What Tricks to Teach Your Puppy: A Complete Guide

• Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.

If you just got a new puppy, you’re probably really excited! But you might also have lots of questions—especially about training. You might wonder when to start teaching your puppy tricks. The answer is you can start right away!

“When you start training a puppy, everything is a trick,” says Lorrie Reynolds, a certified trick instructor and owner of Maximum Fun Dog Sports. There’s no limit to the tricks you can teach your puppy, but start with the fundamental basics like sit, stay, and come.

Short training sessions are a great way to give your puppy the mental exercise they need. These sessions can also help you bond with your puppy and teach them good behaviors as they grow up.

Before teaching your puppy fun tricks like bowing, walking backward, or playing dead, you should start with the basics. Here are some easy tricks to teach your puppy, along with tips and mistakes to watch out for.

What to Do Before Training Your Puppy?

Trick training for puppies doesn’t have to be complicated, and you don’t need any special gear. Kristi Bass (CPDT-KA), a trainer at Wiggle Butt Academy says you can train tricks with just treats and a hungry puppy. Later, you might use tools like a clicker or a treat pouch.

You can start trick training when your puppy is 10-12 weeks old, but it’s best to keep sessions short and fun, says Bass. Use positive reinforcement and begin in a quiet room with no distractions. Once your puppy masters a trick, practice it in different places or with different people, says Mads Barth-Mathias (CPDT-KA), another dog trainer at Wiggle Butt Academy.

6 Basic Tricks to Teach

Before you start teaching more advanced skills, it’s important to master the basics of puppy training. Here are the tricks you should master before moving on.

Sit

1. Hold a training treat so your puppy can see it.
2. Move your hand with the treat over their head.
3. When they sit, say “yes!” or click.
4. Give them the treat and lots of praise.
5. Repeat this at least five times.

Stay

1. Have your puppy sit.
2. Hold your hand out like a “stop” sign.
3. When your puppy stays still, say “yes!” or click, then reward them.
4. Say “stay” while you put your hand up.
5. Gradually make them stay longer, and add distance and distractions.

Come

1. When your puppy is nearby, say “Come!” in a happy voice.
2. Make it fun by clapping, crouching, or making noises to get their attention.
3. Give treats and praise when they reach you.
4. Repeat, adding distance and distractions as they get better.

Shake/paw

1. Hold your hand out, palm up, in front of your puppy.
2. When they paw at your hand, say “yes!” or click and give a treat.
3. Gradually have them keep their paw on your hand longer before giving the treat.
4. Add the word “shake” or “paw” when they do it consistently.
5. You’ll need to teach them to shake with each paw separately.

Roll over

1. Start with your puppy lying down.
2. Move a treat near their nose, then toward their shoulder. Their head should follow, and they’ll lie on their side.
3. Practice this until they’re comfortable, then move the treat over their back to help them roll.
4. Say “roll over” as they do it.

Targeting

1. Pick something your puppy can target, like touching your hand with their nose.
2. Hold your hand out, and when they touch it, say “yes!” or click, then give a treat.
3. Practice until they consistently touch your hand, then add the word “touch” or “target.”
4. Make it harder by moving your hand or training in a more distracting place.
5. You can also teach them to target things like standing on a mat or putting their paw on an object.

iStock/Nazar Rybak

What About Intermediate Tricks?

Once your puppy masters the basic commands above, try these intermediate tricks.

Kiss

• When your puppy naturally licks you, say “yes!” or click, then give a treat.
• Add a verbal cue like “Kiss.”
• Continue rewarding and marking the behavior.

Take a bow

• When your puppy is standing, move a treat from near their nose towards their belly, between their front legs.
• As your puppy lowers their front legs, say “yes!” or click, then give a treat.
• Repeat five times.
• Add a verbal cue like “Take a bow.”

Spin

• Hold a treat just above your puppy’s nose.
• Make a large circle with your hand. Your puppy should follow.
• As they complete a full circle, say “yes!” or click, then give a treat.
• Repeat five times.
• Add a verbal cue like “Spin”.
• Gradually make your hand signal smaller.

Crawl

• Start with your puppy lying down.
• Move a treat slowly along the ground in front of your puppy.
• When your puppy moves their body forward slightly, say “yes!” or click, then give a treat.
• Repeat, rewarding any forward movement.
• Add a verbal cue, like “Crawl.”

Play dead

• Start with your puppy lying down.
• Move a treat near their nose, then toward their shoulder. Their head should follow, and they’ll lie on their back. Say “yes!” or click, then give a treat.
• Repeat five times.
• Repeat the first two steps, making your hand into the shape of a gun.
• Add a verbal cue like “Bang” or “Play dead”  at the start of the trick when your dog is lying down.

When to Move to Advanced Skills?

If you and your puppy are up for the ultimate challenge, you can tackle these and other advanced training skills.

Clean up toys

• Place some high-value treats in your puppy’s toy box.
• When your puppy is holding a toy, encourage them to walk to the toy box.
• As they drop their toy in the box, say “yes!” or click, then give a treat.
• Repeat five times.
• Add a verbal cue, like “Clean up” or “Tidy up.”

Back up

• Stand in front of your puppy and take a step towards them.
• As they take a step back, say “yes!” or click, then give a treat.
• Repeat five times.
• Add a verbal cue like “Back up.”

Clean paws

• Hide a high-value treat under a towel.
• As your puppy paws the towel, say “yes!” or click, then give a treat.
• Repeat five times.
• Add verbal cues like “Clean paws” or “Wipe paws”.
• Gradually stop hiding a treat in the towel.

How Long Should Training Sessions Be?

Training should be fun but can be tiring for your puppy, says Alexandra Bassett, the lead dog trainer and behavior expert at Dog Savvy. She recommends short 5-minute sessions throughout the day.

“Long training sessions may result in a puppy getting bored or unwilling to do something, or a pet parent getting frustrated because a puppy isn’t learning the target behavior fast enough,” she adds.

If your puppy loses focus, wanders off, or sits down, it’s time for a break!

What Mistakes to Avoid When Teaching a Puppy Tricks

Training a puppy isn’t always easy. That’s especially true if you’re new to training—but here’s some expert advice to avoid common pitfalls.

Giving rewards at the wrong time

Make sure to reward your puppy at the right moment. Ivan Petersel, a trainer and founder of Dog Wizardry, says many pet parents give rewards at the wrong time.

Remember: not all dogs want to learn the same tricks. Pay attention to what your puppy likes. If your puppy is already lifting their paw to get your attention, it’s a great time to teach them to “shake,” says Sally Grottini, a dog behavior expert from JustAnswer.

Expecting too much, too soon

Reynolds says puppies are easily distracted and may “forget” how to do things.

Stay positive, be patient, and use treats or toys to keep your puppy’s attention.

Using treats too long

Barth-Mathias says many pet parents forget to stop using treats after their pup learns the trick.

Once your puppy does the trick five times with a treat, try using an “air cookie”—pretend to have a treat in your hand.

Changing your tone of voice

Puppies are very sensitive. Make sure you watch your tone when speaking to your pup, especially during training sessions. Grottini says puppies can get confused if your tone changes.

Instead, use a clicker to keep things clear for your puppy.

How Can You Keep Trick Training Fun and Engaging?

Most importantly, Reynolds says puppies should feel like training is a fun game. For example, when teaching your puppy to sit, act excited when they do it right and give them plenty of praise. Keep your tone happy, and never yell or discipline your puppy.

Lastly, stop training while your puppy is still having fun. If they get bored, they won’t be as excited to learn next time. Make sure to mix up your training to keep them interested.

What If My Puppy Doesn’t Like Learning Tricks?

If your puppy isn’t understanding or liking training, take a break. Barth-Mathias says some dogs can be late bloomers and need more time to learn.

“Giving dogs time to mentally recover can help your trick training, especially for more complicated tricks,” she adds.

Working with a professional trainer can also help. She recommends looking for an experienced trainer who only uses positive methods to teach your puppy.