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1
Find It
The gentlest possible start. Say "find it" and toss a treat onto the floor where your dog can see it land, then gradually hide it behind a chair leg or under a cup. It needs no earlier cues, rewards sniffing, which most dogs find calming, and makes a handy reset whenever a harder trick starts to frustrate either of you.
2
Paw
Most dogs pick this up in a few short sessions. Ask for a sit, hold a treat in a closed fist near the floor and reward the instant a paw lifts to investigate. Once that is reliable, offer a flat open hand instead and add the cue. High five, wave, the bell and the door trick all grow from this paw lift, so it pays to make it crisp.
3
High Five
A small upgrade on paw: hold your palm upright at your dog's shoulder height rather than flat, and reward the paw that meets it. Raise your hand a little over several sessions. Visitors love it, and it teaches your dog that the same paw lift means different things depending on where your hand is.
4
Spin and Twist
Lure your dog's nose round in a wide circle with a treat, rewarding a quarter turn at first, then a half, then the full loop, and fade the food into a hand signal. Teach the opposite direction as its own cue, usually called twist, so both sides of the body get worked evenly. Quick learners can manage it in an evening, and it makes a cheerful warm-up for later sessions.
5
Take a Bow
Front end down, rear end up: the same shape as a dog's natural invitation to play. From a stand, draw a treat down between the front legs towards the chest; a hand resting lightly under the belly stops your dog lying down at first. You can also capture the long stretch many dogs do on waking. It doubles as a gentle stretch before more active games.
6
Wave
Wave grows straight out of high five. Offer your hand as if for a high five, then pull it away just before contact so the paw rises into empty air, and reward that lift. Gradually move further back until a small wave of your own is the signal. Expect a few confused slaps at your palm early on; that is your dog working it out, not a failure.
7
Middle (Peekaboo)
Your dog walks round behind you and pokes its head through your legs, ending up standing between your feet and facing the same way as you. Toss a treat behind you, then lure your dog forward through the gap with your other hand. Many trainers use the spot as a safe place for a worried dog when people or dogs pass, and it is the starting position for leg weaves.
8
Roll Over
Start from a down and move a treat from the nose back towards the shoulder so your dog flops onto one hip, then keep it travelling over the shoulder blade until the roll completes. If it stalls, reward the hip flop, the side lie and the full roll as separate steps. Carpet or grass is far kinder than a hard floor, and a dog with a known back problem should get the vet's view first.
9
Paws Up
Front feet on a low, stable object such as a step, a sturdy box or a thick book, back feet on the floor. Reward any front paw that touches it, then both. This is where many dogs first discover that their back end is something they can control, and it leads on to pivoting round the perch with the hind feet, a classic confidence builder. Keep the perch low and non-slip.
10
Back Up
Walking backwards in a straight line is harder than it looks, because most dogs pay little attention to their back feet. Stand in a narrow space such as a hallway, step slowly towards your dog and reward any backwards shuffle, then build the distance one step at a time. The hind-end awareness from paws up makes this much easier, and a smooth back up shows real coordination.
11
Speak and Quiet
Teach the bark and the off switch as a pair. Capture a natural bark, perhaps when your dog is excited before a walk, mark and reward it, and add the cue once it happens reliably. Then reward a pause in barking with "quiet". Leave this one out if your dog already barks a lot or the neighbours are close, since a rewarded bark can quickly turn into a demand.
12
Leg Weave
Once middle is solid, your dog can thread a figure of eight through your legs as you walk slowly forward. Take a long step, lure through the gap with the hand on that side, then step again and lure back with the other. Taller dogs need wider strides. It looks slick on video and trains your dog to keep its attention on you while both of you are moving.
13
Crawl
From a down, hold a treat on the floor just in front of the nose and draw it slowly away, rewarding any forward shuffle that happens without your dog standing up. Crawling under your outstretched leg or a low row of chairs helps keep the body down. A few lengths on carpet or grass is plenty, and dogs with elbow trouble are better off skipping it, as the front legs do the work.
14
Play Dead
The classic "bang!" routine: your dog drops onto its side and stays limp until released. It borrows the side lie from roll over, so teach that first, then add stillness a second at a time before pairing it with a finger-gun signal. Ask for it from a down rather than a dramatic drop from standing; the result looks just as good and is far easier on the joints.
15
Ring a Bell
Hang a bell at nose height or set a push bell on the floor, then reward any nose or paw touch that makes it sound. Plenty of owners hang one by the back door so the dog can ask to go out, but be ready for a dog that rings just for the company once it learns the bell gets attention. A dog that already knows paw and high five usually works this out quickly.
16
Cover Your Eyes
Sometimes called shy or ashamed, this has your dog draw a paw across its face. Press a small piece of sticky note lightly onto the top of the muzzle; most dogs swipe at it, and you reward the swipe. Fade the note over several sessions and add the cue. Take it off at once if your dog seems bothered, and save this one for dogs relaxed about their face being touched.
17
Balance a Treat on the Nose
This one is all about stillness. With your dog sitting and its head level, rest a small, flat treat on the bridge of the nose for a single second, then let your dog take it on your release word, and build the time slowly. A quick flip and catch is the showy finish. Flat-faced breeds have very little nose to balance anything on, so they may enjoy another trick more.
18
Jump Through a Hoop
Begin with the hoop resting on the floor so your dog simply walks through it for a treat, then raise it a few centimetres at a time. Keeping the bottom edge at or below elbow height gives a confident hop rather than a big leap. Wait until a young dog has finished growing, which can take 18 months or more in large breeds, and ask your vet if you are unsure.
19
Close the Door
Put a small sticky note on a door that is already nearly shut and reward your dog for nosing it, then for the push that clicks it closed. Open the door wider over time and finally fade the note. A nose push is kinder to the paintwork than a paw. Genuinely useful when your hands are full, and it becomes one link of the fetch-a-drink-from-the-fridge routine.
20
Bring It to Hand
Chasing a ball is easy; a dog that carries a toy, or even the newspaper, all the way back and releases it into your palm has learned a real skill. Reward any hold, then a hold while you reach for it, then a step towards you, swapping the item for a treat each time. Retrieving breeds may get it in days while others need weeks of patient shaping, and it underpins both tidy your toys and the fridge fetch.
21
Tidy Your Toys
Pick up a toy, carry it to a box, drop it in, repeat. Build it backwards: first reward a toy released into a box held right under your dog's chin, then move the box further away, then start with the toy on the floor. A low, wide box helps early on. Once the chain clicks, a floor full of toys can vanish in short order, which may make this the most useful trick here.
22
Fetch a Drink From the Fridge
The showpiece. Your dog pulls the fridge open with a tug toy or towel tied to the handle, picks up a can or bottle, noses the door shut and brings the drink to you. It joins tugging, bring it to hand and close the door, so teach each part on its own before linking them. Start with a small plastic bottle, keep raw meat well out of reach, and remember a dog that can open the fridge may try it while you are out.
