Teaching your dog to shake hands is a fun and cute exercise that not only increases the fun of your interaction with your pet, but also exercises your dog's intelligence. How do you train a dog to shake hands?
1. Get your rewards ready
Before you start training, make sure you have a small treat that your dog will love as a reward. This will stimulate the dog's interest and motivation.
2. Choose a quiet place
To help your dog concentrate better, choose a quiet, distraction-free place for training.
3. Sit down
Before starting training, let your dog sit in a calm position, which will help the training go smoothly.
4. Guide the dog's attention
Use the reward in the palm of your hand to guide your dog's attention and make him interested in the reward.
5. Hold the dog's paws
When the dog becomes interested in the reward, gently touch the dog's paw with your fingers and gradually guide it to get used to being touched.
6. Use instructions
Also use simple and consistent passwords, such as "handshake", to allow the dog to establish a connection between the command and the action.
7. Reward the right behavior
When the dog offers paws and touches the ** hand, reward it in time, which can be accompanied by food and praise.
8. Practice repeatedly
Through continuous practice, make sure that the dog understands the handshake and gradually reduce the guidance of the dog's paws.
9. Be patient
Training is a step-by-step process, and each dog learns at a different pace, so be patient and avoid being too forced.
10. Maintain a positive training experience
The training process should be a positive, enjoyable experience to ensure that the dog is willing to learn. The training period should be short to prevent the dog from losing interest.
Once your dog has mastered the basic skills of shaking hands, you can consider the following methods to make training more difficult:
1. Switch hands
Try shaking hands with the other hand to help your dog understand the generality of the command.
2. Increase latency
Gradually increase the delay between the hand and the dog's paw, allowing the dog to hold the handshake position for a longer period of time.
3. Mixed instructions
On top of the handshake, introduce other commands, such as "sit down" or "stand up", to help the dog understand how to respond to different commands in different situations.
4. Practice in different environments
Practice in different places and environments to ensure that the dog is able to understand the instructions in a variety of conditions.
5. Set challenges
Add some challenge by placing the reward in a higher position and encouraging the dog to raise their front legs to shake hands.
Regular review is key to ensuring skills are solidified, while gradually reducing the frequency of snack rewards to help dogs develop autonomous handshake habits. If your dog is nervous or upset during training, pause the training and try again later. With consistent training and positive motivation, your dog will soon learn to shake hands.