We want to get our dogs involved in clapping for our carers! We will show you the steps to teach your dog how to high-five, give their paw or wave hello.
Don’t forget if you’re taking your dog outside your house, they must always wear a collar and tag and be on leash if you don’t have a secure front garden.
It’s important to start training in a quiet and calm place such as your living room – without any distraction, interruption, or temptation – and when you and your dog are both happy and relaxed. You’ll both be able to concentrate and be successful. You’ll also need rewards ready for your dog and these should be something they really enjoy. You’ll need lots, to begin with, so small tasty treats are a good idea.
Take a treat in a closed fist and hold it out in front of your dog until their paw touches your hand. If you use a rather grand offering gesture your dog might copy you and do the same with their paw. However, they might sniff or even lick your fist at first, so be prepared to keep your hand still and wait patiently for them to try using their paw.
As they touch your hand with their paw, say your marker word and release the treat, so your dog learns that when they touch your hand, they get a treat.
A marker is a signal that tells your dog exactly when they’re doing something you’re happy about. The marker must always be followed by a reward so your dog can be confident they’ve got things right. Some people use a short punchy word such as ‘yes’ or ‘nice’, but you can also use a mechanical clicker device or even give a thumbs up.
Repeat until they are touching your closed fist with their paw every time you present it to them. If they’re struggling just have a break and come back to it – learning is not always as easy for them as we might think! If we take things gently and go at their pace they’ll be more likely to enjoy learning and remember what they’ve learned.
Hold a closed hand without the treat – don’t forget to say your marker word when they touch your hand with their paw, and quickly give them a treat from your other hand.
Now repeat until they are touching your empty hand every single time.
Now try with an open hand and wait for your dog to tap it with their paw, mark & reward when they do with a treat from your other hand.
If you just want to teach your dog to give paw, you can stop here and now name the action. Just before you present your hand to your dog say ‘give paw’ or similar, and then hold out your open hand for your dog to touch.
Gradually move your hand out a little bit higher each time, so your dog has to reach slightly higher for your hand. Repeat, each time gradually moving your hand up a bit more.
Now hold your hand out in a high five gesture – because your dog is now well-used to touching your hand with their paw and reaching upwards they should make a ‘high five’ with you. Once they have learned this, you can name the command – say ‘high five’ just before holding up your hand and then say your marker word as soon as your dog taps your hand, then give them their reward right away!
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