Your Dog Is Ready for More: 10 Advanced Tricks to Teach Your Dog (Step by Step)
You’ve mastered “sit,” “stay,” and “down.” Your dog can spin on cue and probably brings you the remote better than your spouse. So what comes next? You’re both ready for advanced tricks to teach your dog—the kind that impress friends, deepen your bond, and actually put that brainpower to work.
Advanced tricks aren’t just about showing off (though a good “play dead” never gets old). They build focus, confidence, and problem-solving skills. Many of these tricks also double as functional behaviors that make daily life smoother—like picking up dropped keys or closing a cabinet door.
Below, you’ll find ten progressive tricks, each broken into clear steps. I’ll tell you exactly what you need, where most people struggle, and how to fix it. Let’s get started.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
Before you ask your dog to weave through your legs or balance a treat on their nose, make sure you have these basics covered.
Essential Gear
- High-value treats. Save the boring kibble for meals. For advanced work, you need stinky, special rewards: freeze-dried liver, string cheese cut into tiny cubes, or boiled chicken. Recommendation: Stewart Pro-Treat Beef Liver Freeze-Dried Dog Treats — single ingredient, high reward, low mess.
- A treat pouch. Fumbling in your pocket breaks momentum. Recommendation: Kurgo GoBelt Treat Bag — clips to your belt, magnetic closure for quick access.
- A clicker. The click marks the exact moment your dog does the right thing. Recommendation: Clik-R by PetSafe — consistent sound, easy thumb press.
- A target stick or yoga mat. Useful for tricks that involve position changes or stationary holds.
- A non-slip surface. Hardwood floors are tough for dogs trying to pivot. If your floors are slick, lay down a $5 bath mat from Target.
Mindset Prep
- Session length: 3–5 minutes per trick, then a break. Advanced tricks are mentally exhausting.
- Energy level: Work your dog after a short walk, not after a two-hour hike. Tired dogs learn poorly.
- Patience checkpoint: If you feel frustration, stop. End on a success (even a simple “touch”) and try again later.
Trick #1: Play Dead – The Theatrical Classic
This trick builds on “down.” It teaches your dog to roll onto their side and stay still until you release them.
What to Do
- Start in a down position. Have your dog lie down facing you.
- Lure the roll. Hold a treat near their nose, then slowly arc it toward their shoulder. Most dogs will naturally tip over to follow the treat. The instant their shoulder hits the ground, click and reward.
- Add the cue. Once they reliably tip over, say “bang” or “play dead” just before you lure. Repeat 5–7 times.
- Fade the lure. Use an empty hand with the same motion. When your dog follows the empty hand and rolls, click and treat from the pouch.
- Add duration. After they roll, wait one second before clicking. Gradually increase to 3–5 seconds, then to 10.
Common Mistake
Many owners reward the dog for rolling completely onto their side, but the dog pops back up immediately. If your dog springs up, you’re reinforcing an incomplete behavior. Click only when the dog stays on their side for at least a heartbeat.
Trick #2: Leg Weave – The Party Piece
Your dog weaves in and out of your legs as you walk. It looks impressive, but it’s built on simple shaping.
What to Do
- Stand with feet apart. Lure your dog through your legs from front to back. Click when their head passes through.
- Add the weave motion. Once they comfortably go through, shift your weight to one leg and lure them around your other calf. Click when they complete the loop.
- Chain the movements. Lure through your legs, then immediately lure around your calf, then back through. Click only after two or three weaves in a row.
- Add forward motion. Take one step forward as your dog weaves. Practice in 3-step increments until you can walk naturally.
Common Mistake
People walk too fast or take steps that are too wide. Keep your stride short and your dog’s focus on the treat path. If your dog bails out, slow down and go back to stationary weaving.
Trick #3: Fetch Me a Drink (from the Fridge)
Yes, some dogs can actually retrieve a water bottle from the refrigerator. This trick requires a fridge with a pull handle and a soft-sided bottle.
What to Do
- Teach “touch” to a target. Place a sticky note on the fridge at nose height. Click and treat for any nose contact. Repeat until your dog targets it instantly.
- Add a towel or rope. Tie a small rope to the refrigerator handle. Teach your dog to grab the rope with their mouth (use “take it” from previous training). Click for mouth contact, then for pulling.
- Shape the pull. Click only when the door opens an inch. Gradually build to full opening. Reward heavily for door movement.
- Add the bottle. Place a water bottle (squishy, not glass) on the lowest shelf. Teach “hold” separately. Once your dog holds on cue, ask them to hold the bottle while you push the door closed, then release the bottle to you.
Common Mistake
Dogs often get frustrated by the slippery bottle. Start with a fabric-covered bottle or a towel wrapped around it. Also, ensure your dog has a solid “drop it” before attempting this trick.
Trick #4: Back Up – The Space-Saver
Teaching your dog to walk backward on cue is useful in tight spaces and builds body awareness.
What to Do
- Stand facing your dog. Hold a treat at their chest level and slowly walk toward them. Most dogs will take one step backward to create space. Click that step.
- Add the cue “back.” Say it right as you step forward. Repeat until your dog backs up on verbal cue alone.
- Increase distance. Once your dog backs up 2–3 steps, mark and reward. Build to 6–8 steps.
- Add obstacles. Practice backing through a doorway or into a crate. This strengthens spatial reasoning.
Common Mistake
Dogs often sit or lie down instead of backing up. If that happens, you’re probably moving too fast or the treat is too high. Lower the treat to chest height and keep a steady forward pressure.
Trick #5: Tidy Up – Put Toys Away
This is a functional trick that actually reduces mess. It teaches your dog to pick up a toy and drop it into a bin.
What to Do
- Teach “take it.” Your dog picks up a soft toy on cue. Reward after they hold for 2 seconds.
- Teach “drop it” into a target. Place a shallow bin on the floor. Click when your dog drops a toy anywhere near it. Gradually shape closer drops until they drop inside.
- Add the sequence. Hand your dog a toy, cue “take it,” walk to the bin, cue “drop it.” Reward only when the toy lands in the bin.
- Generalize. Ask your dog to pick toys up from different spots in the house. Eventually, you can point to a toy and say “tidy up.”
Common Mistake
Dogs sometimes drop the toy halfway or try to play keep-away. If your dog won’t release, go back to a rock-solid “drop it” with low-value items like a rope toy before moving to favorite plush toys.
Trick #6: Balance a Treat on the Nose
This trick requires impulse control and precise head positioning. It’s harder than it looks.
What to Do
- Teach a steady chin rest. Put a small treat on the bridge of your dog’s nose while you hold their chin steady with your other hand. Click the instant they hold still for 1 second.
- Release the hold. Gradually remove your hand from their chin. Click when the treat stays balanced for 2 seconds. Reward with a different treat from your hand.
- Add the “wait” cue. Say “wait” before placing the treat. Click and treat for steady holds up to 5 seconds.
- Teach the flip. To release, tap your dog’s chin upward. Most dogs will flip their head back and catch the treat. Click the flip. Repeat until they flip on a hand signal alone.
Common Mistake
Dogs with droopy jowls (like Basset Hounds) or very fur-covered noses struggle with balance. Use a soft treat that sticks slightly, like a dab of cream cheese, rather than a round kibble.
Trick #7: Spin and Twist – Directional Spins
Your dog spins in one direction on cue. “Twist” is the opposite direction. This teaches left/right discrimination.
What to Do
- Teach “spin” (clockwise). Lure your dog in a circle with a treat. Click when they complete the circle. Name it “spin.”
- Teach “twist” (counterclockwise). Same process, but lure the opposite direction. Use a totally different word like “twist” or “other way.”
- Alternate. Once each direction is solid, alternate between spin and twist in random order. Click only when your dog correctly executes the named direction.
- Add distance. Say the cue without a lure, then point. Your dog should spin from 6–10 feet away.
Common Mistake
Dogs often mix up the cues and spin the same direction regardless. If this happens, slow down. Practice only one direction per session until that side is 90% reliable before introducing the opposite.
Trick #8: Go to Bed (with a Distance Send)
This is an advanced version of the place command. Your dog runs to their bed from across the house and stays until released.
What to Do
- Strengthen the bed as a base. Practice “go to bed” with you standing right next to it. Click for all four paws on the bed. Build duration to 30 seconds.
- Add small distance. Stand one foot away, point to the bed, and give the cue. Click when they arrive. Gradually increase distance up to 10 feet.
- Add room transitions. Go into the next room, call “go to bed.” Click the second they hit the bed. Reward by going to them and delivering a treat on the bed.
- Add distractions. Toss a toy near the bed. If your dog stays on the bed, click and jackpot (3–4 treats in a row). If they break, reduce the trigger strength.
Common Mistake
Dogs often jump off the bed immediately. Cue “stay” after they arrive, and reward only if they remain until you release them. Use the release word “free” or “okay.”
Trick #9: Retrieve Specific Items by Name
You can teach your dog to differentiate “remote,” “leash,” and “keys.” This takes time but is a party trick that’s genuinely useful.
What to Do
- Choose one item. Start with the remote control. Place it on the floor next to your dog. Say “remote” and click when your dog looks at it. Reward.
- Add nose touch. Click when your dog sniffs or noses the remote. Add the word “remote” as they touch.
- Add pickup. Click only when your dog mouths the remote. Gradually shape to a full hold, then retrieval to your hand.
- Add a second item. Introduce the leash. Same training process. When both are 80% reliable, place both on the floor. Ask for one. Click only if your dog touches the correct item. If wrong, no treat, try again.
- Add more items slowly. Keys, phone, toy. Keep the item set small and rotate often.
Common Mistake
Dogs often grab whatever is easiest. If your dog keeps choosing the wrong item, go back to single-item training. Also, be consistent with the exact names: say “keys,” not “my keys,” or your dog will think “my keys” is the name.
Trick #10: Emergency Recall – The Life-Saving Trick
This isn’t a flashy “trick,” but it’s the most important advanced behavior. Your dog drops everything and comes to you, no matter the distraction.
What to Do
- Pick a unique word. Don’t use “come” (you’ve already used it). Try “here!” or “cookie!” or a whistle. This word must never be used in a boring context.
- Start indoors with zero distractions. Say your emergency word in a happy tone, then run backward. When your dog chases you, click and toss a handful of treats on the ground (scatter feed).
- Add mild distractions. Have a friend stand at the far end of the room. Call your dog with the emergency word. Click and jackpot reward when they reach you.
- Practice outdoors on a long line. Use a 15–30 foot leash. Let your dog sniff. Call the emergency word. If they don’t turn immediately, give a gentle tug and keep moving backward. Reward heavily upon arrival.
- Never punish after recall. Even if your dog took three minutes, reward them for coming. Punishment ruins recall for good.
Common Mistake
People overuse the emergency word. If you call it for bath time or nail trims, it becomes poison. Use it only 3–5 times per month, and never for anything your dog dislikes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to teach an advanced trick?
Some tricks like “back up” can be learned in one 10-minute session. More complex tricks like “retrieve by name” may take several weeks of daily practice. The key is consistency over intensity.
My dog is 7 years old. Can they still learn advanced tricks?
Absolutely. Older dogs often have better focus than puppies. Just watch for physical limitations—avoid tricks that require twisting if your dog has hip or spine issues. Consult your vet before teaching “play dead” or “weave” to a senior dog with arthritis.
What if my dog loses interest after 2 minutes?
That’s normal for many breeds. End the session on a high note with a simple trick they know well. Keep sessions short (3–5 minutes) but frequent (2–3 times per day). Use higher-value treats or try training before meals when they’re hungry.
Can I use hand signals instead of verbal cues?
Yes, and it’s often recommended. Dogs read body language more naturally than words. For example, use a finger gun for “bang” (play dead) or a circular hand motion for “spin.”
Should I use a clicker or just verbal praise?