Why Train Tricks?

The simple answer …. Because it’s fun!  But aside from being “fun” to train, tricks can be quite useful.

Teaching your dog to shake your hand can help desensitize your dog to having their paws handled. Handy for nail trimming, or removing stickers from their feet.  Turn that shake into a wave and you have another useful trick!  If your dog is hesitant about meeting new people, you can ask them to wave at the stranger instead!  

Teaching your dog to spin (and unwind!) is a cute trick, but it can also help stretch and use muscles your dog may not use all the time.  Teaching your dog a bow can have the same muscle stretch and use benefits. 

Teaching your dog to retrieve is another fun trick that can help exercise your dog, while enjoying that fun time together.  

Another reason for training tricks is that it is easy to lose sight of how fun training can be with important cues such as sit, stay, leave it, come.  But here’s the thing - it’s ALL tricks to your dog!  Add those tricks in for you, as well as your dog!  Keep having fun no matter what you are training.  

Join us at Gentle Touch Pet Training and have fun with your dog!