Peculiar Pet Talents: Unusual Tricks Your Furry Friends Can Learn

Dogs are really smart. Even though your furry friend sits on your couch and licks you without doing much else, there are several unusual tricks they can learn.

Some dogs have jobs, such as police dogs, fire dogs, and rescue dogs. Others perform services as guide dogs, medical alert dogs, and companion animals. Most dogs are pets in our homes, but they love to have jobs and learn things that can make you smile and want to give them a treat.

Here are seven cool trucks you’ll want to teach your furry friend.

Can Your Dog Salute?

If your dog can offer a paw as a way to shake hands, they can learn to offer a salute, which is extra fun and cool for family members in the military. To teach this trick, you ask the dog for their paw and then move it to the nose as a salute and give the command “salute” followed by a treat. Continue to repeat this process until your dog gets it down. This is a pretty cool trick and can be a wonderful greeting for your military family members.

Teach Your Dog to Skateboard

One of the most unusual tricks you can teach your furry friends is skateboarding. Don’t expect them to perform kick flips or spins, but getting them to ride the skateboard for a little while is easily worthy of TikTok time. You have to get your pup used to the board and standing on it; this can take a little while. Get them to start with two paws and then work toward four on the board. Eventually, you’ll get to them riding on it, especially if you give treats while working with your pup.

Get Your Dog in On the Soccer Game

Dogs and balls are a natural match. Many dogs know how to fetch and love to bring balls back when thrown. Soccer is a great way to get your pup involved in a game that includes a larger ball. Put a ball on the ground and let your pup begin to smell it. Once they nudge it and see it move, their natural playfulness can take over. Teach them a few commands to move the ball and offer treats for success.

Will Your Pup Clean Up?

If you have a toy basket full of fun items for your dog, they likely pull them out, play with them, and leave the toys lying around all day. It would be great if your pup knew how to pick up their toys and put them away. To teach this, you need to hold a treat over a container and encourage your dog to pick up a toy and bring it over. Once over the container, give the command “drop it,” and when they do, offer the treat.

Will Your Dog Bring You a Drink?

This is a great party trick and one of the most practical and unusual tricks you can teach your furry friends. The idea is to get your dog to pick up a plastic bottle and bring it to you. This means you have to teach “take it,” “bring it,” and “drop it” first. With these three commands, put things together and get your pup to bring you a drink, for which they will get a treat.

Teach Your Pup to Sing

Try some music and see if it makes your dog want to howl or sing a tune with the music. If they do, give them a treat, and give them the command “sing” to go with it. This allows your dog to learn that this command means you want them to howl and make some noise. This is a great trick to show off at parties, but not when you live in an apartment complex.

Will Your Dog Wave to Others

Maybe waving isn’t one of the most unusual tricks, but it certainly can be fun to teach your furry friends to wave goodbye. This starts with the paw trick and then moves up a bit higher. Go a little higher each time until your dog is putting their paw above its head in a bit of a wave. Once you get them to understand the height you want, add the command “wave” to let them know the difference between giving a paw and waving.

Your dog can learn all kinds of great tricks if you have the time and treats to teach them. These seven unusual tricks can be a lot of fun for you and your furry friends.