{"id":41,"date":"2022-09-07T11:50:12","date_gmt":"2022-09-07T18:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.orovilleanimalhealthcenter.com\/blog\/?p=41"},"modified":"2022-10-21T06:00:25","modified_gmt":"2022-10-21T13:00:25","slug":"dog-tricks-are-delightful-for-pups-and-people-alike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orovilleanimalhealthcenter.com\/blog\/dog-tricks-are-delightful-for-pups-and-people-alike\/","title":{"rendered":"Dog Tricks Are Delightful for Pups and People Alike"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Dog<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Everyone loves a well-behaved dog, but a canine that can do tricks is worthy of excessive praise and accolades. The best part of this is that dogs enjoy the mental focus and physical stamina that some tricks demand. Teaching and performing dog tricks provide endless entertainment for owners, and gives dogs confidence and motivation. What could be better than that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Happy Factor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At Oroville Animal Health Center<\/a>, we believe that dog training is incredibly gratifying for both dogs and their owners. Successful displays of obedience commands or agility are not only impressive to witnesses, but performing dog tricks releases endorphins and dopamine. This satisfying combination of happiness and motivation keeps dogs and their owners coming back for more. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All Dogs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dog tricks can be taught to all breeds and ages. Traditional high-achievers of easy dog tricks include corgis, Australian shepherds, border collies, poodles, and Jack Russell terriers. As long as owners remain positive, relaxed, and easy-going, dogs with limited experience with dog tricks can eventually respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Positive Reinforcement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As it is with house training, obedience, leash training, and more, dog tricks are best learned through positive reinforcement. Keep it light, positive, and rewarding for your dog. Training sessions should work with one trick at a time, and should be kept short (15 minutes or less). Treats work wonders to keep them focused and motivated, and can be used in tandem with or replaced by a proper clicker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For dogs that have already demonstrated remarkable success with obedience training, learning new tricks continues to strengthen their mental flexibility. It may be more difficult to teach dog tricks to a pup with little or no experience following simple commands like \u201csit,\u201d \u201cstay,\u201d \u201cdown,\u201d \u201cleave it,\u201d and \u201cheel.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basic Dog Tricks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Teaching your dog to \u201cshake\u201d is a great place to start, and paves the way for more complicated dog tricks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a treat held and concealed in your hand, ask your dog to sit. They\u2019ll smell the treat, and may try to use their paw to softly dig at your closed hand. Give them praise for using their paw and allow them to eat the treat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add a new layer to this by saying the word shake when they paw at your hand. If they need help, gently touch and hold their paw when asking them to shake. After repeated attempts, they\u2019ll be delighted to make the connection and treats will be unnecessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employing the same technique, you can teach your dog to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n