How to Teach ANY Dog New Tricks

We all know that the Marty Man is THE most talented dog on the planet, but sometimes raw talent takes a little polishing before it really shines, you know? (That’s what Maeve keeps telling me, anyway!) So recently I’ve spent some serious training time with the little dude, and now he can do some really cool dog tricks!

I bet your pooch is a pretty smart dude (or dudette), too. And if your dog is anything like the Mart-ster, he (or she!) probably loves treats, am I right? Turns out that treats are the key to teaching an old, young, or ANY dog new tricks! So grab a bag of your dog’s favorite munchies and get ready for drill time.

Trick 1: The Paw-shake

Get your dog to sit facing you. Hold a treat in your left hand. With your right hand, reach out and gently lift one of your dog’s paws, as if you were shaking hands with him. At the same time, say “Shake!” With your left hand, give the dog a treat. Ta-da! Your dog just shook hands (well, paws)! Now repeat the same series of steps four more times, then give him a rest until the next day. You’ll probably need several training sessions to get your dog shaking paws on command, but don’t give up!

Trick 2: The Paw-five

This trick starts with the paw-shake and takes it into awesome territory—so don’t try it until your dog has learned the paw-shake completely. You don’t want to confuse the little dude! When you’re sure your dog is ready, say “Shake!” When he holds up his paw, raise your hand a little higher than usual, so he has to reach up to it. When he touches your hand, say “Paw-five!” Then give him a treat. The next time, raise your hand a little higher. Eventually your doggie will be slapping you five like a pro.

you tell us ...

What kinds of crazy tricks can your pet do?!

Later,

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