When you are at a party and everyone else is having fun, wouldn’t it be great if you and your dog have some tricks up your sleeve to share with friends and family? And what better way to do it than show the “shake paw” trick? Or maybe even a “high five” which we will be discussing in this guide too.
This trick is so simple that even your kid can do it. All you have to do is train your dog and he or she may respond to the same verbal and hand signals of your other family members as well.
What Do We Mean by “Shake Paw” or Shake Paws?
“Shake Paws” is the doggie version of shaking hands. The owner or any other human for that matter might offer an outstretched hand to his dog as a friendly greeting. Your dog in turn puts his paw on the outstretched hand as a response, virtually shaking “paws” or hands. As soon as they touch, the human then grasps the dog’s paw in a handshake and completes the trick.
It’s cute, it’s fun and it could be a real gesture of goodwill from you to your dog. This could probably explain the awesome bond that humans can build with their four-legged furry friends. From one paw to another comes an extraordinary friendship unique only to humans and dogs.
How to Teach Your Dog to “Shake Paws”
Undoubtedly one of the easiest fun tricks that your dog can learn, so much so that some trainers may even have their dog already shaking paws in a matter of minutes. Though just like any other trick, it will still take some repetition and patience to pull it off. Now, to avoid confusing your dog you will still have to do it one small step at a time while building up to the actual trick.
Assuming that it is all too easy to suddenly pull up your dog’s paw and shake it, probably won’t work… Your dog might not understand and will ultimately get bored. There is nothing more annoying than your dog getting up and walking away. Yup, it happens.
What You Will Need
For a simple trick like this, you won’t need much except for the following:
- Treats and a Treat Pouch to Hold them With: Depending on how hungry your dog is, you can use his favorite dry kibbles, or you can use high-value treats like roast chicken or frozen liver. Cut them into small pieces and have your dog take them from your hand.
- A Quiet Place inside or outside of the house: It must be free of distractions and comfortable enough for your dog to sit on. Training your dog to sit for long periods on cold hard tiles won’t sustain his attention. If it was you, you’d probably have a hard time concentrating too.
- “Sit” Command: For your dog to learn this trick it will be best that he already knows how to do “sit”. This way you can set him up for success by getting his full attention before the actual steps. This will also help your dog know and anticipate what is coming next. It is especially useful when you and your dog might be at a party where there is so much noise and distraction.
- Time and Patience: Being two of the most important ingredients for training, time and patience will determine if you and your pet will get the most enjoyment out of this trick Not all dogs are calm and steady when training. Some are fidgety and might have some difficulty keeping still. This trick will still involve some persistence on your part whenever your dog might encounter some difficulty doing it right.
Consistency and the right timing when giving the rewards are key.
- Clicker (optional): Using a clicker can add to the accuracy of marking the behavior that you want. It’s quick, easy to use, and highly effective. You will be able to affect the trick in a short amount of time with your dog remembering it for a long time.
Step 1: Get your Dog to Sit
Assuming that your dog already knows this skill give him the command to “sit” and get his attention. When he is already seated in front of you go ahead and get ready to do the next exercise.
Step 2: Lure your Dog with a Treat
Hold a treat in your hand in a fist and let your dog smell it. He will likely smell and lick at it attempting to eat the treat. Keep on holding the treat and try to tickle one of his paws.
Step 3: Reward Pawing
Keep on putting your fist up against his nose. He will likely continue to lick your hand. Watch for any action with his paws. When he eventually tries to paw your hand for the treat immediately mark it with your clicker or say “yes”, then release the treat. Your dog must make the association of his paw coming up as the cause for the reward.
Use the clicker as an alternative if needed (if using a clicker)
Hold up the treat, let him lick at it for a while then click the clicker then release the treat. Once your dog recognizes the clicker, any small movement of a raised paw, you can go ahead and click to mark it, and then release the treat. Initially, he will remember the clicker first, then later his raised paw. The clicker will help him remember. Later you can fade out the clicker when he is already pawing.
If you are not using a clicker, just keep on doing step 3 until he raises a paw. If this happens, immediately reward him.
Note: Remember to open up your hand palm facing upward when releasing the treat.
Step 4: Present Open Hand
At this point, your dog might already be used to pawing your closed fist and getting the reward from the same hand. Next, present your dog with an empty palm facing up, or an empty open hand. As you do this, keep a treat on your other hand away from your dog’s view. Your dog will then put his paw on your open hand out of reaction.
When he does so, immediately mark it with a “yes” and then release the other treat from the other hand couple it with an enthusiastic “Good boy!” or “Good girl!”
Step 5: Shake His Paw
By this time, your dog may already be proficient with putting his paw on your open hand and getting his reward from the other. Grab or hold his paw if he lays it in your hand as if to do a handshake. Try to hold only for about 1 second in the first few instances since most dogs are not comfortable with their paws being held for a long time. So, be gentle and quick the first few times, then mark and reward with treats.
Step 6: Shake His Paw a Little Longer.
After repeating step no. 5 several times, gradually increase the time of holding his paw for about 1 or 2 seconds at a time. Do this until you can shake it like a normal handshake. You will know when your dog is ready when he lets you hold his paw longer without any strong resistance.
Step 7: Add the Verbal Cue “Shake Paw” or “Shake Paws”
Say the command right when you offer up your hand. As your dog paws your hand, mark it and release the treat from the other hand. Don’t forget to reward and praise your dog verbally too.
Repeat the exercise.
Step 8: Proof Your Dog
Now that your dog has mastered the trick, it’s time to bring him out of the house. You can go to the park and expose him to distractions while performing the trick. Make sure you have your treat pouch and your treats with you. Your dog will somehow find a way to focus on how he is going to get his food over a cacophony of noise from nature, and even from small giggly children that are watching him train.
Step 9: Gradually Phase Out the Treats
Slowly fade out the food reward and replace it with enthusiastic, fun-sounding verbal praise. A nice neck rub will also do. I would recommend that over time, especially if your dog forgets the trick or gets tired of it, slip some treats in to revive the fun.
But for the moment, given that he has had enough practice and well-spent time for training, he will be happy to perform for just claps or happy verbal praises.
Now that your dog already knows how to shake your hand it’s time to teach him how to do a high five. This trick although similar to shaking paws is a little bit more spritz and sometimes downright funny. You must understand that most of the initial steps are almost the same if not, even identical to shake paws. However, for clarity, we will lay down all the steps as an individual guide just in case you would want to do it first.
Read also: How to Teach Your Dog to Roll Over
How to Teach Your Dog to “High Five”
In this second part of the guide, you will need the same items as you would in “Shake Paw” to use for “high five”.
Step 1: Give the “Sit” Command
Start the training by getting your dog’s attention and asking him/her to sit, preferably facing you and looking up.
Step 2: Use a Treat to Lure Your Dog
Take a treat then loosely ball it up into a fist and let your dog smell it. He will start to try to eat and lick at it. Wait for any paw movement and if you see any, click your clicker or say “yes” to mark the action and reward it. Note your dog’s progress while pawing at your hand and reward him each time he offers the behavior.
Repeat the exercise until he becomes fairly consistent with the pawing action.
Step 3: Present an Open Hand
Use the same hand, but this time present it to your dog palm up and empty. Do this while holding the treat on the other hand, away from your dog’s view. Out of habit, your dog will put his paw on your palm. Mark it with a “yes” or a click. Do not grasp it, but instead release the treat from the other hand together with verbal praise.
- Pro-tip: Not holding on to your dog’s paw will prevent him from confusing “shake a paw” with “high five. This way your dog will somehow know the difference and what to expect after going through similar steps.
Step 4: Gradually Raise Your Open Hand to a High-Five
Do step no. 3 with the incremental changes in your hand positions. As follows:
- Palm facing up. – mark and reward
- Raise your hand a little bit to the side, slightly angled going upwards.- mark and reward
- Finally, the hand is in a high-five position facing your dog. Mark and reward.
- Allow your dog to take some time to lay his paw against your palm for emphasis.
Step 5: Add “High-Five” as a Verbal Cue.
Repeat exercise no.3 in step no. 4. Do this several times while adding the “high five” verbal cue. Give the cue simultaneously while offering your hand in a high-five position. Wait for your dog to raise his paw and touch “hands” with you to complete the trick. Release the treat from the other hand together with happy excited verbal praise.
Repeat the exercise until your dog consistently high-fives you.
Step 6: Proof Your Dog
By this time, your dog is already high-fiving you on cue and having fun too. There is something about paw touching that makes it “personal” to your dog (no pun intended). Do take him out to the park to get him to get used to distractions while performing the trick.
Step 7: Gradually Phase Out Treats
As you subtly fade out the treats, you can add tactile rewards to the verbal praise (like a quick neck rub, if you can) to continue reinforcing the trick, less the treats. The main goal is to get your dog to respond to verbal praise, but not always expecting a neck rub every time.
When you finally get to have your dog consistently respond to “Good job!” or “Good dog!” the trick is completed. And of course, don’t forget to have fun.
Related: How to Teach Your Dog to Sit on Command [Step-by-Step]
Troubleshooting: What Not to Do
Try not to get frustrated if at first, you can’t seem to get your dog to lift his paw, let alone be interested in the trick. Getting a reaction out of you when he does nothing will only encourage him to continue not doing anything. Proper usage of treats and proper timing with a little bit of persistence, will make your dog discover the fun of it. An excited reaction to the smallest action towards lifting the paw will be picked up by your dog.
Read also: How to Teach Your Dog to Ask for Permission
How Long Does It Take for a Dog to Learn the Trick?
For Puppies
This trick being on the intermediate level, you might want to wait until your pup is already at her 5th or 6th month of age. This is to give way to basic skills first.
Do 3 times a week, at 2-3 sessions per day, with no more than 5 minutes per session. He or she should be able to master it in a week or so. Again, this will depend on the breed, as well as the consistency in doing the steps.
For Adult Dogs
Do the training 3x a week with 2-3 sessions per day, at 15 minutes per session. Depending on the time and effort that you may want to put in for training your dog, he might just be able to master it in less than a week.
Next Step: How to Teach Your Dog to “High Ten”
So, naturally, if your dog may already have a fan base of family and some friends they might like to see “High Ten” as well. For this trick, you can spin it off from the steps your dog has learned from “high five”. Or, if your dog already knows high five, all you have to do is go through the same steps as “high five”. But this time Instead of just one hand, do two hands and add the verbal cue “high ten”
Your dog might not remember the difference, but he will see if it is one or two hands that are up. He may or may not respond the same way for both, but he’ll touch paws with both of your hands eventually making it a high ten. At the end of the day, it will be up to you as the owner as to if and when you might want to polish both tricks.
A differential practice for “high five” and “high ten” might need to be done. Otherwise, always remember to reward your dog with verbal praise or some treats whenever necessary.