Training Dog Tricks: Secrets to Train Even the Dumbest Dog

Training dog tricks to even stupid dogs is easier than you might think. You'll need the following:

• Great treats. Make sure this is something your dog goes absolutely gaga over. Many dogs love liver or cheese, so those can be good choices.
• A safe, quiet spot. Never try to train your dog in a space with lots of distractions. Dog parks, the front yard (where there are squirrels and cats), and a busy freeway are all off-limits. Rather, the living room, or fenced backyard are often good spots.
• A collar and one-foot leash. A leash can help you keep control over your dog, and unless you're training distance stays or recalls, it's best to keep it short so that it doesn't get in the way. Make sure to train somewhere where you don't need to hold onto the leash at all times (like indoors, or in a fenced area), though.
• Lots of patience.
• A block of 5-10 minutes.
• A dog!

Start with one specific trick to train the dog. It can be a stupid dog trick, or even something complicated, but take one caution: choose something that'll come naturally to your dog. Especially when you haven't trained your dog to do many things, it's important to teach things your dog already does. (As your dog learns more tricks, he'll be easier to train and you can start teaching complicated tricks.)

For instance, a dog that likes to bark, can usually be easily taught to speak. A dog who likes to spin in circles can easily be taught to spin. A dog who likes to roll over and have his belly scratched... You get the picture.

Once you've chosen the trick you'll start with, study up at YouTube where you'll find trainers teaching every trick you can imagine. It's important to watch several different trainers so that you can get a feel for which approach will be best for your dog. For instance, some dogs do better when they're lured into place with a treat, while other dogs do better if you wait until they're doing the trick, and then you tell them to do the trick and reward them (like when your dog's barking at you to play, you say Speak, and then reward him). 

As you train the dog tricks, keep in mind three things:

1. Dogs learn at different rates. Some dogs learn almost everything quickly. Other dogs take more time to learn each trick. And some dogs learn certain things really fast and other things frustratingly slow. Regardless, just keep being patient. If your dog usually learns new dog tricks fast, and is having trouble learning the current trick, search for new ways to train the trick on YouTube or another video site--it might be that there's a different approach that would work better.
2. Training sessions shouldn't last longer than 15 minutes. Any longer than that tries both yours and your dog's patience. Always make sure to end each session before your dog loses interest and on a positive note. (Even if that means you have to tell your dog to do something he's known how to do for months.)
3. Train at least once per day, twice a day is better. Just like when you're learning something new, practice is always helpful. So, make sure to give your dog plenty of practice.

Also, keep in mind that dogs sometimes learn something "situationally"--meaning, they know how to Sit in the living room, but get confused about what Sit means in the front yard. The cure for this is to practice in as many different places and under as many different circumstances as possible... But don't do that until your dog knows how to Sit consistently in the living room. (In other words, if you're just starting to train Sit, don't hold each training session in a different location.)