Training Your Dog To Shake Hands

Training your dog how to shake hands isn’t really a necessity when it comes to basic obedience dog training. It’s more of a party trick.

And it’s a little more advanced than some commands, too. So you may want to teach your dog the true basics.

However, the shake hands command can be a fun trick to teach to your dog, and it’s sure to impress your family and friends!

So let’s get started.

Training your dog to use his paw will teach him dexterity. But remember, some dogs are more suited to this than others – so don’t pressure your dog into this if he doesn’t understand.

Want your dog to shake hands?

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Here’s the steps:

With your dog on your left side, command him to “Sit”. Kneeling down, hold your dog’s collar in your left hand, and show him the food you have hidden in your right hand.

Move your right hand down to the floor, until it’s in front of your dog’s paws. Hold his collar up to stop him from lying down.

Push the treat towards your dog’s paws. As your dog lifts his paw, move your hand under it, and then slightly up off the floor.

With the dog’s paw resting on your fist, lift it up and give him the command “Paw”. Then give him the food reward.

Important Note: When your dog has learnt to paw, he may start using it as a way of getting attention from you. If he does this too much, just give him the command “No”.

Remember that this is only if he paws you excessively. Usually it will mean he wants your attention for a valid reason. So you’ll have to use your own judgment here.