As your pup get’s older, it is important to keep learning new commands. Introduce new and more challenging behaviors regularly. Teaching the spin is a fun trick for you and your best fur-iend. Not only is it a good trick to have in your training tool box, but it also has several added benefits. When your pup spins he is stretching out his back and abdomen muscles. This stretching movement will keep those muscles limber and agile, as well as delivering more blood flow to the muscles, and even releases endorphins that are proven to keep your pup feeling good!
Try these simple steps to get your pup spinning!
- Hold a treat at your pup’s nose while he stands in front of you.
- Move your hand slightly to the side of your pup’s head and towards your pup’s rear so he curves his body to follow your hand. If your pup is comfortable following your hand into a full circle right off the bat, mark, and reward when he makes it back to standing in front of you.
- If your pup is reluctant to spin all the way around, simply mark and reward for a quarter or half spin (or even less, depending on your pup) and then gradually increase the range of the turn until it is a full spin.
- When you’re confident your pup will smoothly follow your hand to make a full spin, you can add the cue “spin” right before you start moving your hand.
- With practice, you can start modifying the visual cue from moving your hand from your pups nose to a big circle, to a more subtle cue of a smaller circle that is paired with the verbal cue “spin.”
Bringing a new family addition into the home is extremely exciting! Becoming a new puppy parent comes with a ton of new joys, challenges and responsibilities. PupBox was created to help new puppy parents like yourself, by providing all of the toys, treats, accessories and training information you need, when you need it. CLICK HERE to learn more about PupBox.
And remember, puppyhood is fast and is gone before you know it. Make sure to savor the time when your pup is young, and take lots of pictures along the way!
