Teaching your dog tricks can be a great deal of fun. It can also help to make them smarter, and for you to have more control over yourpets . There are some basic commands that should be taught in order to get your dog to do the things you need him to. Below are the best tricks to teach your dog.

Sit is probably the easiest trick to teach your dog. Most dogswho only know a handful of tricks know how to sit. If your dog understands this command, it shows that you are the dominant one between the two of you. Sitting can help you to introduce your dog to another person or animal without your pet getting too excited and unruly.

Down is another popular trick that many dogs learn. This is the word used to get your dog to lie down. Perhaps your dog is tired but is too busy running around to realize it. Having this command allows you to be in control and gets your pet to rest.

Stay is a beneficial trick for all pets to know. It is effective in the event that you need to step away from your dog for a moment. Getting something done without your dog at your heels helps you to complete the task and resume playing with your dog. This command tends to follow the sit trick, so that you can have your dog remain in that position until you say otherwise.

Heel is a trick that may take some time to teach dogs. It is very beneficial once your pet knows what the word means. Heel refers to your dog walking right beside you, and not pulling on the leash in order to get ahead. This is effective for walking your dog in the park or down the street.

Fetch is a fun trick for your dog to learn, for both you and your pet. Tossing an item for the dog to retrieve allows the two of you to bond. It will also provide exercise for the dog. This can be used as more than a game if you can teach your pooch to fetch the newspaper or your slippers.

Shake is a social trick that makes others feel welcome in the presence of the dog. Many people shake hands upon seeing each other. Having your dog shake a friend's hand is a gentlemanly gesture. It is also a fun trick to watch.

Play dead is one of the oldest tricks to teach a dog. It can be a difficult one though. Patience is needed to teach this command. It generally follows sit and stay, which is probably one reason it is so difficult. It requires attention and knowledge from the dog in order to follow all three commands.

As you can see, there are quite a few tricks that you can teach your dog. The best ones have been mentioned here. They are also the basic commands that almost any dog can learn relatively easy. The more tricks that your pet acquires, the smarter he will appear to those that watch the tricks being performed.

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Written by Charlie Black using tags: animal, Dog Tricks, Dogs

Once your dog has gone through house training, socialization and obedience training, it may be fun to teach him a few neat tricks.

Learning tricks to teach your dog can be a fun experience for both you and your dog. Here are a few examples of simple and fun tricks to teach your dog.

"Stay" is probably one of the most basic and simplest tricks to teach your dog. It is also one of the most useful as it can help you stop your dog from jumping on visitors or entering areas that are off limits. This trick is usually taught as part of obedience training, but if you haven't done so, here's how to make it work:

Call your dog's attention, hold a treat in front of him and command him to sit. Calmly and firmly give the command to "stay" while holding the treat in your open palm and slowly backing away. Give constant praises as long as your dog stays at the same spot. After a few seconds, walk back to your dog and then let him have the treat.

You can practice this trick with your dog either sitting or lying down.

"Fetch" is another one of the most common tricks to teach your dog, especially during play time. Once your dog has mastered this trick, you can spend a lot of bonding moments playing fetch with him at the park, on the beach, or even just in your backyard. Here's how to teach your dog to fetch:

Have your dog sit by your side and then throw his favourite toy across the room. Instinct will tell your dog to go and fetch the toy. As soon as the toy is in your dog's mouth, call him back and offer him a treat. Give constant praise when he starts moving towards you and then give him the treat as soon as he returns to where you are seated and gives the toy back to you.

DO NOT give him the treat if he drops the toy before he reaches you; just pick the toy up and then start over. Now, you've learned how to accomplish two of the simplest tricks to teach your dog.

Let's try to mix them up to add to the fun! After all, wouldn't it be a great deal more rewarding if you could teach your dog to wait for your signal before he goes to fetch something? Here's how to do it:

Have your dog sit or lay down beside you, give the command for him to stay and then throw a stick or his favourite toy across the room. Praise your dog if he stays right where he is and then after a few seconds, give the command to "Go fetch."

Offer a treat when he gives you back the stick or toy. If your dog goes for the stick or toy as soon as you throw it, say "No" in a firm voice and then go and get the stick or toy. Repeat the exercise until your dog understands what you expect him to do.

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Written by Mike Worthington using tags: dog obedience, dog problems, dog training, Dog Tricks, Dogs, Pets, tricks to teach your dog