15 dog tricks to teach your pooch

Updated on 20 May 2024

Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Not us - our cheat sheet of easy dog tricks is fun for pooch pals of all ages, but we recommend mastering the basics of “sit” and “stay” before moving onto anything more complex. Get to grips with the basic commands in our guide to puppy training, then you’re all set for our list of 15 simple tricks to teach your dog.

Whether you’re getting stuck into some serious dog training or you just want to teach your pooch pal some of these dog tricks for fun, motivation is the key (and often it’s served best in edible form). The final thing to remember when you’re teaching your pup some easy dog tricks is that they love learning in bite-sized chunks - just ten minutes at a time will be enough to “do the trick”. 

Now it’s time to fetch your notebook and get dog treats at the ready, let’s take a look at these easy tricks to teach!

Easy tricks to teach your dog

1. Paw

Teaching your dog to “paw” is a simple dog trick for the early days of your training sessions. Start with a “sit” command, entice them by revealing a treat and when a paw is raised, make a fuss, reward and repeat.

2. Shake a paw

Of the tricks to teach your dog, this one is certainly up there with the cutest. To teach your dog to shake, start with “sit”, hold up a treat, say “shake” and tap their front feet, shake their paw, reward and repeat.

3. Wave

Another basic dog trick yet a crowd-pleaser all the same, teach “wave” by getting your dog to sit, shake a paw, then wave at them as you say “bye” - reward them every time they get it right.

4. Lie down

Training your dog to lie down is simple - start with “sit”, guide their nose to the ground with a treat, repeat until they relax on the floor, et voila, that’s another trick for your dog under their belt (collar).

5. Roll over

Start with “lie down”, hold a treat to their nose, guide them from side to side, moving the treat and praising as you go. Repeat the movement and add the command “roll over” - a simple yet effective dog trick to teach. 

6. Spin

This is one of the oldest dog tricks in the book. Teach your dog to spin by holding a treat in front of your dog’s nose, guide them in a circle as you say “spin”, then reward and repeat.

7. Fetch

“Fetch” is the OG trick to train your dog before hitting the park. And as you’ll know, dogs naturally like to please their humans, but this one can take some perseverance. Start by throwing a ball or toy, teach them to bring it back by saying “come” when they reach it and reward heavily any time they bring it back.

8. Speak

“Speak” is a common (yet cool) trick to teach your dog that prevents excessive barking. Help your dog understand how much noise you accept by rewarding when they stop barking, and keep “speak” short and sweet with just one bark.

9. Play dead

This has to be one of the biggest crowd pleasers amongst our list of dog tricks. Get your dog to “play dead” by commanding “roll over”, then add the command “play dead” with a hand signal and reward when they keep still.

10. Bow

Bottoms up! Rather like downward dog, your four-legged friend can be trained to put their chest to the floor and keep their rear end up in the air. Doggies are used to bowing to invite other pooch pals to play so it’s pretty easy for them to learn, especially with the incentive of a treat.

11. Under the bridge

Lay on the floor with your legs bent at a right angle. Lure your doggo under your legs with a treat, slowly moving your hand so that they follow. Use a verbal cue and soon, they’ll be acing the trick without treats.

12. Sit pretty

Otherwise known as “beg”, this dog trick challenges your doggo to balance on their back legs, with their front legs raised. Simply start by holding a treat in front of them, raise it and reward once they’re balancing.

13. Leave it

This is a dog trick that’s not only impressive, but super useful for situations with other dogs. Command “sit”, put a treat next to your pup and command “leave it” or “wait”. Don’t let them have the treat until you allow them to, then reward and praise heavily when they get it right.

14. Hug

If you’re after seriously rewarding yet unique tricks to teach your dog, try the hug. Lead your pup up to your shoulders with a treat, reward when they get it right and command “hug”.

15. Kiss

Maybe one of the best tricks to teach your dog is “kiss” - simply place a treat on your cheek and say “kiss”.

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about these fun dog tricks, but don’t let all that hard work go to waste when you have to go away! Inviting a loving dog sitter to take care of your furry friend while you jet off will avoid unnecessary disruptions to their daily routine and ensure your pooch pal gets all the love and attention they deserve. Find out more about how it works here.