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Step 1
Give treats. Dogs react to food. Give small treats to reinforce good behavior as you teach a dog tricks. As they learn, take away the treats a little at a time until they are obeying commands without food.
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Step 2
Repeat the action. Repetition is key when you teach a dog tricks. They need consistency to understand what action they are being asked to perform, and repeating the action solidifies the learned behavior.
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Step 3
Work with the dog every day. Training has to be done on a regular basis in order for the information to stick with the dog. Taking time every day will ensure that the tricks that have been learned in the past will continue.
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Step 4
Use a clicker. Food is a good option, but seeing as dogs process information with their sense of hearing and smell more than humans, using a clicker to train is helpful. They can be purchased at any pet store. To properly use a clicker to teach a dog tricks you must familiarize the dog with the sound and follow it with the command. You can still use treats as a reward, but the clicker can be the main training tool.
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Step 5
Use verbal and physical commands. Dogs can associate a word and a hand motion with different actions. When you tell the dog to roll over with your words and hands, it will help them to comprehend what is being asked of them.
