Dogs love to please you, and a well-trained dog is a happy dog. Help your kids learn responsibility by giving them the task of teaching the dog a trick. This ‘twirling’ trick is one of the easiest to master. Watch the video below to see some other great dog games.

What you need:

• 1 willing dog
• a pocketful of dog treats
• a tgood dose of patience

Number of players:
1

Activity:

Henry can play dead, do a high five, twirl and wave. Watch the video to see him do his tricks.

The easiest way to teach a dog to do tricks is to use food as a motivator.

To teach your dog the twirling trick (see video) start with a treat in your hand.

Place your treat-filled hand above the dog’s head. He will look up at the treat. If he tries to get the treat, put your hand behind your back and say, ‘No,’ firmly. He should sit, if he has been trained at all. (If not, you might want to start your training program with teaching him to sit.)

When he’s ready again, place the treat over his head and move it in a circle so that he follows it. He should twirl. When he does, reward him with the treat and lots of “Good dog!”. Make a big fuss so he knows that’s exactly what you wanted.

Repeat again and again. Make a time each night for twirling training. After a while he should do it without the treat, just when you make the twirling action with your hand (just like in our video). Always reward him with lots of pats and cuddles. Dogs love to please you. He will be a happy, content dog.