How To Train Your Dog To Shake
This tutorial is part of The Ultimate List Of Dog Trick Ideas which contains 99 other tricks like this!
Shaking hands is one of the more traditional dog tricks and remarkably easy to teach. Your dog will learn to offer a front paw in response to request and solemnly shake hands with first you and then visitors to the home. Shake is an old but impressive trick to teach any dog.
- Have a treat handy and sit either on the floor or a chair in front of your dog
- Show him the treat, this will encourage him to try and get the reward from you.
- Dependent on his particular nature and tenacity your dog may naturally attempt to lift a paw and poke you for the treat – this is perfect, if it happens then reward this by saying the word shake and giving the dog his reward.
- A dog that is less likely to naturally offer a paw may need a little more encouragement. Reward any sign of paw movement despite how brief it may be. You can also encourage by offering a closed fist with the treat in for your dog to tap with his paw then mold the tap into a more prominent shake. Add your command word as described earlier.
Top tip; Starting small and offering reward and encouragement towards the slightest movement of paw, that will lead towards the final goal, you can easily withhold the reward gradually until the dog is offering more for the same reward.
Dog trainers love this trick because the shake is a great alternative to teach that prevents a dog jumping up on greeting people.
