21 Fun and Popular Dog Tricks Any Dog Can Learn

Give Kiss

Training a dog to kiss is one of the easiest tricks to teach. While not everyone enjoys a big, wet doggie smooch, this dog trick usually goes over very well with kids. By putting a little treat on your cheek and adding the command, you'll soon be able to get all the affection you want from your dog on demand!

Another benefit of teaching your dog to kiss on cue is that is can help you prevent unwanted licking.

Speak

Training a dog to speak is fun and it helps to solve a common behavior problem. Many dog trainers recommend using the "speak" and "quiet" commands to put an end to excessive barking. Putting these on command allows your dog to bark in certain situations, and allows you to have control over when the barking should start and stop. It's also a lot of fun to show off your dog's conversational skills at family gatherings!

Back Up

Back up is a fun dog trick that can come in handy in a variety of situations. Once your dog knows how to back up on command, you can use it to keep them from rushing out the door, crowding you at the refrigerator, or just to entertain your friends.

Back up is fairly simple to teach a dog. All you need is some patience and a handful of treats. You can quickly train a dog to back up a few steps when you give the command.

Shake Paws

Have your dog greet your friends by shaking hands (or paws, as the case may be). This is an easy dog trick that you can usually train a dog to do in a few short training sessions. Most dogs naturally like using their paws and will enjoy the positive attention they get when doing this trick.

Wave

Training a dog to wave hello or goodbye is a fun and fairly simple dog trick. Start by training your dog to shake paws. You will use the same action your dog uses to shake to train them to lift their paw to wave. This is a great attention-getting trick that will be very cute to watch.

Spin

By holding a treat near your dog's nose, you can easily lure them into a spin. If you want to add some difficulty to this dog trick, you can teach your dog to spin in a specific direction. You'll amaze your friends when you show them how your dog can tell the difference between left and right.

Sit Pretty

Similar to the “beg” command, the sit pretty trick has your dog balancing on their back legs while raising their front legs in a seated position. This posture is extremely cute, and perfect for taking photos of your pet. If you can teach your dog to sit pretty and walk on their hind legs, you’re guaranteed to impress anyone who sees you interacting with your dog. 

Roll Over

Most people train a dog to roll over in several small parts and work up to getting them to roll over all the way. It may take some effort to train a dog to do this trick, but it is well worth it. It's lots of fun, and it also serves as a building block for several other dog tricks, such as playing dead.

Play Dead

Your friends are sure to be blown away when you hold your finger like a gun, say "bang," and your dog falls to the floor to play dead. Although it looks impressive, it's not as hard as you might think to train a dog to play dead, especially if you have already trained them to roll over.

Take a Bow

Taking a bow is a dog trick which involves having your dog put their chest to the ground while keeping their rear end up in the air. It may sound like a difficult trick to train a dog to do, but the truth is that bowing is a natural behavior for dogs.

If you watch two dogs playing together, you will frequently see them bow. Trainers refer to this behavior as a play bow, and it is a dog's way of asking another dog to come and play. You can easily use your dog's natural playfulness to train them to take a bow. Plus, it's a great way to end a demonstration of all the cool new tricks your dog has learned!

Sit

Training a dog to sit on command is one of the first tricks that people try with their dog. With some treats, patience, and consistency, you might be surprised by how quickly your pet catches on. Once you nail down this trick, you can use it to train your dog other commands that are more complicated, so definitely don’t skip this one.

Down

Another basic dog trick you can teach your dog is to lie down on command. With this trick, your dog will lie on the floor until you tell them they can sit or stand up. Not only is this a fun trick to show off to friends, but it’s also one that can help you train your dog to do other tricks like rolling over.

Come

What’s more heartwarming than calling your dog to come to you and seeing them run over to be near you? When you teach your dog to come, it’s about more than training them to perform a cute trick; this command could also help ensure you’ll be able to keep them out of harm’s way.

High Five

If your dog knows how to shake paws or wave hello and goodbye, you can also train them to give you a high five—the main difference is the position of their paw and the way they place it against your hand. This is an ultra-cute trick that is sure to impress your friends, and your dog will surely love the attention they get as well.

Place

Place is another trick that doubles as an important command that every dog should know. It teaches them where to go, such as their bed or crate, when you want them to calm down and relax in a safe space. If you’ve trained your dog other tricks, this one should be another easy one for them to learn.   

Wait

By teaching your dog the wait or stop command, you can get them to stop whatever they are doing when you need them to, whether you want to stop them from jumping, climbing on furniture, chasing a wild animal or another dog while on a walk, and more. It’s also really fun to show off the fact that your dog will stop and wait for your next command.   

Stand

In the same way that you can teach your dog to sit and lie down, you can teach them to stand on command, and this is another trick that can come in handy in a variety of situations. To take things a step further and have even more fun, teach your dog to stand on their hind legs only. This one might take a bit more time and patience than simpler tricks, but it will be worth it because it’s impressive

Jump

Teaching your dog to jump is great for agility training or everyday fun. For agility training, you can set up hurdles that your dog will need to jump over. Or, for fun, you can teach your dog to jump into your arms. Work on this trick gradually so your dog will feel confident and won’t get hurt.    

Eye Contact

This trick teaches your dog to make direct eye contact and hold their attention on you. By using commands like “watch me” or “look,” you can train your dog to be focused on you. It’s another trick that can be useful in agility training and during obedience training. Plus, it can be used daily to keep your dog out of trouble.

Fetch

Fetch is a game that many dogs love to play, but your dog might not know how to do it without some training. With some basic techniques, you can teach your dog to fetch so they will retrieve something and bring it to you, whether it’s an object across the room or a ball you threw across the backyard.

Hug

Without a doubt, getting a hug from your dog is one of the most heartwarming things you can experience. Start with more basic commands, such as those that teach your dog to lift their front legs and those that teach your dog to rest their paws on your hand or arms. With time and practice, your pet will be able to show you this delightful sign of affection.