How to teach your nintendogs tricks

Teaching your Nintendogs tricks isn't all that different than teaching your live dog tricks. The same basic principles apply. You need to have your Nintendog's attention, you need to know how to demonstrate the trick correctly and you need to speak clearly to your dog. There are a number of basic tricks you can teach your Nintendog. Once he's learned the basics you'll be ready to move on.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Teach your dog to sit by using the stylus to stroke his head from top to bottom.

2. Make your Nintendog lie down. First, get him to sit and then stroke his head from top to bottom.

3. Pet your Nintendog's throat. This should make his head tilt up, at which time if you stroke his throat from bottom to top he will learn to beg. He will also learn to stand up if you move the stylus from the bottom of his stomach to his throat.

4. Teach Rover to roll over. Make him lie down on and then move the stylus back and forth horizontally. It doesn't matter if you do it left to right or right to left. Either way, he'll lean to lie down on his side.

5. Put your Nintendog in the doggy-scratching position. Make him lie on his side and move the stylus horizontally across his body. He'll roll over on his back as though he's begging to be scratched.

6. Teach your dog manners. He can learn to shake paws either in the standing or sitting position. Just take his paw and move it up and down.

7. Tap the stylus above Rover's head to teach him to jump.

8. Show him a quintessential dog trick: running in circles. Grab his tail and place it in front of his face. He'll try to catch it, just like any other dog would.

Tips & Warnings

• Once he's learned the basics you'll be ready to move on to advanced tricks. Advanced tricks require voice training, so you'll have to learn to use your Nintendog's vocal training function.
• Once your Nintendog has learned a basic trick, make sure to name it. When he learns your instructions, you'll see a light bulb icon in the right-hand corner of the screen. This is your cue to speak the name of the trick into the microphone. Speak clearly and with little inflection, making sure to name the trick something you can easily remember. These are the basis of teaching advanced tricks.