Fun Training: Teaching Your Dog to Sit Up or Beg

Teaching your dog tricks is both fun and entertaining for you and your dog. Before you teach him any tricks, he should know basic obedience: sit, down, and stay. These are more important anyway, and also get your dog used to training sessions. Most tricks are based on these commands and your dog should know to pay attention to you for learning.

The success of any kind of training is finding what kind of reward your dog responds to best. For some it takes the form of food, others simple praise will do, and for others it's a stretch of playtime. Finding out what works best is vital to any training you want to do with your dog as it is a great motivator. Training sessions should run around 5 to 15 minutes, daily, and always keep them upbeat and fun. Always end with a reward. If you begin to feel frustrated, quit for then and start again another day.

Teaching your dog to beg can be a challenge. Especially in larger dogs, be mindful of their joints, especially hips. If your dog has any kind of joint pain or arthritis, don't make him do this trick since it relies on balancing on the dog's hips. Other dogs just won't want to do this trick for whatever reason. Know your dog's personality before attempting tricks you know he'll be uncomfortable with.

First put your dog in a sitting position and keep him there for a few seconds. Using a food reward, raise the food above his nose so that he has to look up to even see it. Now tell your dog to "beg." We are trying to use the dog's natural inclination to get the food to teach the trick. If the dog jumps up to reach, have him sit again; don't reward for that behavior since that's not the desired result. Many dogs will naturally balance on their haunches to reach for the food if it's held above them. Don't give the treat until your dog is balanced and his front paws are off the ground. You can also try to gently raise his front legs while giving the command, but some dogs don't appreciate this. You can also help steady him until he finds his balance.

Once your dog gets the idea of what you want, raising food or your hand above his head along with the verbal command should get him to sit up like you want. Only reward for completed tricks. And as always, practice makes perfect.