Teaching Your Dog to Spin
Train your dog, regardless of age, to perform a new trick by twirling on command. You can teach your dog to spin in a single direction or to differentiate between left and right. In either case, all you need is a few treats to train your dog to spin. If you're using clicker training, it's also beneficial to have a clicker readily available.
Teaching a Basic Spin
To teach your dog how to spin, begin with your dog standing upright. If your dog isn't familiar with the "stand" command, it's better to teach them that first before moving on to spinning. Have a few treats ready in your hand to begin the training.
Hold a treat in front of your dog's nose. Slowly move the treat towards the side of your dog's head, causing them to turn their head in that direction to follow the treat.
Continue moving the treat in a circular motion around your dog's body, encouraging them to spin in order to keep track of the treat.
Once your dog has completed a full circle following the treat, praise them by saying "yes" or "good," or use a clicker if you have one. Then promptly give them the treat.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 multiple times.
When your dog appears to understand the action, introduce the command word "spin" before repeating steps 2 and 3 once again.
Dedicate around five minutes, multiple times a day, to practice the spinning exercise. It won't be long before your dog can spin in a complete circle.
Add Direction
After teaching your dog to twirl on command, you can start training them to follow directions.
Follow these steps:
Begin by placing a treat in front of your dog's nose, just like before.
Now, instead of the previous command, use either "right spin" or "left spin." Give the command and guide the treat around your dog in the desired direction for it to spin.
Practice this exercise in multiple short training sessions throughout the day. Focus on teaching either the "right spin" or "left spin" command at a time until your dog understands the difference between them.
Once your dog has learned how to spin in both directions on command, you can introduce some variety. During a training session, ask your dog to spin in different directions. As long as your dog consistently responds correctly by spinning in the correct direction, you can be confident that it has a solid grasp of the distinction between the two commands.
Problems and Proofing Behavior
While some dogs can learn to spin in just a few training sessions, others may struggle or find it difficult to complete a spin. Some dogs may have difficulty learning to spin in a complete circle initially. In such cases, you can start with smaller steps and gradually progress to spinning all the way around. This training technique is known as shaping and is particularly effective when combined with a clicker.
If you need to shape the spinning behavior, begin by luring a treat to one side of your dog's head. As soon as the dog turns its head in that direction, click or say "good" and give a treat. Once the dog consistently turns its head, you can start clicking and treating only when it turns its head and takes a step towards completing the spin. This way, you can gradually reinforce the behaviors that bring the dog closer to completing a full circle until it can do so with just one treat at the end.
If it seems like your dog understands the command but starts making mistakes, it's likely that you've progressed too quickly. In such cases, simply go back a few steps to where your dog was successful and practice that step over a few sessions. Then, slowly resume progressing ahead.
Just like humans, dogs can get dizzy. A common mistake is to train for too long, which can lead to a dizzy and confused dog. It's important to limit the training sessions and if your dog genuinely dislikes the training or feels uncomfortable with the spinning sensation, there's no need to continue. The twirl command is mainly a fun trick without practical use, so if your dog can't perform it, focus on other things that your dog excels at.