Magic
“Sit! Stay! Roll over! Speak!” When we hear these commands many of us automatically think of tricks to teach dogs. Although these are just a few of the things a pet can learn, the time spent teaching your favorite pet tricks and shenanigans is magical in the connection it fosters between you.
More Than An Antic
Teaching your old or new dog old or new tricks can be such a fun and rewarding endeavor. Not only will it spark many moments of laughter, but there are many other benefits to the time spent together. You will have the opportunity to:
- Develop more patience
- Help you develop mindfulness by requiring you to be in the moment
- Have fun with your pet
- Learn new ways of interacting with your pet bestie
Your pet will also reap the benefits of trick training. Learning new tricks will help them:
- Release excess energy
- Develop more confidence in themselves
- Become less distractible (squirrel!)
- Receive much needed mental stimulation
- Develop a more trusting relationship with you
- Alleviate boredom
- Help manage unwanted behaviors
- Increase cognitive ability
- Understand communication more effectively
More important than anything else, teaching your pet tricks will deepen the bond and love between you, creating an even richer connection.
Teaching Tricks
There are tricks to teaching your pet the tricks that you want them to learn. The first, as mentioned above, is patience. Yours is paramount. If you become impatient, your pet may become nervous and unable to learn. Your pet will also benefit from:
- Short training intervals – five or ten minutes at a time
- Lots of verbal praise
- Small treats given as a reward for trying and achieving
- Lots of petting, love, and affection
Tricks To Teach
There are as many pet tricks as there are people to think them up and pets to learn them. Some fun tricks to teach your cat are:
- Fist bump
- High five
- Sit
- Stay
- Come
- Spin
- Jump up
- Sit
- Stay
- Speak
- Roll over
- Playing catch
- Shaking hands
- How to bow
- How to do leg weaves
- How to make a circle
- To play peek-a-boo
These are a few ideas, but there are many more.
The Best Part
Teaching your pet tricks is something fun to show your friends and neighbors, but, more importantly, for you to create a tapestry of shared experiences with the pet whose love is unconditional. Spending more time with your pet and laughing at their antics is a surefire way to help with depression – both yours and theirs – and to deepen and strengthen the bond between you. The magic of trick training isn’t just the tricks you teach and your pet learns – it’s the bond created in the process.
Homey Gnome Veterinary Clinic
One of the goals of Homey Gnome Veterinary Clinic in Oakdale, MN is to help nurture the relationships between our pet clients and their humans. We value the bonds you have with your pet and want to help you foster them. Contact us today if we can assist you in any way.
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