How to Train a Pit Bull Puppy Easy Tricks

This is a great easy trick to train your Pit Bull puppy that also gives her a greeting that will come in handy as she grows up. Instead of letting your Pit Bull jump up on new people, teach her how to shake hands like a well-behaved lady!

Start by sitting in front of your puppy while she is in the sitting position. Gently hold her front paw for just a second and then say “Yes!” and give her a treat. Repeat 5-10 times, slowly adding a second or two before marking and rewarding the behavior.

Start to lift her paw a little bit, adding a gentle shake. Just progress with this slowly, making sure to praise and reward for success. Use your marker word (or clicker) while holding her paw, followed by the reward.

This trick has a natural non-verbal cue built in. Your puppy will learn to shake when you reach for her paw. However, you can also add a verbal command like "shake" or "nice to meet you" by saying it before you go to reach for her paw while practicing this trick.

Once she has some practice, start to wait for her to put her paw in your open hand before praising and rewarding. It usually only takes a few sessions to teach this easy trick. However, start to practice this calm behavior as a way to greet new people for a great alternative to problem jumping behavior.

Start by putting a tiny bit of peanut butter on the palm of your hand. Open it to your Pit Bull, point to it with your other finger, and say “Kisses!” in a fun tone. When he licks the peanut butter off, say “Yes!” in an excited tone and then give him a treat with the other hand.

Repeat the first step 5 times. Then stop putting on the peanut butter and repeat. It might take a few times, but as soon as he licks your hand, say “Yes!” in an excited tone to mark the correct behavior, then follow it with a food reward. Repeat 5-10 times.

Start to move the kiss target. Point to a place further down your arm a little bit and say “Kisses!” and take anything close to a kiss on that spot. Mark the success with your “Yes!” and then reward.

Continue to slowly try the trick in new places on your body by pointing to new places and offering them to your dog with the command. If you are comfortable with kisses on the face, feel free to add that to your 'kisses' practice.

Once your train your Pitbull puppy this easy trick on you, make sure to practice with new people so that he learns that he can give great kisses, when asked, for whoever needs them. Make sure you do not reward kisses that are not invited unless you want your Pit Bull to grow up thinking it is okay to kiss whenever he pleases (not recommended!).

With a treat in your hand, lure your Pit Bull puppy around in a small circle. As soon as she is all the way around, say “Yes!” and give her a treat. Repeat in the other direction. It is important to teach both counter clockwise and clockwise at the same time so your canine can learn the difference. Repeat 10 times each way.

Stop using a treat in your hand but pretend to hold a treat while you repeat this trick, remembering to mark the behavior with your clicker or a loud “Yes!” when she does a full circle in the right direction. Repeat 5 times.

Start to fade your hand signal so it is not so big as you continue to practice. You want to transition down to a small non-verbal cue that is as simple as pointing your finger in a circle in the direction you want her to spin. Continue to mark and reward success.

Once your puppy seems to understand the trick both ways, and you have the hand signal where you want it, you can add a verbal cue. Be sure to make a difference in your cue depending on how you want her to turn. For example, "spin right” for clockwise, and “spin left” for counter clockwise.

Practice this trick inside before taking it outside to work on it some more. Be sure to have your friends practice this trick with you and your dog so that it will become a trick you can rely on.