It’s more than just family entertainment. Trick training for dogs can have myriad benefits on their health, as well as your wellbeing.
We don't consider things like teaching your dog to be toilet trained or sleep at night as 'tricks' or walking on the lead nicely. These are necessary behaviours to ensure that, at minimum, you have a good dog that will not attack other dogs, humans, or destroy your home. We would simple put these as 'training your dog'.
Training your dog tricks, on the other hand, is a little bit of a broader category. It may not always be necessary to teach your dog to roll over, or to jump on command.
Some tricks are useful, but if (for example) you have a farm dog who has plenty of space to roam, you may not need to teach them to fetch, as they get more than enough exercise.
Everyone’s situation is a little bit different.What tricks you want to teach your dog may depend on your situation, or breed. But one thing is for sure, teaching dog tricks, any tricks, is important and here’s why.
1. Dog training will increase your pooch’s cognitive abilities
There are many things to teach a dog, but they all have one feature in common: they build up your dog’s mental abilities. After a while, your pooch will begin to learn by association, for example, if I do X, I will earn X reward. This keeps their mind active as well as their body, and ultimately makes them happy.
For some breeds, say a border collie or a poodle, this isn’t so much a nice side effect, as a need. The smarter your dog, the more you want to keep that brain ticking otherwise they may turn to more destructive ways of staying entertained.
Some dogs may only need a little training – the equivalent of watching TV to keep them happy. A bulldog is probably happy to learn how to roll over.
A smart German Shepherd, on the other hand, needs the doggy equivalent of a couple of books to learn and master. You may need to start scent training or set up an obstacle course in the garden to keep them satisfied.
Don’t forget, the worlds smartest dog Chaser has a vocabulary of 1,000 words and commands. That pup is only one thesis away from getting a degree. Dogs are our companions because they are smart enough to be able to learn tricks and commands. So don’t neglect this aspect of their personality.
Not all of them may need as much training, but keeping your pooch’s brain active is as important as keeping their bodies running.
2. Tricks will improve your dog’s obedience and manners
Dogs, by their very nature, are exceedingly loyal. However, this has to be learned as you build your relationship with them. Dogs are pack animals and will follow the leader of the pack – being in charge of when they get rewards for specific behaviours puts you on top.
After a while, teaching a few tricks for dogs will teach them who’s in charge, and they will become more receptive to your commands.
This is great not just for walkies, but for socialising them with new people or dogs. If they can leave someone else’s toy alone, or sit rather than jump up on the small toddler in your path, this will be appreciated by everyone around you and stop a fair amount of awkward situations.
Obedience dog tricks also have the added advantage that they can turn a negative into a positive. If your dog barks too much, you can easily teach them the ‘speak’ command, and then (in the same vein) teach them to be silent. You now have a dog who can bark if you need them do – as a lone female runner, you’ll be surprised by how useful this can be – or be silent if he starts going crazy at the window after the neighbours cat.
3. New tricks can enhance your dog’s fitness and confidence
Rolling over might not be the most physically enduring trick, but you’ll be surprised by how even 20 minutes of dog tricks in your home can really help with your dog’s fitness!
With regular, brief training sessions, you can build muscle and stamina in your dog. Don’t forget that when a dog is first starting to learn a new trick, it can be not just physically but mentally exhausting. Your fur baby is trying to figure out why you want him to raise his paw, the exact command that goes with that action, and how to get the reward it so desperately needs.
Generally it’s better to do small training sessions often, rather than one big training session per trick. Be award of your dogs breed, age, and ability. You’ll probably get a terrier to dance on two legs, but an Afghan Hound may need to be taught how to roll over.
It’s also an easy way to keep an older dog fit and happy, especially if they can’t run down the park like they use to – as long as you pick tricks to match their physical health.
Overall, teaching your dog tricks will result in happier, more confident dog. If they know you’re happy and they feel healthy in themselves, it will means happier days down the park.
4. Training will increase your bond
Last but by no means least, learning tricks is a great way to build a bond with your dog.
This isn’t just a master and servant relationship – your dog really is man’s best friend, so take the time to enjoy rewarding him/her every time a new trick is learned.
We know that having a dog isn’t like having a child, but the analogy comes up time and time again, because there are similarities. And just like playing with your child will mean that your love will grow and they are more likely to want to spend time with you and listen to you, so the same can be said for your canine companion.
You’ll strengthen your bond and build a lifetime friendship. What could be better than that?
