Some tricks, though simple, can be made elegant by the fluency of their performance. If there is one mistake that novice dog trainers make, it is labeling a trick before the dog is really performing it reliably. Using clicker training to teach your dog to perform a trick is easy and fun.

It is important to the overall flow of the performance to be sure that your dog understands what is expected of him before you ask him to offer the behavior around distractions and on cue. Tricks that are simple and executed with a single cue are more impressive than more complicated ones performed with lots of added cues and lures from you.

Keep the basics in mind when teaching tricks to your Golden. Use tasty treats, train in short sessions with a clear goal in mind, and break the behavior down into small, teachable steps. If at any point the behavior falls apart, go back and review the steps rather than repeating yourself.