According to statistics, UK citizens are pet lovers and approximately 33% of the UK citizens owns Dog. Training your pet is not only essential to keep them disciplined. But it is also crucial for their physical and mental health. It helps in creating strong bonds, improves their behavior, and keeps them away from boredom.
However, you don’t need to go all-stick to train your furry buddy. Instead, you can make training more fun and exciting. How? Well, the answer is very simple, i.e., by teaching them some new tricks instead of the basic commands such as “Sit,” “Stand,” “Stay,”, “Stop” and “Down.”
In fact, dogs generally love the challenges of learning something new and the raw treats that you offer them. Nonetheless, one sure thing is that pet parenting becomes even more fun when your little buddy starts to follow your instructions.
Having said that, let’s take a look at the tricks that you can teach your dogs. But before we start, you should learn about some rules of pet training.
Pet Training Rules:
- The training session should be around 10 minutes long, once or twice a day.
- Reward your furry friend by offering some raw food treats.
- Don’t use physical force while teaching.
- Avoid training on the days you feel frustrated or angry.
- Always end the session with playtime. (it helps in making training one of the favourite activities of dogs)
Tricks To Teach
Now that you are aware of the rules let’s learn the tricks you can teach your dog. But, before diving into it, there’s something you must know. Treats act as a positive reinforcement for your pooch. Just like humans, dogs tend to perform better if they are rewarded for it. It’s that simple.
Now, the question is what type of treats should you offer? According to vets, you should opt for nutritious and healthy treats and food for your fur buddy. And the BARF diet-based raw food items are one of them. You can search for high-quality food in your area, by using the terms such as best raw dog food uk or raw dog food near me. It’ll make your training sessions much easier as well as enjoyable.
- Shake Hands
The first trick that you can try is to shake hands. It is generally pretty easy as most dogs raise their paws when asking for treats. To begin, command your dog to sit. After that, put a treat in your hand and move it towards the dog’s paw. When the dog starts to raise the paw, repeat the phrase “Shake” or “Shake hands” and give it the treat. Don’t forget to praise your buddy.
Repeat this practice while gradually taking your hand higher. You need to do so till your buddy starts to raise its paws to chest level. Keep practicing with the same hand. Once the dog is comfortable and listens to the command easily, you can shift to the other hand. Also, start reducing the treats slowly and replace them with praises.
- High five
How can you not teach the “high five” to your fur buddy right? Fortunately, just like shaking hands, a high five is also very easy to train. Begin with the shake command; however, start to hold your palm out. When your buddy hits the palm, say the word “high five.” Also, appreciate your dog and give the treats immediately. Keep in mind that your goal is to raise the paws as high as possible so that it touches your palm. Continue practicing with the second hand as well.
- Spin
Another fun trick is spin. To teach this, hold a treat in front of your buddy’s nose and slowly move it to the left side. This way, the doggie will also turn its head towards the left. However, you don’t have to stop there, instead continue moving the treat to complete the circle while repeating the command “Spin.”
Keep practising this exercise to both sides, and don’t forget to appreciate the efforts of your furball.
- Rollover
Place your dog on its back in a “down” position. After that, take a raw treat in your hand and carefully move it behind your dog’s neck. You want your dog to move its head backward without getting up.
Gently roll it over while its head reaches back for the treat. Give your dog the treat as soon as it turns over and shower it with praises. Repeat the process while saying “roll.” Do this for five to ten minutes at a time. Or you can try it later in the day as well. Your pet should eventually understand the command and start rolling even without the treat.
- Speak
It’s a lovely trick to teach your dog to talk on-demand, but it can be challenging for dogs who like to bark. You may need to teach your dog the “quiet” command first if they are extremely noisy.
To teach “Speak,” command your dog to sit. After that, hide the treat in your hands and wave it in front of the dog’s nose. Keep doing the same so that your dog whines. And when the doggie makes a sound, use the command “Talk” or “Speak” and reward them with a delicious treat and praise. Repeat the process until your buddy gets familiar with the concept.
Also, use the cue “hush” or “enough” to stop them from barking. Or you can also walk away to indicate that it is enough.
- Fetch
Doggies love to chase, which makes it very easy to teach the fetch command to them. Select the toy or a ball that your furball loves and throw it a short distance. Most dogs generally chase the object and pick it up. As soon as your buddy picks up the toy or ball, say the word “Come.” It’ll encourage them to return back to you.
Repeat this exercise, and watch your buddy get all excited to chase the ball every time you throw. In addition to this, you can also teach the command “Drop it” when the doggie comes back to you. Use it while they release the ball from the mouth.
To sum it all up!
All these tricks can help keep your dog’s health in check. Moreover, it’ll improve their mood and encourage obedient behaviour. Nonetheless, you must understand that every dog has its own pace of learning. Therefore, you must stay patient while training.
