15 Fun Dog Tricks to Transform Your Pet Into A Showstopper 

Dogs are smart, intelligent creatures. And they have an inherent need to please their owners (well, most of them anyway). This makes them highly trainable. Why stop at basic commands when you can teach your pet a whole host of fun tricks that will have anyone gasping in awe. Intrigued? Let’s explore some fun dog tricks you can teach your pet. 

15 Fun Dog Tricks Your Pet Can Impress Anyone With 

As a pet parent, you are no less proud of how smart and adorable your dog is than a parent to a human child. Every pet parent thinks they’ve got the best dog in the world — and they’re all right. Just the way people love to flaunt their kids’ newly acquired skills to anyone who cares to offer an audience, pet parents, too, love boasting about just how special their furry baby is.

With these impressive dog tricks up your sleeve, you can drive that point home a lot more effectively. So, once you’ve trained your dog to follow basic commands, kick things up a notch with these fun and easy tricks to teach your dog. Here is a step-by-step guide to dog tricks 

1. Shake hands

This is one of the easy dog tricks for beginners in the canine training fray. So much so that almost every pet dog knows one variant of the “shake hand” command. It’s classic, simple yet endearing. 

How to teach 

Hold out your hand, say “Shake hand” or “Paw,” and gently lift your dog’s paw. Reward with a treat. Repeat until they offer their paw on their own.

Suggested Reading: 30 Dog Training Commands: Basic, Essential Advanced

2. High five

An upgrade from the “shake hands” trick, this is still one of the simpler tricks to teach your dog. At the same time, it’s more interactive and playful. Definitely among the easy yet fun dog tricks you can train your pet to perform. 

How to teach 

Once your dog has learned to offer their paw on cue, hold your hand higher and say “High Five.” Reward when they tap your hand.

3. Roll over

This is certainly one of the most impressive dog tricks as it exhibits a commendable degree of flexibility as well as obedience. 

How to teach 

Get your dog to lie down, hold a treat near their nose, and move your hand in a circular motion, while saying, “Roll”, encouraging them to roll over. Reward and praise once they complete the roll.

4. Play Dead

If you’re looking for the best tricks to impress your friends with your dog, you’ve got to add “play dead” to the list. Given its dramatic effect, this one is a sure showstopper. 

How to teach 

Start from the “down” position, then say “play dead,” gently guiding your dog to lie on their side and making them stay still. Start with a couple of seconds and gradually build up the time. Of course, reward and praise every time your dog complies .

5. Spin 

Looking for dog training tricks for parties to flaunt your pet’s smarts? I’ve got the perfect one for you: spin. Fast, energetic, and downright adorable, this is one of the most fun dog tricks that will have the audience enthralled. 

How to teach 

Hold a treat in your hand, and move your arm in a big circle, guiding your dog to follow it while saying “Spin.” Once they complete the turn, offer them the treat. Rinse and repeat till your dog learns to spin on cue

6. Sit Pretty

This is one of the best tricks to impress your friends with your dog because the adorable factor is off the charts. Besides, it’s a great way to showcase your pet’s strength and balance. 

How to teach 

Get your dog to sit, and then using a treat to guide them, encourage your dog to sit on their hind legs with their front legs folded in front. Once they get the position right, say “sit pretty”. Let you dog hold this position for a few seconds before you reinforce with praise and reward. 

7. Bow

This is one of the rather popular dog training tricks for parties and quite a few pet parents get their dogs to do this. You can even use it as a performance bow to wrap up a full presentation of your dog’s abilities. 

How to teach 

Get your dog to stand in front of you. Then take a treat in front of your dog’s nose and move your hand toward the ground, stopping between their front legs. As your dog follows the movement of your hand and reaches the desired position, say “bow.” Remember, the correct posture for this is a lowered front while the hind remains up.

8. Speak (bark on command)

Since dogs love to bark, this is one of the rather fun and easy tricks to teach your dog and can be especially useful if your pet is shy and quiet. 

How to teach 

Encourage your dog to bark when they see something exciting using the word “Speak.” Reward them the moment they bark after the command. The cue here doesn’t necessarily have to be “speak”. I have, for instance, taught my pet, Drogon, to bark to the command, Dracarys. 

Suggested Reading: How To Train A Dog To Listen: 8 Steps

9. Quiet

Besides being one of the fun dog tricks because it reflects incredible discipline and control, it is also an extremely useful command to teach your dog particularly if your pet is incredibly vocal. You can use this to calm your pet when you’re outdoors or in public settings where you don’t want your pet’s incessant barks to become an annoyance to others. 

How to teach 

Once your dog has learned to “speak”, use the “quiet” command, along with a hand signal, to get them to stop. 

10. Fetch specific items

This is among the more advanced dog tricks that are fun to learn for your pet and fun for you to teach. It’s impressive because it makes your pet come across as incredibly smart and helpful. It is also one of the common commands used for training a dog to be a service dog. 

How to teach 

Start with a familiar object like a ball or your pet’s favorite toy, and ask them to “fetch ball/rope/ducky”. Once your pet gets a hang of it and starts fetching the ball/toy and dropping it at your feet, you can graduate to other objects like keys, paper, leash. Use the same command “fetch *object name*” every single time so that it’s easier for your pet to make the correlation. 

Suggested Reading: How to Teach Your Dog to Play Fetch: Step-by-Step Guide

11. Tidy Up 

Speaking of advanced dog tricks that are fun to learn and teach, getting your dog to clean up after them definitely makes the cut. This is undoubtedly one of the most fun dog tricks because watching a dog clean up after themselves is mind-blowing for many people!

How to teach 

After playing fetch or a round of tug-off, guide your dog to carry the toy to a designated basket and use the cue “drop it” when they hover over the basket. Reward them with treats and praise as soon as they successfully drop the object in the basket. This may take quite a few repetitions to get right but will be totally worth the effort. 

Suggested Reading: How to Crate Train a Dog with Separation Anxiety: 7 Simple Steps

12. Back up

One of the simple yet impressive tricks to teach your dog, back up gives the illusion of an intelligent retreat and can be useful in many playful situations.

How to teach 

Stand in front of your dog and gently walk toward them while saying “back up”. Reward when they move backward. This trick is best mastered in closed spaces like a hallway to help guide them.

13. Weave Through Legs

One of the most impressive dog tricks that looks like a cool dance move and shows how perfectly in sync you and your pet are. 

How to teach 

Teaching such fun dog tricks requires precisions and patience, so make sure you get the process right. Stand with your legs apart, and use a treat to lure your dog to walk through your legs. Guide them back through the other side while saying “weave”. Reward only when they’ve completed the full weave successfully.

14. Jump through a hoop

This circus-style move is definitely one of the most advanced dog tricks that are fun to learn for your pet. If your dog can pull it off, it’s a testament to their athleticism, bravery, and trust in you. 

How to teach 

Start with a low hoop and use a treat to lure your dog through it using the cue “jump”. As your pet gets comfortable passing through the hoops, gradually increase the height. Reward them for every successful attempt. 

• Why It Impresses: It’s a circus-style trick that showcases your dog’s.

Suggested Reading: How to Train a Dog Off Leash

15. Wave goodbye

A step up from “shake”, this is one of those rare advanced dog tricks that are fun to learn and exhibit what a thorough good boy/girl your furry baby is. 

How to teach 

Ask for your dog’s paw using the “shake/paw” command. When your dog lifts their paw, move your hand back and forth. Reward after each attempt, eventually phasing out the shake part.

For more such interesting dog tricks, watch the video below:

FAQs

1. What’s the easiest trick to start with?

Among the best dog tricks to learn for your pet, the easiest would be the “shake”. Bark and back up come a close second. 

2. How long does it take to teach a dog a trick?

The time it takes to teach a dog a trick can vary depending on factors like your technique and approach to training, consistency and practice, your dog’s age, and the value they see in following your lead. 

3. Can older dogs learn these tricks?

Yes, you can train a dog at any age. Even though puppies are easier to train, adult and older dogs can pick up new tricks if you stick with them and guide them through the process lovingly yet firmly. However, you need to be careful about what tricks you choose. The best dog tricks to learn for older dogs are ones that don’t cause them any physical distress or pain. 

Takeaway

These tricks will make your dog the star of any gathering, and teaching them will also provide mental stimulation! I hope this step-by-step guide to dog tricks helps open up new bonding opportunities for you and your furry baby.