Dog tricks can be beneficial for dogs and dog owners alike!
Many dogs enjoy the challenge and mental stimulation that comes with being trained to perform tricks, while owners might get practical benefits from teaching their dogs certain behaviors; training a dog can also increase the bond between a dog and its owner or family, and teaching a dog to perform tricks is the perfect way to have a child involve in raising the family pet.
Dog tricks are an excellent way to keep a dog’s busy mind occupied, which is especially important for intelligent breeds who may get bored easily. Dog tricks can also entertain family and friends while allowing the dog’s owner and family to bond and spend more time with the dog.
There are countless numbers of dog tricks which can be taught to a dog, although some breeds are more receptive to trick training than others.
More common dog tricks include commands such as roll over, fetch, and play dead: but there are even more unusual tricks out there, which can be fun or even helpful to the household! Let’s take a look at some of the more unusual dog tricks which you can teach your dog.
Note: Many of these tricks involve teaching your dog prior commands, such as touch, drop, pick up, and so on. You may want to reinforce these types of commands before attempting advanced tricks to avoid frustration.
Unusual Dog Trick 1: Pick Up the Laundry
Feeling a little too tired to put your dirty laundry in the basket at the end of the day? You can actually train your dog to pick it up for you! This unusual trick will take patience and practice, but the payoff is not only a great trick to show off to friends, but it will give your pet something to do!
To train your dog to do this trick: Start by teaching your dog to drop an object, such as a favorite toy, in the laundry basket.
This can be accomplished in two steps:
First, by teaching the dog to drop the object in a basket placed under his head; second, by teaching the dog to pick up the object and drop it into the basket.
Then gradually replace the toys with dirty laundry. With practice, your dog will be able to pick up any laundry that fits safely in their mouth!
Unusual Dog Trick 2: Play Piano
Your dog may not be a Mozart, but you can still teach him to play the piano! This creative parlor trick will impress party guests and family members alike.
To teach your dog this trick, you will first need to teach your dog to paw a specific object, such as a disc. Place the disc on the floor and reward your dog every time he paws it.
Eventually, he will learn that every time he touches the disc, he gets praised.
Once the dog has made this association, you can replace the disc with a smaller object. Continue replacing the objects with smaller and smaller targets until you can place the target on top of the piano keys. Repeat the training until the dog will paw the piano keys without the target. Image source:spin.com
Unusual Dog Trick 3: Dance
You won’t be able to teach your dog to do the cha-cha, but you can teach your dog to do a little dance with you! Your dog will enjoy spending time with you and your family will get a kick out of seeing your dog “dance” to your favorite family dancing tunes. This trick works best with large dogs rather than small breeds
To achieve this trick, you will need to first train your dog to stand up on its hind legs.
This is typically done by placing a treat by the dog’s noise, raising it while giving the command “Up!” until they stand up. Once this command is achieved, you will need to keep the command going for an increasing amount of time to help your dog keep their standing up stance for a longer period of time.
Then, you will need to gradually teach your dog to walk backward and “follow” you and walk forward so he will back up, thus creating a “dance” like motion. This can be achieved by making encouraging noises when you back up and move forward, such as kissy noises or calling your dog’s name in an affectionate way.
Some dogs do not enjoy the dancing behavior. If your dog appears uncomfortable during this training, it is recommended that you discontinue the training, since it is not a practical behavior that needs to be taught
Note: If you have taught your dog to not jump up on people, this trick may send a confusing or mixed message to the dog. If you believe that your dog is becoming confused between the dance command and your previous command to avoid jumping on people, discontinue the dancing training. Image Source: pinterest.com
Unusual Dog Trick 4: Answer Your Home Phone
It may come as a surprise, but you can actually teach your dog to answer your home phone! Not only is it an interesting trick, it can be helpful for people with disabilities who may have trouble getting up to answer the phone in time. This particular trick is frequently taught to service dogs who work with disabled people, such as those with vision problems or physical disabilities. This trick only works with cordless or mobile phones.
If you are disabled or are otherwise unable to train the dog yourself, you may wish to enlist the help of a friend, family member or professional dog trainer. Image Source: wisdomandfaith.com
To achieve this trick, you will need to complete the following steps:
Step One: First, place the cordless/mobile phone you will be using in the home on the floor near the dog. Call the phone from another phone and let the phone ring. When your dog directs its attention to the phone, praise the dog and give the dog a treat.
Step Two: After you have rewarded the dog, answer the phone with an excited voice and praise your dog saying they are such a good boy/girl, etc., is typically used. Then hang up the phone. Repeat this action several times until your dog looks at the phone every time that it rings.
Step Three: Once your dog is looking at the ringing phone, begin to pretend like you don’t notice the dog is looking at the phone–in other words, do not praise the dog simply for looking at the phone. This will in turn encourage your dog to ramp up their behavior in order to make sure that you’ve noticed they are acknowledging the phone.
Reward your dog with a treat and praise when it goes further such as touching the phone with their paw or nose.
Step Four: Repeat step three until your dog has begun to pick up the phone. This may take several training sessions, as some dogs will take longer than others to get the idea that you want them to pick up the phone with their mouth.
When this has been achieved, you can use the “bring it here” or “come here” command to teach them to bring you the phone receiver. Reward them with exceptional praise and treats when this occurs.
Step Five: Practice the behavior until it becomes natural for your dog to bring you the ringing phone.
So there you have it, by teaching your dog these unusual dog tricks you can be sure to impress the hell out of your neighbors!
