Most training advice asks you to find time you don't have. Trick training is the opposite, because three minutes while the kettle boils is enough to make progress, and your dog will think it was the best part of their day.
The seven tricks below are the ones I come back to most. Some are pure fun, others make daily life easier, and all of them can be taught in your living room with a handful of treats.
Why Tricks Are Worth Your Time
Tricks teach your dog how to learn. Each one builds the habit of trying something, getting it right, and wanting another go, which makes every other bit of training easier afterward.
Because trick training is low-stakes, nothing bad happens if your dog gets a spin wrong. Keep sessions relaxed so learning comes naturally. Remember, tricks give a bored dog something to exercise their mind, which often tires them out faster than another walk.
The other nice part is how little you need. Your training supplies for this are a handful of training treats and a treat pouch to keep your hands free, and that's it until you reach the scratchboard at the end of the list.
7 Tricks to Teach Your Dog at Home
Here's where I'd start with your dog, roughly easiest first, so feel free to work down the list or jump straight to whichever one catches your eye.
#1 Paw or shake:
The classic, and most dogs offer a paw on their own within a minute or two. Hold a treat in a closed fist near your dog's chest and wait for them to paw at your hand to get to it, then mark that moment with a “yes” and reward with training treats.
#2 Spin & twirl:
One turn in each direction, guided at first with a treat at nose height. Spins look impressive, yet the real value is physical, because turning in both directions helps your dog loosen up, which comes in handy after a stressful moment or just before you head into a new situation
#3 Paws up:
Two front paws onto a low step, a sturdy box, or a bench. Most dogs love this game, and it turns scary new objects into something approachable, paying off everywhere from routine vet visits to weekend hikes.
#4 Middle:
Your dog stations between your legs, facing forward. It's adorable, and it doubles as a safe spot for a dog who wants a moment away from something busy.
#5 Chin rest:
A dog resting their chin in your open palm looks like nothing much, though it does the most work of any trick on this list, since it turns checking ears, eyes, and teeth into something your dog agrees to rather than something you do to them.
#6 Back up:
Your dog walks backward a few steps on cue, and while it looks like a small thing, it teaches your dog where their back end actually is, which comes in handy any time they've planted themselves in a doorway or under your feet.
#7 Scratchboard nails:
This one takes a little setup, as your dog learns to scratch a sandpaper-covered board and file their own front nails, yet for any dog who dreads nail trims it changes everything, because they're choosing to do it rather than being held still.
How Do You Run a Trick Session Your Dog Will Love?
Short and cheerful always beats long and serious every time.
3 to 5 minutes does the job, which is usually 10 or 15 goes at it, and you want to finish while your dog is still keen rather than waiting until they drift off. Small, soft treats keep things moving, since anything your dog has to chew breaks the rhythm. One trick per session is enough, and if it isn't clicking, the answer is almost always to make it easier instead of trying the same thing again.
Your dog's body tells you how it's going. Loose movement, a wagging back end, and eager returns mean keep going, while a dog who wanders off, sniffs the floor, or slows right down is telling you they need a break or an easier version. That's worth paying attention to, and reading those signals makes you better at every kind of training.
Tricks Are Not Just for Easygoing Dogs
Nervous dogs and dogs with big feelings often benefit most from trick training. Tricks give them something familiar and enjoyable to do when the world feels like a lot. If that describes your dog, trick training for reactive dogs goes deeper into why it works so well.
Senior dogs benefit just as much from tricks. Chin rest, paw, and gentle spins ask almost nothing physically while giving an older dog a job, which many of them clearly love.
Where to Start?
If you only pick one, make it the chin rest. It's the least flashy trick on the list and the one you'll use most, given that cooperative handling makes vet visits, grooming, and everyday care easier for the rest of your dog's life.
If you'd rather learn this stuff alongside other people and their dogs, our Tricks and Nose Work Enrichment class covers trick training plus scent games, with six weeks of 50-minute sessions capped at 5 dogs for $240 and every series includes one 50% scholarship.
We're based in Gresham, and we'd love to have you, whether you're coming from Portland, Happy Valley, Fairview, Damascus, or Troutdale.
