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Dog tricks for Every Dog

Before you venture into training your dog to do dog tricks, you should evaluate his current dog trick learning capacity. Does he already know how to do any dog tricks?

Even though dogs are intelligent and can sometimes grasp things quickly, you should begin teaching them the simplest dog tricks if they have never been taught to perform tricks.

This saves both of you from lots of frustration. When he gets accustomed to the simple dog tricks, you then smoothly proceed to more complicated ones.

Be patient with your dog. Patience and practice makes things better, even if not perfect. I have received a number of e-mails from readers saying that they just can’t train their dogs to do any dog tricks—not even a simple handshake. I then found out that they only tried it 3 to 4 times.

I don’t wish to sound rude but please, think back to when you first learned to ride a bike. Were you able to competently & successfully ride it after a few tries? You didn’t give up, did you? You persisted until you succeeded.

Show the same persistence with teaching your dog tricks, and you will succeed.

Rewards and incentives for your dog are essential when it comes to achieving success with dog trick training. Be sure to use only the dog treats your dog really appreciates. Give them to him only when he performs the dog tricks.

Spoiling your dog will sabotage his ability to learn dog tricks. Like a child who does better in school when rewarded, your dog will learn amazingly fast and become more obedient when he knows there's a dog treat for every good dog behavior. What type of dog treat? Well, food will often do, but some dogs want some other things like a toy in the shape of a bone, etc., so be prepared with a small variety of good dog treats.

Touching and oral communication are two key tools you can utilize to win your doggie’s heart and trust. When he does something cute or right, praise him by hugging him, gently patting him or even giving him a little smooch to the side of his face. Speak to him while you’re doing those things. Use the few same phrases over and over. This way he understands those phrases mean good things.

Although dogs are generally energetic, they too get tired, especially when learning new dog tricks. Don’t make your dog trick training sessions too long. Fifteen to thirty minutes per dog training session would do quite nicely. Try to do it as often as two or three times per day.

The bottom line is: understanding, patience, practice and care will lead you to success with your dog trick training. Stick with it and enjoy many wonderful years with your dog.

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