Sometimes it’s funny or interesting when your dog learns to do certain movements. However, even though it’s a fun exercise, you have to keep in mind that teaching a dog to do something can also help him develop his intelligence better. For this reason, it’s normal for you to wonder how to teach a dog to shake hands .
Dogs need to interact with the people around them. This will improve their mood and make them feel more secure. Doing daily activities together, no matter how small, will always be very good for the animal. And teaching your dog to shake hands can be one of the most basic and interesting ways to strengthen training and the relationship with your pet .
In fact, it is not only necessary to encourage the dog’s physical agility, but also its mental one. The fact that it learns various gestures and movements throughout its life will make its behaviour more appropriate and its intelligence always active.
How to teach a dog to shake hands? Steps:
Dogs are capable of learning many things throughout the day. But, in order for them to memorise them, they must be encouraged to do so with love and consistency. It must also be taken into account that not all dogs have the same abilities. Some will take a little longer to learn than others.
Teaching your dog to shake hands is a simple task. To do this, you can follow a series of steps, but always be patient with the animal and do not overwhelm it . If the dog does not feel comfortable and at ease, it will never learn. In addition, it will associate the moment of shaking hands with an unpleasant situation and will not do it again once you ask it to.
To learn how to teach your dog to shake hands, you must follow these steps:
- First, teach your dog to sit so that he will be more attentive to what you are going to tell him. Here we show you how .
- Take the dog’s paw and always use the same word as a command when you take it. This way, the animal will associate that word with the moment of giving you the paw and will probably do it. But make sure that the command is given with love and patience, because if not, the dog will become overwhelmed and want to leave or will not give you the paw again.
- If the dog gives you his paw, you can reward him with a treat . It is very important that the dog understands that, after making that gesture, he will receive a reward. Little by little, you will also have to replace the treat with another reward: some caresses, a loving gesture, a toy that he likes, etc.
- Repeat the exercise as many times as you think necessary for the dog to acquire the habit. However, do not spend too much time doing it at a time, as dogs are restless and get overwhelmed if they spend too much time doing the same thing. This will only make them see the act of giving a paw as annoying, so it is better to always do it in small doses.
The reward is essential so that the dog knows that by doing this gesture he will receive a reward. Otherwise, there will be times when he won’t even pay attention to you. Don’t forget to change these rewards so as not to over-saturate the animal with treats.
You can also hide the treat in your hand and wave it under your pet’s nose . When you show your hand, your pet will most likely lift its paw to see what’s inside. At that point, you open your hand and give it the treat. These gestures will be remembered by your pet so it can repeat them on another occasion.
Teaching puppies to shake hands
Teaching a puppy to shake hands will require a little more practice and patience than with older dogs. You must understand that they are still small and their intelligence is not fully developed. But it is also true that this is the ideal time for them to acquire certain behavioural habits.
The steps to teach a puppy to shake hands are, in fact, the same as for an adult dog. However, here you will have to pay attention to the time you spend with the animal. With a puppy it is not advisable to spend more than 5-10 minutes teaching it things, as it will get tired, overwhelmed and lose interest in doing this gesture.
It is also very important that your puppy is relaxed and willing to learn . If you see that he has a lot of distractions around him, it will be much harder to teach him. On the other hand, your pet should feel comfortable and feel that he receives a reward or praise from you as he learns.
With a puppy, learning will be much slower and more gradual than with an adult dog. You will have to be much more patient with him and adopt a more understanding and affectionate attitude . The animal will not learn to give you his paw immediately, but it will take him a while. So much so that, at first, he will only do it out of inertia and not because he has already learned.
Also, if you are teaching him to shake hands, don’t overwhelm him with more things. This is the time for him to learn to shake hands. There will be time to teach him other exercises later.
Teaching a dog to shake hands is a very simple task, but it has numerous benefits for the animal. It is a basic way of teaching him to follow a series of verbal commands, but it will also improve his behavior, develop his intelligence and foster your relationship with him.
If the dog feels comfortable and receives a reward after having performed the gesture, it is very likely that he will repeat it whenever you order him to. A teaching that seems like a simple game, but that will be very good for your pet’s behavior and for sharing a fun moment with you.
