5 easy tricks to teach your dog

Teaching tricks isn't just entertainment. Short daily training sessions give a dog structured mental stimulation, build the handler-dog relationship, and make everyday management considerably easier. The five tricks below are achievable for most dogs, including adult rescues. You don't need a puppy.

Two rules before you start

Keep sessions to ten minutes maximum, twice a day. Dogs learn fastest in short, high-energy bursts and switch off quickly when they're tired or bored. Going past ten minutes produces diminishing returns and sometimes active frustration on both sides. [1]

Use food rewards. Mark-and-reward training (a clear signal the instant the dog does the right thing, followed immediately by a treat) is faster and more effective than physical guidance. Small pieces work better than whole treats, so you can reward frequently without filling the dog up. IMBY's dog snack range comes in small, low-calorie pieces well suited to training sessions.

Trick 1: Paw

Start with your dog in a sit. Hold a small treat in your closed fist near the floor in front of one front paw. When the dog lifts the paw to touch your hand, open your fist, say "paw," and give the treat. Repeat.

Once the paw lift is reliable, raise your fist slightly higher with each repetition. The goal is for the dog to lift the front paw to roughly chest height. Once this is consistent, present an empty open palm and only reward after the paw is placed. Fading the lure (not always showing the treat first) is what turns a lured behaviour into a real command.

Trick 2: High five

Once "paw" is solid, high five follows in two or three sessions. Present your open palm with fingers pointing upward instead of horizontal. The dog will attempt a paw but the angle means they'll push up rather than place down. The instant their paw touches your palm, mark and reward. Label it "high five" consistently from the first session.

Trick 3: Roll over

Start from a down position. Hold a treat close to the dog's nose and move it slowly back toward their shoulder, then in an arc toward the floor on the other side. Most dogs will tip onto their side following the food. Continue the arc and help the roll to completion. Mark the moment the dog completes the roll, then reward.

Attach the label "roll over" once the dog is already doing it reliably, not at the start. Adding the verbal cue too early, before the behaviour is clear, is one of the most common training mistakes. [1]

Trick 4: Spin

Stand the dog in front of you. Hold a treat near their nose and move your hand in a small circle close to the dog's body. The dog will follow the hand and complete a turn. Mark and reward as they finish the circle. Spin typically becomes reliable in two or three sessions. Once solid, add the verbal cue.

Trick 5: Bow

A bow, front end down with back end up, looks impressive but is almost entirely a natural behaviour. Dogs do it spontaneously during play. The simplest method: wait for a natural play bow, mark it the instant it happens, and reward. After several repetitions of catching and rewarding the natural behaviour, start adding a cue word. That's it.

The alternative is to stand the dog and move a treat slowly downward between the front legs, encouraging the front end to drop while the back end stays up. It takes patience; many dogs simply lie down rather than hold the bow position. Once you get it, mark and reward immediately.