It's Tricky! Why We Love Trick Training So Much

Clickstart trainer Roma and her dog Clark are an especially talented trick team!

We’ve all fallen down that Youtube rabbit hole of watching mind-blowing dog trick videos and tutorials. (Nobody? Just me??) As impressive as it is to see a dog perform CPR or hug their canine bff, many people find trick training a little on the frivolous side. Sure, they look cute, but is there really any benefit to teaching them and not just focus on the important stuff like recall or stay?

Good news! We’re here to validate your sudden desire to teach your dog to sit pretty by giving you our top 5 reasons why you should be working on trick training with your dog.

1. Tricks can burn excess physical and mental energy. 

If you have a dog with a “go Go GO!” personality, then consider folding trick training into your routine to get a handle on some of the potentially obnoxious behaviors that come along for the ride. If you have a working breed dog, an adolescent dog (6-24 months), or just a dog who needs a little extra stimulation to chill out, tricks are great because they can engage your dog’s body and mind simultaneously. You might be surprised at how much more exhausted your pup is after learning a new trick than after a walk!

2. Tricks are a perfect indoor activity.

Sometimes, going outside and getting traditional exercise just isn’t an option. In case of rain, extreme heat, global pandemics, or murder hornets, trick training can help you pass the time and get some enrichment from the safety and comfort of home. This can also be a great option for reactive pups who need to take a little break from neighborhood walks and decompress, for any dog recovering from an illness or injury who might be on crate rest, for puppies without all of their vaccinations, or for senior pups who still want and deserve enrichment that doesn’t involve strenuous physical activity.

3. Tricks can increase your dog’s focus and engagement.

Number three might make some of you question me, but trust me on this! As far as our dogs are concerned, everything we teach them is an arbitrary “trick.” The only thing that truly differentiates “tricks” from “obedience” is how we decide to define them. In our group classes, we notice a fascinating trend: pet parents working on traditional “obedience” skills tend to have a more serious demeanor when working, while pet parents working on “tricks” are often more animated and enthusiastic. As a result, we tend to notice much stronger engagement and focus from the dogs in our tricks classes! 

Sometimes, we can inadvertently poison our training cues and training as a whole becomes a lot less fun. This is especially true for adolescent dogs who seem to suddenly forget the word “sit”. Working on tricks can help revitalize your training by making it fun again!

Additionally, we can base the tricks we decide to teach our dogs on behaviors they already enjoy doing and tend to offer frequently. Does your dog like to jump? Have them learn to “go boing”! Giving our dogs opportunities to do behaviors they already like and get rewarded for them will definitely increase the likelihood of them paying attention for opportunities!

4. Tricks can help improve coordination, balance, and strength.

If you feel like your pup is a “bull in a China shop” running into anything and everything, then definitely invest some time into trick training. (We especially recommend games like front and rear paw awareness.) Many tricks are great because they require our dogs to slow down and be more thoughtful with their movement. Proprioception, a $10 word for understanding your body’s relationship to the space around it, is a sense that develops over time with our dogs, and it gets better with practice! Navigating tight or crowded spaces, walking nicely on leash, and even playing with you or other dogs can be improved with better coordination and balance! 

Trick training can also feed into the canine fitness arena which is more deliberately designed to build balance, strength, and coordination! We highly recommend discussing your dog’s physical needs with an orthopedic veterinarian and a certified Canine Fitness Instructor if your dog has a history of injury, or if you have any specific questions or concerns.

5. Tricks can kick-start cooperative care.

You may have seen videos of zoo animals voluntarily participating in medical care like this hyena opting in for blood draws, or this walrus cooperating for physical exams. While many of us won’t have the time and professional staff of an accredited zoo, we can still work on similar things with our dogs at home to make their vet visits that much easier. Many fun tricks, including shaking paws, playing dead, or resting their chin on an object can be easily adapted into veterinary care and grooming. The more choice and control we give our dogs, the more willingly they will participate!

So there you have it! Honestly, if your only reason for teaching tricks is “because I want to,” we completely support that. For anyone on the fence, we wanted to provide a few more practical reasons to consider working on some tricks with your dog.

Are you interested in teaching your dog some new tricks? Maybe even earn a fancy ribbon and title? Then join us for our online Clicks for Tricks class! We offer the class at the Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced levels. All levels are lots of fun!

Still not sure if trick training is for you? Schedule a free discovery call with us!