How to Train Your Dog to Balance Things on His Head

Start by teaching your dog to leave a treat alone. To do this, place a treat in your closed hand and command your dog to "balance" while letting her sniff it. Do not let her eat it though. When your dog stops attempting to get to the treat, open your hand while also telling your dog "OK", and allow her to eat the treat.

When your dog no longer tries to get the treat out of your hand when you show her your closed hand, place the treat on the floor and cover it with your hand. Tell her "balance" while you do this. If your dog attempts to get the treat at the new location, repeat the same process that you did when the treat was in your hand. Practice this until your dog will also leave this treat alone until she is told "OK".

After your dog has mastered leaving the treat alone while it is on the floor, continue to increase the difficulty of this trick. Gradually move your hand further and further away from the treat, but be ready to cover the treat again if she goes for it. Cover the treat with your foot instead of your hand. Make your dog wait for longer and longer amounts of time before giving her the treat. Practice these things until she has masted leaving the treat alone when told "balance".

When your dog has mastered this trick while the treat is on the floor, move the treat onto your dog's nose. To do this, place one hand underneath your dog's lower jaw. Gently cup her lower jaw in one hand and touch the tip of her nose with the treat that is in your other hand. Command her to "balance" while doing this. Reward her after each touch.

When your dog will allow you to touch the treat to the front of her nose without trying to eat it, move the treat onto the bridge of her nose. Practice holding the treat onto the bridge of her nose for longer and longer periods of time, until she will remain still for several seconds. Continue to reward her for each hold.

When your dog will remain still for several seconds while you hold the treat onto her nose, with one hand cupped under her chin, place the treat onto her nose and briefly let go of the treat. After a couple of seconds, tell her "OK" and release her chin so that she can drop or catch the treat.

Once your dog is able to hold the treat steadily on her nose for twenty or more seconds, begin to let go of her lower jaw for a couple of seconds at a time, so that she is balancing the treat without your help. Increase the amount of time that you let go by two seconds for every ten successful repetitions.

When your dog is able to hold the treat on her nose without depending on your cupped hand for support, begin to add additional treats to the bridge of her nose. Add one treat at a time, gradually creating a line of treats leading up to your dog's forehead and onto her head.

Once you are able to create a line of treats down the bridge of your dogs nose and onto the top of her head, practice stacking additional items onto her nose and head. Once she has mastered balancing multiple items, you can show all of your friends your dog's wonderful new trick.

To begin, find a treat that your dog loves, something tasty to spread onto it, such as peanut butter, and an object that is relatively flat and slightly smaller than the area between your dog's ears.

Spread a small amount of the peanut butter onto the treat. With one hand, hold the treat in front of your dog's mouth for your dog to lick. With the other hand, touch the object to the top of your dog's head.

As soon as the object touches the top of your dog's head, praise your dog and give the entire treat to your dog, for her to eat.

When your dog is comfortable with having her head touched by the object, begin to tell your dog "balance" while you touch the object to your dog's head. Praise your dog as you do so, then tell her "OK", remove the object, and give her the treat to eat.

Begin to hold the object onto your dog's head for longer and longer periods of time while your dog licks the treat. Increase the amount of time slowly, by five seconds after every ten successful repetitions.

Once your dog is balancing the object on her head for one to two minutes without dropping it, begin to phase out the treat licking. To phase out the licking, hold the treat inside your hand for her to sniff, while you place the object onto her head. Have her balance the object for a couple of seconds before telling her "OK" and offering her the treat within your hand.

Gradually increase the amount of time that she has to hold the object on her head before you allow to eat the treat.

Once your dog can balance the object for one to two minutes without licking a treat, gradually move the hand that is holding the treat away from her. Move it away one inch at a time. Do this until your hand is behind your back.

When your dog is able to balance the object on her head without your assistance, practice having her balance different objects. Introduce one item at a time until she has masted the balancing act. Enjoy your dog's fun new trick!

To begin, show your dog the tennis ball. If your dog sniffs the ball but does not bite it, praise her and offer her a treat. If she tries to bite the ball, pull the ball back and repeat the process until you can offer the ball and she will not bite it. Reward her with a treat when she stops biting it.

Once your dog is no longer trying to put the ball into her mouth, touch her nose with the ball while praising her. Offer her a treat for allowing you to touch her with the ball.

Once she is comfortable with being touched by the ball, begin to tell her "balance" as you touch the ball to her nose. Praise her while she remains still.

After you have commanded her to "balance", quickly tell her "OK", then remove the ball and offer her a treat.

When your dog is tolerating being touched with the ball well, place one hand underneath her chin to gently support her lower jaw and to keep her from moving her head. With your free hand, place the ball onto the bridge of her nose. Hold it there for three seconds, then tell her "OK" and remove the ball and give her a treat.

If the ball is rolling off of your dog's nose, then balance the ball in the space that is right between her eyes and tilt her head slightly upward, so that the ball rests in the space between your dog's eyes and forehead. You can also try using a different size ball.

When your dog is tolerating the ball resting on the bridge of her nose well, increase the amount of time that you hold the ball there and that your dog has to remain still. Praise her while she is holding still, but continue to cup her chin until you have told her "OK" to indicate that she can move it. Gradually increase the amount of balancing time by a couple of seconds after every few successful repetitions.

Once your dog can remain still with the ball on her nose for one to two minutes at a time, begin to phase out the hand that is cupping her chin. To do this, slowly lower your hand away from her chin while she is balancing the ball. Return your hand to her chin briefly if she begins to move her head. Practice this until she no longer needs you to return your hand to her chin.

Once your dog can balance the ball on her head without needing your hand under her chin for support, you can begin to practice balancing other objects on her head. Practice each item one at a time, until your dog is a master at balancing many types of objects.