PAW EDUCATION FOR DOGS

A simple but remarkable dog trick that doesn’t take long to learn is teaching your dog to give you their paw on command. Teaching your dog to shake your hand is not only a great way to start his or her formal training, but also a great way to bond with your pet and show off to visitors. More importantly, what? With practise, you and your dog can master more advanced commands. Because, after all, canines are naturally curious and eager to discover new skills.

Learn how to teach your dog to “give paw” without leaving your house by following these steps!

CHOOSE A TREAT THAT YOUR DOG LOVES

You should have your dog’s favourite treat on hand when you begin teaching him to shake paw, so don’t run out before you start.

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A delectable treat is an integral part of the procedure and will motivate your dog to keep working toward learning the paw trick, along with obeying a straightforward verbal instruction. They will learn to do this without the reward of treats eventually.

FIND THE PERFECT AREA TO TRAIN YOUR DOG

Pick a spot in your home or garden and stick to it every time you train your dog so they learn the trick consistently. Find a quiet area where there are few distractions so they may give their full attention to the job at hand (or paw!).

CHOOSE A VERBAL COMMAND AND STICK WITH IT

Decide on a short, straightforward command that you can use every time you ask your dog to give you their paw. After repeated exposure in training, they will recognise the cue and respond appropriately by shaking your hand whenever you say it. A simple verbal cue like “shake” or “give paw” can do the trick.

TEACH YOUR DOG TO SIT (IF THEY CAN’T ALREADY DO THIS ON COMMAND)

Teaching your dog to sit on demand, if it doesn’t know how already, shouldn’t be too difficult. If they are already sitting, teaching them to give paw will be a breeze. You can get them to sit by holding out a treat in front of them and giving them a light tap on the rear end as they make a grab for it. Once they’re seated, give them a treat as a reward. Use the word “sit” as a command and practise with them until they sit when you say it. Only a couple of times each day should be plenty.

TICKLE THE BACK OF THEIR FOOT

Let’s get back to retraining a canine paw. Make sure you have a goodie in one hand to lure them into action. Whenever your dog is seated, tickle the back of one of its front legs. Your dog will respond by bringing its leg closer to its body. Treat them when they do this.

ENCOURAGE YOUR DOG TO REACH HIS PAW TOWARDS YOUR HAND

Hold out your hand (be sure to open your hand) and encourage your dog to reach towards it once they are accustomed to you tickling their foot and rewarding them for reaching their paw forwards. To get them to perform what you want, simply put their paw in your palm or point to it. You may train your dog to reach for you without much help from you by rewarding it with goodies every time it takes a small step in the right direction.

START INTRODUCING YOUR VERBAL COMMAND

Once they have grasped your instructions, you can offer your preferred vocal command while holding out your hand. You should give your dog another goodie once it has learned the command and is obeying it. After some repetition, they should understand that you want their paw when you hold out your hand and say the order. Once they can do that, you can practise a handshake by moving your hand up and down while holding their paw in your palm. As your dog becomes more comfortable with the exercise, you can gradually decrease the quantity of rewards you give him.

MAKE THE PAW SHAKE MORE CHALLENGING

Now that your dog knows how to give you their paw, you may vary your training by working on this command in new environments, both inside and outside the house, where there may be more noise and people around. They could be able to shake paws with the other limb right away, or you might have to go through the training process again. You can train them to give you the paw that’s closest to your hand by using the hand that isn’t holding the treat. As an added test, see whether they’ll do the paw shake again with other members of the family after you’ve gotten them to hold your hand for longer and longer each time.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Keep training sessions short and sweet, but dedicate around ten minutes each day to paw shaking until your dog can obey your command.

Remove the treat gradually till they will shake your paw even if they don’t get one.