Dog training at home

We will cover four commands and gestures for training dogs. These commands can be taught to almost any dog.

Training your dog at home can be a very fun process for both of you. Dogs love it because they get a lot of attention from their owner during these moments, not to mention encouragement in the form of treats! And people love it because you can brag to your friends on occasion and say, “Look what my dog can do!”, and of course, during the training process, the owner loves to communicate with their pet and strengthen the invisible bond.

But sometimes the training fails and proves to be completely impossible, all because the dog simply ignores you! However, if you use proven training methods, it greatly increases the chances that your dog will learn commands.

Command #1 – Give me your paw!

This is actually a very simple trick, and it looks very cute and impressive.

Where do you start to train your dog? Just do the following steps.

• Clench a treat in your fist.
• Your dog will smell the treat and try to get it. Do not open your fist. The dog will try to reach with his paw for what he can’t reach with his mouth.
• The moment your dog paws your hand, say, “Good job!” or flick the clicker, if you have one, and give him a piece of the treat.
• Repeat until the dog starts to touch your closed hand with a treat every time you offer him such a hand.
• Then offer your dog an open and empty palm and when he puts his paw on your hand, thank him with a piece of a treat.
• Increase the amount of time the dog’s paw is in your hand before you offer it a treat.
• Then add the verbal command “Give me your paw!” before giving your dog an open palm. After a few training lessons, your dog will learn the command.

Command #2 – Tumbling!

The secret of this command is that the more often the dog repeats these steps, the greater the success.

• Start by having your dog lie down (if you have already taught your dog the command “Lie down!”, then sound it out). Otherwise, kneel on the floor and hold a treat in your closed hand. Offer this treat to the dog right next to his nose, but do not open your palm, but lower it to the floor. When your hand (and your dog’s!) is on the floor, open the palm with the treat and praise your dog.
• So, your dog is lying down, again offer him a treat right next to his nose, but don’t open the palm yet. This time, move your hand to the side over your shoulder so that your dog lifts his head and turns to his side to get it. Give the treat back and praise.
• Immediately offer another piece of treat without letting it out of your hand so that the dog makes a turn. To do this, keep your hand with the treat out of reach, but in the trajectory you want. If the dog manages to do the somersault, praise him and give him another piece of the treat.
• Keep practicing! It will take some time before your dog begins to roll over smoothly and will do so with only one treat.
• Once the dog starts doing somersaults, add the voice command “somersault!” and gradually stop giving the treat. That’s it, it’s done!

Command #3 – Spin!

At first glance it seems that only professional trainers can do this trick, but in fact it’s quite easy to teach.

Take a treat and hold it next to your dog’s nose, don’t let go. Use the treat to force the dog to move in a circle. When he completes the circle, say, “Good job!” or give him a clicker, if you have one, and give him a piece of the treat.

• Keep practicing! Make sure your dog is always spinning in the same direction. Observe: if your dog can do two turns in a row before you give him a treat, he’s doing great and progress is evident!
• Now try the same thing with the same hand but without the treat. Reward your dog, but only after he does the turn. Teach your dog to follow your hand signal.
• Set your hand to the point where the command begins, and slowly lead your hand further away from the dog’s nose and in a circle. Thank your dog each time with a treat.
• Before you start showing direction with your hand, add a verbal command, “Spin!”
• Eventually, after a lot of practice, the dog will be able to spin on just one voice command. But if it doesn’t work, don’t worry, not all dogs can reach the stage of doing this trick with just one voice.

 

Command #4 – Bow!

So, the dog’s performance will be a particular success if he makes a bow at the end and thereby earns applause.

• Before you start training, the dog should stand up. It is very good if he knows how to do the command “Freeze!”.
• Hold the treat near the tip of your dog’s nose and slowly move it down, holding it close to your dog’s body and as if luring him down. Do this until his front feet are on the floor and his back feet are still standing. At first, some dogs may find this trick very difficult. For them, you can try this option: place one hand under the belly to hold the dog’s rear body up in a standing position, while you hold a treat in the other hand to lure the dog to do the bow. In time, the dog will understand this.
• Hold the treat at the dog’s nose and then use it to encourage the dog to stand up again. Tell her she’s “Good job!” or give her a clicker, if you have one, and give her a piece of the treat.
• Dog training tip: Repeat the training! At the end, add the verbal command “Bow!” before you show your hand the proper downward trajectory.
• At the end of the training, the dog will learn to bow on one verbal command only!