Items22The creator’s order
  1. 1Find ItFind ItThe 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…0
  2. 2PawPawMost 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…0
  3. 3High FiveHigh FiveA 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.0
  4. 4Spin and TwistSpin and TwistLure 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…0
  5. 5Take a BowTake a BowFront 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…0
  6. 6WaveWaveWave 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…0
  7. 7Middle (Peekaboo)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…0
  8. 8Roll OverRoll OverStart 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…0
  9. 9Paws UpPaws UpFront 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…0
  10. 10Back UpBack UpWalking 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…0