Trick Training

Tell Me a Secret is a fun and playful trick where your dog gently places their nose near your ear, as if whispering a secret. It’s a great party trick that always gets a laugh and can be a creative way to engage with your dog. This trick also helps build focus and trust while reinforcing calm and gentle interactions.

Moving Leg Weaves is a fun and dynamic trick that helps improve your dog’s balance, coordination, and flexibility. It’s a great warm-up exercise, perfect for agility training, and an excellent way to build body awareness. This trick also strengthens focus and teamwork, making it both an engaging challenge and a useful skill for active dogs.

Go Round is a practical and versatile trick where your dog learns to move around an object on cue. It’s especially useful on walks when your dog goes on the wrong side of a lamp post or needs to navigate around obstacles. This trick also helps with manoeuvring in crowded areas and serves as a great foundation for more advanced directional training.

Circle is a dynamic trick where your dog walks in a full circle around you. It’s great for improving coordination, body awareness, and focus while also being a foundation for more advanced tricks and heelwork. This trick is especially useful during walks, helping your dog switch sides smoothly or untangle their leash. Building confidence and engagement, Circle is both a fun trick and a practical skill for everyday life.

Tunnel is more than just an agility trick—it’s an essential exercise for building confidence and resilience. Encouraging your dog to move through an enclosed space helps them overcome hesitation, develop problem-solving skills, and become more comfortable navigating different environments. Whether used for fun, fitness, or as a foundation for agility, Tunnel is a great way to boost your dog’s confidence while keeping training exciting and engaging.

Target is a versatile trick where your dog learns to touch a target stick—whether a purpose-built target stick, a pencil, or any similar object—with their nose. This trick builds focus, coordination, and problem-solving skills while laying the foundation for advanced tricks such as sending to objects, spinning, or even trick dog sports. It’s a fun way to refine movement and engagement while keeping training interactive and rewarding.

Touch is a simple yet powerful trick where your dog learns to target your hand with their nose. It’s a great foundation for many advanced tricks, improves focus, and helps with confidence building. This skill is also useful for recall, guiding movement in training, and creating positive interactions with nervous or excitable dogs.

Get On is a valuable skill that teaches your dog to confidently place all four paws on an object. It’s useful for vet visits, allowing them to stand comfortably on scales or examination tables, and is a great tool for voluntary husbandry. This trick also builds coordination, confidence, and balance, making it an excellent foundation for trick training, dog sports, and socialisation activities.

Paws Up is a fun and versatile trick that teaches your dog to place their front paws on an object. It’s a great confidence booster, a foundation for many advanced tricks, and useful for voluntary husbandry, helping dogs feel comfortable with paw handling and different surfaces. Whether for training, exercise, or just for fun, this trick improves coordination and body awareness while building a stronger connection between you and your dog.

Middle is a fun and impressive trick that not only looks great but also has practical benefits. It helps keep your dog close in crowded public spaces, builds confidence, and serves as a foundation for many advanced tricks. Whether for training or just for fun, teaching your dog to move into position between your legs is a skill that strengthens focus and teamwork.

High Five or Shake Paw is a fun and versatile trick that improves your dog’s balance, coordination, and body awareness. It’s also a great way to introduce voluntary husbandry, helping your dog feel comfortable with paw handling. Not only is it an impressive party trick, but it also provides a polite alternative for greeting people—allowing them to interact with your dog without reaching over their head.

Spin in a Circle is a fun and useful trick that helps improve your dog’s flexibility, balance, and coordination. It’s a great warm-up exercise, a crowd-pleasing party trick, and a valuable foundation skill for more advanced tricks. Mastering this movement will make it easier for your dog to learn spins in both directions, figure-eights, and other complex manoeuvres in the future.