How To Train A Dog To Wave Goodbye

This tutorial is part of The Ultimate List Of Dog Trick Ideas which contains 99 other tricks like this!

Waving goodbye to an audience is a great trick. Even if the audience is just you it will warm your heart to see your dog waving enthusiastically towards you. Waving is a great prelude to many tricks and wonderful when you are waving to departing visitors from your front doorstep.

1. Ask your dog to sit in front of you but at a slight distance and give him the command that you use for shaking hands.
2. Your dog will lift his paw but not be close enough to touch you so he should just swipe the air. Reinforce this swipe with a cue and reward and repeat a number of times.
3. Gently withhold the reinforcement and reward until your dog tries harder and lifts his paw higher in order to encourage you to give him the treat.
4. Introduce the command wave and reward each time your dog gives an impressive wave with his paw.

Top tip; this trick works best if the dog is sitting down therefore only reward the attempts to wave whilst your dog is sitting on the ground.

Dog trainers love this trick because it is another way for the dog to greet people without getting too excited and jumping up. Whilst the dog is thinking about a wave he will be focused and concentrating on the trick.