Guess what?  Were you aware that once you have taught your dog the basics of obedience training, it is actually not a very big step to teaching your dog a couple of tricks.

Nearly all of the nifty “tricks” that people teach their dogs, including those that professional dog actors are taught, are simply based upon the very rudimentary skills that your dog learns at a young age.

Remember that if you want to engage your dog in learning a behavior that might otherwise be outside of his normal actions and behaviors, it is in your best interest to make it somewhat of a game, at least at the start.

A successfully taught trick hinges predominantly on consistency, rewards and ultimately shaping your dog’s behavior to the desired cues in order to do the trick well. 

If you offer your dog a treat for each approximation to the ultimate desired behavior, the dog will quickly learn what to do.  Gradually you are able to get your dog to perform more directly to your commands and if you are patient, your dog will be a grrrrreat showman!