Impress Everyone: Teach Your Dog The Orbit Trick Step-By-Step

Before we jump into the fun part, let’s make sure you have everything you need. Setting yourself up for success makes the training process smoother and more enjoyable for both you and your dog. Don’t worry, the list is short and sweet!

• High-Value Treats: These are the extra-special goodies your dog absolutely loves. Think small, soft, and smelly things like tiny pieces of chicken, cheese, or commercial training treats. The key is that they should be more exciting than their regular kibble.
• A Clicker (Optional): A clicker is a fantastic tool for marking the exact moment your dog does the right thing. If you’re not familiar with clicker training, you can use a simple, consistent verbal marker like a sharp “Yes!” instead.
• A Distraction-Free Space: Start in a quiet area of your home, like the living room or hallway, where your dog can focus on you without being tempted by squirrels, other pets, or interesting smells.
• A Positive Attitude: This is the most important tool! Keep your training sessions short, upbeat, and fun. Your dog feeds off your energy, so if you’re having a good time, they will too.

The foundation of the Orbit is a technique called ‘luring.’ This simply means using a treat to guide your dog’s nose—and where the nose goes, the body will follow! We’ll start by teaching this in two separate halves.

The Right Side

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Have your dog standing or sitting in front of you.
2. Take a treat in your right hand. Let your dog sniff it so they know you have something good.
3. Lower your hand and use the treat to lure your dog’s nose towards the outside of your right leg.
4. Guide them in a semi-circle behind your right leg until they are back in front of you.
5. The moment they complete the semi-circle, click or say “Yes!” and give them the treat.
6. Repeat this 5-10 times until your dog is following the lure smoothly.

The Left Side

You guessed it! Now we do the exact same thing on the other side. Hold the treat in your left hand and lure your dog around your left leg. Practice this until they are just as comfortable on this side. It’s common for dogs to have a preferred direction, so one side might take a little more practice.

Pro Tip: Keep the treat right at your dog’s nose initially. If you hold it too high or too far away, they might get confused or try to jump for it.

Once your dog has mastered the left and right semi-circles, it’s time to put them together! This is the magical moment where the full Orbit trick comes to life.

1. Start with your dog in front of you, just like before.
2. Take a treat in your right hand and lure them around your right leg.
3. As they come around to the front, don’t give them the treat yet! Instead, seamlessly pass the treat to your left hand right in front of their nose.
4. Without pausing, immediately use your left hand to continue the lure around your left leg.
5. Once they complete the full circle and are back in the starting position, have a mini-celebration! Click or say “Yes!”, give them the treat, and offer lots of praise.

The key here is a smooth hand-off. You want to make it one continuous, fluid motion. It might feel a bit clumsy at first, but you’ll both get the hang of it quickly. Practice in both directions—starting on the right and starting on the left.

Your dog is now physically performing the Orbit, which is awesome! The next step is to attach a name to the behavior and phase out the need to have a treat in your hand every time.

Adding the Cue

When your dog is reliably performing the full orbit with your hand lure, you can add your verbal cue. Choose a short, fun word like “Orbit,” “Around,” or “Circle.”

The timing is important: Say your chosen cue just before you begin the hand motion. For example: Say “Orbit!” -> begin luring -> dog completes the circle -> reward. After several repetitions, your dog will start to associate the word with the action that follows.

Fading the Lure

Now, let’s make your hand signal more subtle. Instead of having a treat in your hand, make the exact same luring motion with an empty hand. Keep the treats in your other hand or a pocket to reward them at the end. Gradually, you can make the hand signal smaller and smaller—perhaps just a small circular motion with your finger. The goal is to have your dog respond to the verbal cue alone, but having a subtle hand signal is perfectly fine and often helpful in distracting environments.

Even with the best instructions, you might hit a small bump in the road. Don’t worry, it’s all part of the process! Here are some common issues and how to fix them.

Common Problems & Solutions

• My dog is moving very slowly. Your treats might not be exciting enough! Try something more enticing. Also, amp up your own energy—your excitement is contagious.
• My dog gets distracted and wanders off. Your training session might be too long or the environment too busy. Keep sessions to just 5 minutes at a time and go back to a quieter space.
• My dog stops halfway through. You might be asking for too much too soon. Go back a step to practicing the semi-circles and reward more frequently before trying to connect them again.

Level Up Your Orbit!

Once your dog has mastered the basic Orbit, why not add some flair?

• Orbit in Reverse: Teach the trick in the opposite direction and give it a different name, like “Reverse!”
• Orbit at a Distance: Gradually take a step or two away from your dog and send them into an Orbit around an object, like a cone or a chair.
• Orbit While Walking: This is the ultimate challenge! Practice having your dog Orbit around your legs as you walk forward slowly. It’s a true showstopper!