Before you start teaching the “spin” dog trick, you should already have charged the clicker and introduced your dog to the target stick. After that, it’s an easy trick for any dog to learn.
The spin dog trick, involves teaching your dog to spin in one spot (instead of running in circles) on your verbal command, in either direction.
Preparing for the “Spin” Dog Trick
Like any dog trick, you’ll teach your dog to spin by guiding them into the behavior and rewarding it, then encouraging and rewarding them for doing it without your guidance. Finally, your dog will spin on command without coaxing or rewards.
Training the “spin” dog trick will take less than a week with most dogs – sometimes just a few days. Each step below should be repeated for at least a day, using short, fun, high-energy training sessions.
How to Train the “Spin” Dog Trick
- Have your dog sit or stand in front of you. Hold the target stick at your dog’s eye level, and move it sideways. If your dog follows the stick with his nose, give a click and a treat.
Repeat that step until your dog follows the target stick every time you move it.
- Repeat the same steps, except now you’re moving the target stick around to the side of the dog’s body. Same as above, you reward your dog with a click and a treat every time he turns to follow the stick.
Repeat that step til your dog will turn 90 degrees every time you move the target stick
- Same as above, but now when you move the stick, you move it around towards the dog’s tail. Move the stick in a half-circle so your dog can follow it with his nose while standing in place. Your dog should end this step facing away from you, his nose to the stick. Click and give a treat and praise every time he gets this right.
- From here, you can use the target stick to guide your dog through the entire “spin” dog trick. If your dog stops following the stick at any point, just continue repeating the half-spin until he’s got it down, then move back to the full spin. Always click the clicker, give a treat and offer praise when he gets it right.
- After that, you’ll make it harder for your dog to keep up. There are challenges you can add to really reinforce the spin dog trick. Try any of these, and when your dog has mastered it, try another one: Turn the target stick faster, have your dog do two or three complete spins, withhold clicking and treating for slow spinning or for failing to spin in one spot.
Remember: only make one change to a training routine at a time, to allow your dog time to learn that one change.
- It’s finally time to attach the command word to your dog’s new skill with the “spin” dog trick. I like the word “spin” as a command. The next time you practice this trick, say the command “spin” just as you are showing your dog the target stick. Just continue training, but always say “spin” just as you begin a new repetition.
- Start to phase-out the command stick. One way to do this is to grasp the stick closer and closer to the tip facing your dog, so that it seems to be “disappearing” into your hand. The goal is to be able to use only your hand and the command phrase – and then only the command phrase. After phasing out the stick, also phase out the clicks and treats.
Other Tips on the “Spin” Dog Trick
- A dog should be in good physical condition before learning the “spin” dog trick, with no hip problems especially.
- Carpeted floors make this trick easier to for your dog to learn.
- If your dog wants to back up before following the stick, try doing the trick in a corner.
That’s all there is to know about teaching your dog the “spin” dog trick. Have fun!
Go back to the main dog training section, or learn about other dog tricks.