Teach your dog to do a figure of eight
Do you want to teach your dog some new tricks? Get a couple of boxes and train them to do a figure of eight.
This game uses your dog’s brain and body, keeping them agile while circling one box and then the other.
To get them moving, you’ll need two boxes or other large items on the floor ready on the floor and a handful of their favourite treats or toy.
Figure of eight training
Use a treat or toy
Pop the treat or toy on your dog’s nose and use it to lure them all around both boxes in a large figure of eight movement. Make sure you give your dog lots of praise and encouragement along the way.
Repeat
Keep repeating until they are doing the movement comfortably and smoothly.
Do it without the treat or toy
Try again without the treats or toy, keeping the same position with your hand close to their nose.
Use a hand motion
Keep doing the hand lure motion, making it smaller and smaller each time.
Continue with a simple hand motion
Eventually, you’ll be able to make a simple hand motion and your dog will understand what you want them to do.
Remember, practice makes perfect
Once you’ve mastered the basics, try moving the boxes further apart so your dog has to move a little more. You could even add in a third or fourth box to send them around. Soon enough you and your pup will be able to show off their new tricks flawlessly.
Now they know how to do a figure of eight you could teach them some other tricks such as bowling or reading.
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