Monday, February 11, 2008

Train your Dog to Shake Hands

Dog training can be very fun and it is actually a great way to interact with him and you can do wonders in stimulating your dog. One common trick that everyone loves is shaking hands. Let us see how you can train your pet to do this.

The ideal starting position in this dog training routine is you sitting down at the level of the pet. Unfortunately you will need to have your dog sitting and staying so these two commands must be learned prior to shaking hands. You will have to take a treat and keep it in your left hand. Entice the dog with it and let him lick at it but make sure that he will not be able to eat it. Take your right hand and lift his paw slowly. Keep saying "Shake" at every second or so. As soon as the paw leaves the ground you need to praise your dog and give him his treat. Keep repeating this exercise and you will notice that eventually the dog will lift the paw alone. This is when we need to get to step two.

Now we will start the training session with the same treat in the left hand routine. Your right hand needs to be extended towards the dog's paw but do not grab it. Your hand should stop at around one inch away from his paw and this is when you have to give him the "Shake" command. As soon as the dog starts to raise the paw he needs to receive the praise and treat needed. As time passes your hand needs to get further away from the dog when you give the "Shake" command. Eventually the dog will learn to shake hands and all is needed is patience and treats.

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