If you want to teach your dog to spin in a circle, then you’re going to need to reward them and positively reinforce their learning with tasty treats! Try to make these as healthy (but satisfactory and tempting!) as possible, as you may need several in the first few rounds of training the trick. Once you’re loaded up with treats, it’s time to get started!
- Firstly, take a treat to your dog’s nose and lure them around in a circle. On completion of the circle, allow them to take the treat and offer them lots of praise
- Repeat this a few times, and then as they begin to get it, start adding in the verbal cue you want them to respond to too, like “Circle”, “Spin” or “Around”
- Then, when they seem to really get where you’re going with this after several repetitions, try raising your hand away from the nose, so your hand becomes a visual cue too. If your dog loses their full circle, return to their nose until they’re more confident
- Got the hang of one circle? Try doing two or three circles in a row and see how they fair!
- If your dog’s circle is pretty wide, and you want to tighten this you can try moving them into a slightly smaller space or place them on a dog-specific training platform to help them learn self-body awareness
- If your dog is really struggling to learn this trick, don’t get frustrated with them. This is cruel. Instead, try gently wrapping their leash behind them. As you lure them around with your treat hand, use your other hand to guide them around with the leash. This may take a few tries in terms of your own coordination but may help the trick land for your pet.
Remember, if your dog is really struggling to digest this trick, take a break and return to it, later on, to avoid them becoming stressed or you becoming frustrated with them. If they aren’t getting it, you can find another trick to try with them!
When trick training a dog, always be sure to move at your dog’s pace and choose to train tricks and behaviors that your dog’s breed, age, temperament, and health is capable of.
Never punish a dog for getting it wrong – dogs don’t understand punishment. They will just learn to be scared of you. Just rewind and try again with patience, positivity, and kindness.
Training a dog is most effective in 10-minute bursts every few hours. So, after the first 10 minutes, take a break and then return for another 10 minutes an hour or two later. Do this over a couple of days to help them digest and embed the trick, and then keep returning to it regularly throughout their day-to-day life for as long as their physically able to perform it.
What Are The Benefits Of Trick Training Your Dog?
There are so many benefits to teaching your dog fun tricks, as well as the basics like “Sit”, “Stay” and “Down”. These include:
An improvement in overall obedience; the more tricks a dog learns, the more likely they are to be a pleasant, well-behaved pet overall.
It’s good for their physical health; trick training can increase a dog’s flexibility, promote their balance and boost their mental wellbeing and confidence.
Tricks are great for redirecting unwanted behavior; tricks provide a great distraction. If your dog is smelling something they shouldn’t or jumping up at a houseguest, you can distract them by performing a trick for a treat and redirect their energy and focus which helps avoid punishment, which remember, only makes dogs scared.
It enhances your bond; trick training is a mentally stimulating, interactive activity to do with your dog and will only bring you closer together.
Sources
Author Ellis, Nicole “How To Teach Your Dog To Spin In A Circle” Maggie & Nicole https://maggieandnicole.com/how-to-teach-your-dog-to-spin-in-a-circle/
“The Benefits Of Teaching Your Dog Tricks” Andrea Arden https://andreaarden.com/dog-training/the-benefits-of-teaching-your-dog-tricks/
“How To Teach Your Dog To Spin Around” Aug 11. 2015, American Kennel Club https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/teach-your-dog-to-spin-around/
