by SabaRogue from fetlife. Check out her full post as well as some very good comments and other suggestions in teaching your puppy new tricks at https://fetlife.com/groups/559/group_posts/2338436 Remember there are hundreds of ways and opinions to teach your puppy new tricks and this is one way that has worked for Saba. Use this is a building block to finding what works best for you and your Owner in your training adventures to come…wruff! – pup

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How To Teach Your Puppy Tricks

by Saba Rogue

This article is meant for anyone and everyone interested in puppy play. I’m gonna say right now I am not an expert, and everyone has their own way of doing things. That said, I am only giving guidelines that might work for you, and you can tweak them as you see fit. Once again, any questions, don’t be shy to ask – and feel free to give your opinion!
There are a few things to keep in mind:

• Human and Bio-dogs are not the same
• Keep in mind of your Pups limits
• Don’t give them real dog treats!
• Do Not Use Physical Punishment on a real dog!
• If using a different language ONLY USE ONE!
• Google words if you need help pronouncing them, I find actually writing the sounds very difficult.

I am going to risk making a major mistake saying this. Master is very much aloof when I’m in puppy mode, or at least he used to be. At first, this made me really upset that he wasn’t into it, but actually he was observing. He corrected me when I needed to be, but otherwise let me do my own thing. As he began to notice certain behaviours he thought was adorable, he began to teach them to me as tricks. The questions I can only think that he must have asked himself was: What is adorable, and What are Basic Commands?
So, here are the tricks that I know, and I’ll explain in detail how Master taught me.

• Sit
• Down
• Come’ere
• Paw
• Fetch
• Give
• Present
• Sphinx
• Sit Pretty
• Beg
• Roll over
• Make the Bed
• Lights
• Clean Up

(Tricks added from other posts, as to merge similar topics)

• Stay
• Heel
• Beg
• Stand (all fours), also known as Attention
• Bow
• Up
• Hunt
• Drop
• Paw, also known as hand shake
• Crawl
• Kiss
• Lick
• Stay
• Back up
• Catch
• Play Dead
• Leave It
• Circle
• Leave It
• Jump
• Speak

I’m sure there’s more, I just can’t remember right now. So, here we go starting from the top.

Sit

This one is pretty easy, and most pups will do this on their own. If they don’t, or they’re just being naughty puppies, hold a treat over their nose so that they force their bum on the floor. If they stand up or try to grab the treat without sitting, in a firm voice tell them to sit and physically push their rump on the ground. If they resist, smack’em on the nose! (Don’t do this with a real dog!) They’ll eventually get the message. If you want to use hand commands, Master holds up his hand in a fist.

• French: s’asseoir
• German: sitzen
• Latin: sedere
• Spanish: sentarse

Down

Have your pet in either a standing or sitting position. With a treat in front of them, say down and have their head follow the treat. Slowly move it away from them so that their entire body goes into a lying down position. Like with the sitting, if they move their head down, move their paws forward and if you have to, push their rump down if it doesn’t follow. If they’re being stubborn, a good smack or even being physically pushed down should get the message across. Again, not to be done with a real dog. The hand command that we use is his finger pointed downwards.

• French: vers le bas
• German: nach uten
• Latin: decendit
• Spanish: hacia abajo

Come’ere

He really didn’t need to train me at all for this one. I love attention so much that if I think anyone is calling me (even if they’re not) I come running. That said, if you have a more stubborn puppy, the easiest way to start things is having a treat and saying “come’ere.” and patting your leg. If your puppy does not move, go to him, grab something that won’t choke or hurt him, and if you have to, drag him to where you want to go. Gesturing with a single-hand clapping motion is a good hand signal.

• French: viens ici
• German: kommen sie hier
• Latin: hic
• Spanish: ven aqui

Paw

This one is a bit more difficult, and he did have to teach me this one. At first he said “Paw” and took one of my paws in his hand, and gave me a treat. Eventually he moved the treat to his hand when he said “paw” and would lift it up if I still didn’t quite get it. Then he moved to no treat and said paw. A signal for this can be an open face palm, or a high five motion.

• French: patte
• German: pfote
• Latin: pendem
• Spanish: pata

Fetch

I honestly don’t know how to teach a puppy how to fetch… for me it’s so natural and I’ve never been able to train a dog how to fetch ><

As for fetch, I’d try putting a ball down and saying fetch, then putting it to pup’s mouth. Repeating till he gets it. Then trying to throw it away and saying. I’ll try it sometimes, when I get a pup on my own. (Igamenir)

• French: chercher
• German: holen
• Latin: affer
• Spanish: recoger

Give

This one I know how to do though, ’cause it’s one Master is constantly working on with me xD. If a dog has something in their mouth that you want, and they won’t let go, this is a handy one. This is also a command you need to be firm with, but not reprimanding. Go up to the dog, and grab the object while saying “Give!” if he growls, warn him to drop it and that you mean business. If you have to, pry it out of his grasp while saying give, and if you have to, tell him to go to his “spot” when he’s in trouble. Eventually he will just give it to you without having to resort to punishment.

• French: donner
• German: geben
• Latin: dare
• Spanish: dar

Present

This command, as a warning, is one of the few … sultry commands that Master tells me. This command can also mean different things to different people. The first version I’m going to share with you, is the “Show” version. Present can mean that a puppy stands on all fours, heads up, and their body straight and even, like if he was a show dog. Present can also mean that a dog goes into a submissive stance, paws in front, head down, and almost kneeling. Present for me is very different. Present is when I go into a play bow, with my arms outstretched, but my legs spread a bit to “present” my assets (excuse the pun). blush

• French: présenter
• German: präsentieren
• Latin: exhibere
• Spanish: presentar

Sphinx

You know the Egyptian statue? This was a command Master thought was ABSOLUTELY adorable. I had just got done doing something I was very proud of (and I can’t remember what it was!) and I was sitting with my legs tucked under me, my elbows tucked in, my forearms straight and my head up proudly. Every time Master caught me doing that, he would say “Sphinx” while praising me until it became a trick.

• French: sphinx
• German: sphinx
• Latin: sphinge
• Spanish: esfinge

Sit Pretty

This is one that most pups love to do. It’s basically “Beg”. The pup is to sit up on his haunches, with his paws in the air, with one higher than the other – and with their wrists pointing down. Very typical poodle pose. You can teach a dog to do this, if it’s not natural by holding a treat high above them so that they have to ‘jump’ up slightly to sniff it. Don’t give them a treat until they sit up on their knees without actually jumping or standing up to grab it.

• French: assis jolie
• German: sitzen ziemlich
• Latin: sedere pulchellus
• Spanish: se siente muy

 Beg

It’s very similar to “Sit Pretty” with one key difference. Sound. Sit Pretty, they are to remain silent (unless the term is used interchangeably). If it isn’t, then you expect them to whimper,

without barking or howling. Don’t give them the treat unless they whimper, and reprimand them if they bark.

• French: mendier
• German: betteln
• Latin: oro
• Spanish: mendigar

Roll Over

Ha! Turns out this one is way harder than I thought it was. Okay, so most people can do this no problem… my gear for some reason does NOT make this easy for me. I tend to get “stuck” when I’m on my back for some reason lol. It turned into a new command “Turtle” cause I wiggled my arms and legs in the air ’cause I got stuck. But for most people, have your puppy lying down, take a treat and roll it to one side so his head follows. His entire body should follow and “roll over” naturally. If he needs help, just gently push him to one side until he completes the roll.

• French: rouler sur
• German: umkippen
• Latin: volvuntur super
• Spanish: darse la vuelta

Make the Bed

This one, I’m telling you now – is a lot of work to teach. This happened by accident when I was trying to be adorable. Master flopped sideways on the bed and went “Can’t here ya, I’m a sleep… snore snore” (MLP ftw). Anyway, I took a blanket in my mouth and wrapped it around him. I then took a pillow, dropped it beside him, moved his head, put the pillow there, and moved his head onto it. He could not stop laughing at how absolutely adorable this was. How do you teach it? I honestly don’t know too well. I’m going to assume you’ll need a lot of patience, unless your dog is like me and just sorta does things on his own. I am still going to attempt to break this down… though I might fail at it.

• Blanket: Tell the puppy blanket, and have him grab a corner. Guide him with a treat so it drags the blanket onto the bed. It won’t be neat and it’ll take practice at first.
• Pillow: Have him put the pillows in the right spot. Tell the puppy “pillow” and have him pick it up in his mouth. Guide him with a treat and tell him to drop it when it’s where you want it. With repetition, he’ll stop needing the guide.
• Tuck Me In: Lie down on the bed. Tell him blanket and pillow. He should know the commands by heart and will do it on his own.

This trick is very useful when you don’t feel like making the bed yourself!

• French: faire le lit
• Blanket: couverture
• pillow: oreiller
• tuck me in me border
• German: bas Bett machen
• blanket: Deke
• pillow: Kissen
• tuck me in: stecken mich in
• Latin: farcere lectum
• blanket: stragulum
• pillow: cervical (apparently..)
• tuck me in: LATESCO
• Spanish: hacer la cama
• blanket: manta
• pillow: almohada
• tuck me in: meter conimgo en

Lights

Don’t want to get up after you forgot to turn off the lights? Get the dog to do it. I actually taught this trick to a rottweiler, but my own dog is too short to reach it. (Llhasa Apso). Anyway, hold a treat to a light switch, tell him “Light”, and guide his nose or paw to the switch until he flips it.

• French: lumières
• German: Beleuchtung
• Latin: luminaria
• Spanish: luces

Clean Up

This is a cool trick. If you’re puppy has a lot of toys, this is when you can use “Fetch, Come’ere and Give” a different twist. Give your puppy a toy and have him follow you to where you want the pup to put his toys. Tell him to “Give” or “Drop it” where he is suppose to. Every time you want him to put a toy away, tell him to “Clean Up.” Put a few toys on the ground, and tell him “Clean up” with each toy. Eventually just saying “Clean up” will mean all the toys need to be put away.

• French: nettoyer
• German: aufräumen
• Latin: mundare usque
• Spanish: limpiar

Some other things to think about in regards to tricks are :
What tricks do u like preforming the most?
Does it excite or embarrass u to do them?
Have u done your tricks in a public setting?
What are the risk/dangers of the tricks u do?
In pup-space, what it is that drives u to want to do the tricks?
As a dog, what tricks would u be unwilling to preform and why?
(Questions thank to PepperPuppy)

Now for a great video featuring Ms. Liliane Hunt and Tyke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv7pJcWA20M&cont…

For anyone who wants to see dog training in action, this video is courtesy of LilianeHunt, someone who I look up and have always used her video’s and writings as a way to learn for myself. This video is a great example of rapid succession commands in a public place, full of distractions. Puppy Tyke (I believe…) does a very good job.

Thank you so much Liliane for all the inspiration you have given me. Your friendship means more to me than you’ll ever know. I honestly believe I would be star struck if I met you, and probably quiver like the lil Yorkie I am. Thank you so much.

As I learn more, I will add to this.

So tell me, what sort of tricks do YOU know? What sort of tricks do you WANT to know?

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Original Post by Saba Rogue and can be found at : https://fetlife.com/groups/559/group_posts/2338436