For example, if you want to teach your dog to shake hands, start by first taking Buddy’s paw in your hand with the command you want to use and then praise and reward him. The next sequence is offering your palm first instead of taking his paw, and so on to the next sequence.
This trick shows you how to teach Buddy to Shake and then add a High Five for extra flair. This exercise has four sequences. Sequences 1 through 3 teach Shake and Sequence 4 adds the High Five. For the High Five, the object is to teach Buddy to raise one front paw as high as he can on command.
Needed: Treats
Command: Sit
Command: Yes, to mark the moment of success and compliance from your dog
Sequence 1: Introduce the concept of shaking hands
Follow these steps to accustom your dog to shaking hands:- Sit your dog in front of you.
- Reduce your body posture by kneeling or squatting in front of your dog so you’re not leaning or hovering over him.
- Offer him your palm at mid-chest level and say “Shake” or whatever command you want to use.
- Take the elbow of his dominant front leg and lift it off the ground about 2 inches. If you don’t know your dog’s dominant side, he’ll quickly show you.
- Slide your hand down to the paw and gently shake as in the figure.
- Say “Yes” and praise enthusiastically as you’re shaking his paw.
- Reward with a treat and say “Okay” to release him.
Help by sliding your hand from the elbow to the paw.Sequence 2: Lift his paw
Keep following these steps for Buddy to lift his paw:- Sit your dog in front of you and reduce your body posture.
- Offer your palm at mid-chest level and say “Shake.” Pause. You’re looking for some sort of response. If nothing happens, touch his elbow and offer your palm again. Give him the chance to lift his paw.
- After he lifts the paw on his own, take the paw, enthusiastically praise, reward, and release.
If nothing happens after offering your palm and saying “Shake,” take hold of his collar on the opposite side from the hand you want him to lift and tilt him slightly away from that side by pulling gently on the collar sideways. Doing so takes the weight off the leg you want to come up, and it will come off of the ground. Say “Yes,” take his paw, praise, reward, and release.
Stay with Sequence 2 until your dog is lifting his paw off the ground on command so you can shake it. Move on to Sequence 3 when your dog is ready.
Sequence 3: Put his paw on your palm
When you’re ready for Buddy to put his paw in your palm, keep following these steps:- Sit your dog in front of you and reduce your body posture.
- Offer your palm at mid-chest level and say “Shake.”
At this point, he should put his paw on your palm. When he does, say “Yes,” praise enthusiastically, reward, and release.
If nothing happens, go back to Sequence 2.
Stay with Sequence 3 until your dog readily and without hesitation puts his paw on your palm. Then, if you want to teach your dog to add an impressive high five to his shake, you can move on to the last sequence.
Sequence 4: Add the High Five
With this trick you want your dog to raise his paw as high as he can and touch your hand rather than you shaking his paw. These steps can help:- Sit your dog in front of you.
- Offer your palm at his chin level and say “Shake.” By now your dog should readily and without hesitation put his paw on your palm with the command “Shake.” When he does, say “Yes,” praise, and rotate your palm to be fingers up as in a high five. Reward and release. If not, go back to Sequence 3.
- Raise your palm, in 2-inch increments, until you have reached your dog’s limit. At this point you can change the trick command to “High Five” and say “High Five” after you’ve said, “Shake,” and gotten Buddy to lift his paw.
Your hand is less like a shake-hand position and more of a high-five position with your fingers pointing up. Say “Yes” as your dog touches your palm with his paw. Praise and reward with your release. After several repetitions, your dog will stretch his paw as high as he can. Praise, reward, and release.
