Teaching your dog how to shake hands can have a bigger impact than just learning a trick. When your dog understands how and when to sit, you help instill overall obedience and deepen the bond between you and your dog. Start practicing with your dog today to teach him these easy commands.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Getting Started
Step 1. Choose some treats for your dog
You should be rewarded when the dog shakes your hand. Buy some of his favorite snacks and have them ready when you teach him how to shake hands.
- Try to make your own food that you use as a gift. These can be small pieces of cooked meat or even some fruits and vegetables.
- Don't give your dog too much food. Try to keep the size as small as possible.
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Do not give your dog the following foods as they can cause poisoning or illness:
- Avocado
- Chocolate
- Bread dough
- Grapes or raisins
- Hop
- Ethanol
- Moldy food
- Macadamia nuts
- Xylitol
- Onions and garlic.
Step 2. Make your dog sit up
The only way a dog can shake hands is when the animal is sitting. If your dog doesn't know the command to sit, you can direct him to sit using the following steps:
- Hold food in your hands. Pinch the food between your thumb and palm. Keep your hands open to let the dog see and smell the food.
- Hold the food within 2.5 cm of your dog's nose. Let the animal kiss it. The food will get his attention.
- Lift the food up, over his head. Do this step slowly to keep your dog's focus on the food.
- While tilting its head to follow the food, the dog will sit down. To look at the food, which is now directly above its head, the dog must sit down so that it can still see the food.
- Don't reward your dog at this stage because you're teaching him how to shake hands, not how to sit.
Step 3. Show the food to your dog
Don't give me that food now. For now, just keep the food in your left hand. Bring the food to the dog's nose and show it. Once you've caught his attention, cover the hand holding the food.
- Don't let the dog take the food just yet.
- Hold the food between your thumb and palm.
Step 4. Wait for the pet to paw at your hand
Once it realizes that you have food in your closed hands, your dog will try to take it away from you. Now is the time to tell what kind of attitude will reward him with the food. Wait for the dog to paw your hand then let him get the food.
- Be patient.
- Don't issue any commands just yet, let your dog figure out for himself what kind of attitude will pay off.
- Ignore other attempts your dog makes, such as sniffing or pinching your hand.
- Repeat this method four or five times, with time periods every five to ten minutes.
Step 5. Hold the dog's front paw in your hand
Use this additional step only if your dog isn't scavenging for food in your hands. By grabbing your dog's paws and praising them during and after the move, you're starting to show the dog that pawing your hand will reward him.
- Hold the sole of the foot for a few seconds before rewarding the food.
- Do it gently and slowly.
Part 2 of 3: Teaching Verbal Commands
Step 1. Teach verbal commands
Once your dog has started to consistently paw for food in your closed palm, you can begin to introduce the desired verbal commands. Wait for the dog to paw at your hand and issue a command while feeding it.
- Your command can be any word, but the most common is "greeting" or "hand".
- Say your commands clearly and loud enough for your dog to hear.
- Issue the command just as the dog is pawing at your hand.
- Once you've selected a command word, don't change it as it will only confuse the dog.
- Keep all commands short. Generally a command that consists of only one word is the best type of command.
Step 2. Start using your command at the beginning
Once you've started using verbal commands when the dog paws for you, it's time to start saying those commands before the animal starts pawing. As you move the hand holding the gift toward your dog, say the command word.
- This step helps the dog to recognize that the verbal command is now a signal to raise his hand (front paw) for a handshake.
- Ideally, your dog will raise his hand as soon as you say the command word.
Step 3. Only reward him with food and praise after the dog shakes your hand
If your dog doesn't raise his hand immediately when he hears a command, try again until the animal does. If the dog still won't do it after about 15 minutes, stop first and try again later. You certainly don't want to frustrate the dog
Step 4. Only reward when your dog fulfills a command
Rewarding the dog for the other's behavior will only confuse the animal. Never give your pet a reward unless the animal has successfully complied with the command, or else your dog will view the reward as a bribe.
- Avoid inappropriate rewarding by always getting the dog's undivided attention before training.
- Don't get irritated and feed your dog if it doesn't carry out the "greeting" command you asked for. Giving up like this sends the message that by simply sitting and ignoring you the dog will be rewarded.
- Realize that your dog is always paying attention. Any reward given to him will most likely be connected to whatever he was doing at the time.
- Your dog wants a reward. Once the dog relates that an attitude will give him something delicious, the animal will be ready to act that way. This applies to both good and bad attitudes. Be aware of this when gifting your dog.
Part 3 of 3: Polishing the Trick
Step 1. Start giving orders without food
Eventually you have to stop giving food to instill the habit. Do this gradually by giving food only occasionally when your dog executes the "greeting" command. Replace it with praise or other rewards such as a walk or playtime.
- Keep practicing until you're sure the dog will shake your hand for nothing in return.
- You can try extending your empty hand, without food, when starting this step for the first time.
Step 2. Make it more challenging
Once you feel the dog has mastered the "greeting" command, try increasing the difficulty of the command. Wait until you are in a situation that would normally bother your dog, such as visiting a crowded place or when there are guests at the door and issue the command.
The more you practice in different situations, the more proficient your dog will become at carrying out these commands
Step 3. Try to shake hands with the other hand
Follow the same training sequence as you did with the first hand. The main difference is that you'll be holding the treat in a different hand than before and only giving it when the dog shakes it with the desired front paw.
Try using a different command word. If you used "greeting" before, try using "hand" for the other hand
Tips
- Be patient with your dog. Learning new tricks can take quite a bit of time.
- Consistency is the key. Always be consistent about what kind of dog you reward and when you reward the animal.
- Make sure you feed the treat from a different hand, not the one you used to shake the dog's hand with.
- Don't be upset if your dog doesn't follow the command right away, be patient.
- Be firm but not rude. Patience and consistency is what you need. Also, don't always reward the dog every time the dog obeys. It's better for your pet to only obey orders once in a while than always obey but just because they want something in return.
Warning
- Only reward the attitude you want to encourage.
- Don't reward your dog too much in the form of food.
