Training your dog goes beyond just basic commands like Sit, Stay, and Shake. Once they’ve mastered the fundamentals, it’s time to level up with some advanced tricks that will challenge your dog’s cognition and make them even more impressive. These tricks not only strengthen the bond between you and your furry friend, but they also provide mental stimulation, improve focus, and help with discipline. Keep reading to learn five advanced tricks that will have your dog showing off their skills in no time.

Fetch Specific Items

Teaching your dog to fetch specific items is a fun and practical skill. Start with one object, such as their favorite toy, and use a specific word for it, such as Ball, Squeaky, or any other simple phrase. Toss the toy a short distance, and when your dog picks it up, restate the word and reward them with a treat. Once they understand this action, you can start adding more items, such as their leash or your slippers, each with its own cue word. Eventually, to make the task more complex, your dog may catch onto certain advanced cue words. For example, say Remote as you present the remote and encourage your dog to fetch it. Over time, they’ll be able to distinguish between different objects and retrieve them when called by name.

Put Away Their Toys

After teaching your dog to fetch objects, this is an incredibly useful trick helps both maintain a tidy house and provides a mental challenge for your furry friend. Start by having your dog pick up a toy and reward them with a treat for doing so. Once they understand this action, start directing them to a specific spot, like a basket or box. Say Put It Away, or another cue word, and gently guide them to drop their toy into the designated container. As they start to understand the task, you can gradually add the cue word before they drop the toy. Consistency is key for this trick, so practice often and, with time, your dog will associate the action with the cue and be able to clean up their toys on command.

Spin In Circles

Being a fun and active trick, spinning in circles is a great way to engage your dog both mentally and physically. Start by holding a treat in your hand and guiding it around your dog’s nose in a circular motion. As they focus on sniffing the treat, their body will naturally begin to spin. Once they have completed a full circle, give them the treat with plenty of praise. After a few repetitions, add a verbal cue like Spin or Twirl just before they begin the movement. To make it even more advanced, you can teach your dog to spin in the opposite direction by using a different command, such as Other Way.

Bow

This elegant trick involves your dog lowering their front end while keeping their rear up, thus mimicking a bow. Being not only a fun trick to show off, but this also is a good stretch for your dog’s muscles. To teach your furry friend to bow, start by getting your dog to stand in front of you. Hold a treat low to the ground, between their front paws, and move it just out of reach. As your dog stretches down to get it, they’ll naturally lower their front end. Once your dog gets into the habit of bowing, add a verbal cue like Bow or Take a Bow just before they make the move. With enough practice, your dog will start to perform a bow on command.

Play Dead

This classic trick, often associated with the phrase ’Bang!’ (or a similar cue), is always an amusing crowd-pleaser. To teach your dog to play dead, this advanced trick requires patience and consistency. Start by having your dog lie down and hold a treat near their nose, then slowly move it toward their side while encouraging them to roll over onto their back. As soon as they’re fully on their back, use the verbal cue ’Bang!’ or ’Play Dead!’ and reward them with praise and a treat. At first, your dog may simply roll onto their side, so practice until they fully commit to the trick. Gradually reduce your reliance on the treat and begin adding the cue before the roll, so your dog associates the word with the action. With time, they’ll freeze in the play-dead pose when they hear the command.

Canine Behavior Support & Cognitive Support

Advanced tricks challenge your dog’s mind and offer a great bonding experience for both of you. For all of these listed tricks, you’ll find more success if you keep training durations to no more than 10-minutes and keep this process up every day. In time, your  furry friend should be able to learn  the 5 simple tricks listed above.

However, if your dog is having issues learning these tricks,  Dr. Bill’s Canine Behavior Support  will significantly improve their changes. Our Canine Behavior Support provides 35-essential ingredients to support a calm demeanor and a healthy stimuli response. Behavior Support has also been shown to be helpful during periods of stress, such as altering behavior response during moments when you are trying to teach them a new trick.

Additionally,  Dr. Bill’s Canine Cognitive Support  helps slow cognitive decline in your dog and improves motor function. Giving your pet a pill can be a challenge, that’s why most of our supplements are formulated as a powder that can be sprinkled dry onto any diet or moistened to make a tasty, nutritious broth. It’s easy and dogs love the flavor. Providing our furry friends with additional antioxidants and specialty nutrients to maintain normal brain function and neurotransmission is critical, and sadly cannot be found in commercially manufactured diets. Dr. Bill’s Canine Cognitive Support has proven to be superior in maintaining and even reversing the signs of cognitive dysfunction.