happily, extend the time period by withholding the swap action.
3. Introduce the command word and gradually bring it forward whilst teaching the dog to pick the newspaper from the floor and pass it to you.
4. Now gradually increase distance between you and the newspaper by placing it on the floor in one room then leading your dog away from it before releasing him and asking your dog to fetch the newspaper.

Top tip; when the dog is happy with fetching the newspaper simply remove the elastic band, at this point he will be confident enough to pick it up without.

Dog trainers love this trick because it is a great way to teach a positive response to the mailman.

How To Train A Dog To Find The Keys

This tutorial is part of The Ultimate List Of Dog Trick Ideas which contains 99 other tricks like this!

An extension of the previously taught trick of picking up dropped keys, the find keys trick is most useful if keys are dropped out walking or lost in the home.

1. Have the dog, your keys and some treats, practice swapping the keys for a treat whilst saying the word “keys” each time your dog passes them to you.
2. Now throw the keys and encourage your dog to retrieve them. Also place the keys around the house and garden and ask your dog to pass them to you.
3. Progress by hiding the keys out of sight and asking your dog to find and pass them to you.

Top tip; Practice this trick by dropping your keys out on walks and asking your dog to find them, you will be pleasantly surprised by his ability.

Dog trainers love this trick because it is one of the most useful things a dog can do and is also really easy to teach.

How To Train A Dog To Pick Up The Keys

This tutorial is part of The Ultimate List Of Dog Trick Ideas which contains 99 other tricks like this!

A fantastic trick taught to service dogs that live with disabled and older people. Your dog will see that you have dropped your keys and pick them up from the ground to pass back to you.

For this trick it may help that you have a cute or plush key ring, even some knotted material on your key fob will help your dog to lift and carry your keys. This trick does not necessarily need a command word for it calls to the initiative of your dog.

1. Have your dog, keys and some treats in a room and encourage your dog to play with the key ring, this can be by playing tug, chase or any game that your dog likes most.
2. When your dog has the keys in his mouth ask him to pass them to you in exchange for a treat.
3. Stand and drop the keys then when your dog picks them up swap with him once again for a treat.
4. When he is confident to pick up the keys drop them on the ground and turn away, your dog should bring them to you in order to get his treat.
5. Progress from this to dropping the keys and walking away, keep it easy and reward any persistence from your dog to pass the keys back to you.

Top tip; by keeping his confidence high and rewarding persistence you will soon teach your dog to interrupt your walk in order to swap the keys with you for a treat.

Dog trainers love this trick because it is teaching a dog to use his initiative when he sees your keys drop to the ground.

How To Train A Dog To Fetch The Remote Control

This tutorial is part of The Ultimate List Of Dog Trick Ideas which contains 99 other tricks like this!

A trick that can be used every day, teach your dog to fetch the TV remote and you will never lose it again. Prepare for a soggy remote if you have a particularly slobbery dog.

1. Place the TV remote on the floor in front of your dog and place a treat on it.
2. When your dog touches the remote control in order to get the treat then reinforce the touch and give him a second food reward.
3. Repeat this until your dog is touching the remote control without the need for you to put a treat on it and add the command word in just as he touches the item.
4. Repeat a few times until your dog realizes that the command word means the remote control then gently withhold the reinforcement and reward in order to build your dog’s frustration.
5. Whilst withholding reinforcement you can then shape your dogs behavior by reinforcing each time he attempts to pick up the item, eventually your dog will pick up the remote on command.
6. Now withhold the reward in order to encourage him to bring the remote control directly to you.

Top tip; Practice makes perfect with this trick

Dog trainers love this trick because it can be utilized in many ways in order to train a dog to retrieve almost anything.

How To Train A Dog To Open The Door

This tutorial is part of The Ultimate List Of Dog Trick Ideas which contains 99 other tricks like this!

A trick that teaches your dog to open a door, some dogs may need a little help with this due to size and handle type, a dog that can open a door on command will impress everyone in the room.

1. To train your dog to open the door you can start by using a low cabinet.
2. Give your dog something to pull, this will be less intimidating that a door handle so attach a long piece of fabric to the knob or handle.
3. Encourage your dog to touch the fabric and praise him when he touches the fabric.
4. Encourage your dog to pull the fabric in order to open the door. The pulling action can also be reinforced by play and tug games. Introduce the command word and don’t forget to reinforce and reward any progression towards opening the door.
5. Attach a command to the pulling action and progress gradually to rewarding your dog when he has opened the door.

Top tip; this trick is fantastic for external doors when your dog needs to go outside to toilet.

Dog trainer’s love this trick because when your dog can open a door this can progress to more impressive acts.

How To Train A Dog To Shut The Door

This tutorial is part of The Ultimate List Of Dog Trick Ideas which contains 99 other tricks like this!

This is quite a popular trick and surprisingly easy to teach. Your dog will learn how to close an open door when asked to do so.

1. Have some small amounts of meat or an equally sticky treat to hand, your dog and an open door.
2. Ensure that you are standing on the side of the door which will enable your dog to close it if he pushes on it.
3. Now simply ask your dog to wait and put a tiny treat on the door near his nose then tell your dog to take the treat. As he touches the door with his nose reinforce the touch (with either your words or clicker) and give your dog a second treat.
4. Repeat the previous two stages until your dog is touching the door and looking to you for a treat then remove the treat from the door, simply rewarding for the touch. Introduce the phrase, shut the door, here.
5. When your dog is touching the door and encouraging you to hand over his reward start to gently withhold the treat, he will then become frustrated and either touch the door with more enthusiasm or poke it with a paw, either action will eventually shut the door.

Top tip; if your dog looks confused then you may be moving through the stages too quickly, by going back a stage then you will rebuild his confidence to learn.

Dog trainers love this trick because it utilizes a fantastic positive training technique which is targeting with positive reinforcement.

How To Train A Dog To Walk Tall

This tutorial is part of The Ultimate List Of Dog Trick Ideas which contains 99 other tricks like this!

This is a variation of the stand tall exercise, a dog that has perfected balance is then asked to walk on his back legs.

1. This can be done by asking him to follow a treat with his nose or the end of a target stick.
2. Reward must be given frequently initially to build the confidence of a dog, this is a difficult exercise
3. Care must be taken with this exercise as it can put strain on dog’s hip joints if they are not completely healthy.

Top tip; When the balance is perfected a dog can be asked to walk tall, twist tall and also go around his handlers body, this will take time and can be physically taxing for your dog but is most impressive and great fun.

Dog trainers love this trick because it improves focus, balance and stamina for a dog. It is also quite challenging on dog training ability.

How To Train A Dog To Stand Tall

This tutorial is part of The Ultimate List Of Dog Trick Ideas which contains 99 other tricks like this!

A great trick that can be physically taxing for older or less fit dogs, this trick is for the fittest and most physically capable of canines. For this trick your dog will learn to stand on his rear legs.

1. You will need some treats and a non-shiny floor surface to teach this trick. It is important that your dog doesn’t slip as he will lose confidence to attempt the trick a second time.
2. Hold a treat in the air above your dog’s head.
3. When he gets onto his back legs to get the treat reinforce the position and reward him with the treat.
4. Gradually increase the amount of time that your dog stands tall by gently withholding the treat, introduce the command word whilst he is in position and eventually bring it forward to prompt the trick.

Top tip; if your dog can reach the treat in your hand when standing tall you may want to stand on a box in order to increase his motivation.

Dog trainers love this trick because it improves a dog’s stamina and focus.