Teaching your puppy to shake hands is a great way to start a bond of trust between the two of you. It is also a fun and entertaining trick that your pup can learn quickly with the right approach and patience. Teaching your puppy this trick is easy and can be done in a few simple steps. With some practice and consistency, your pup will soon be shaking hands every time you ask. This step-by-step guide will provide you with the tips and tricks you need to teach your pup the trick of shaking hands with ease. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your pup learns and how proud you’ll be when they finally get it right!
What You Will Need
There are a few items that you will want to have on hand before you start teaching your puppy the trick of shaking hands. You will want to have a clicker, treats, a handkerchief or glove, and a leash. Having these items ready will make the teaching process go as smoothly as possible. The clicker is used to mark the correct behavior. By clicking when your puppy does something that you like, you are providing them with a positive reinforcement. This will help them learn much faster. As for the treats, you will definitely want to have a supply of these on hand. Dogs love food, and treats are an easy way to reward them for great behavior. The handkerchief or glove is used to help your puppy get used to the feel of your hand. Pups are often afraid of hands, so this is a good way to help them get used to the feeling without putting your fingers in their mouth. Finally, the leash is used to maintain control and make sure your puppy does not wander too far away during training sessions.
Step 1: Establish a Hand Signal
Before you start to train your puppy, you will want to decide on a hand signal to use while they are learning the trick. This can be any hand movement that you feel comfortable with. For example, you may decide to use an open hand with your palm facing down while saying the verbal cue. You could also use a closed fist with your thumb sticking out. The best hand signal is one that your puppy will easily recognize and is comfortable for you to use. By establishing a hand signal early on, your puppy will learn what it means quickly. This will make the rest of the training process go much smoother. Once you have decided on a hand signal, make sure to use it consistently during all training sessions.
Step 2: Get Your Puppy to Touch Your Hand
Now that your puppy knows what the hand signal means, it is time to get them to actually touch your hand. Start off in a low distraction area, and have your puppy sit in front of you. Place a treat in the palm of your hand and close your hand around the treat so that your puppy can see it. You may want to use a different hand than the one you established the hand signal with for this part of the training. Make sure you don’t have your hand too close to your puppy’s face. You want them to be able to sniff your hand, but you do not want them to take the treat from it. If they are trying to take the treat from your hand, move it further away from their mouth. Slowly move your hand towards your puppy’s nose until they are sniffing it. Click your clicker and give them the treat. Repeat this process several times until your puppy is consistently touching your hand with their nose.
Step 3: Reward Your Puppy for Touching Your Hand
Once your puppy is touching your hand with their nose consistently, it is time to reward them. For this part of the training, you will use your other hand. Place a treat in the palm of your hand and close your hand around the treat. Move your hand towards your puppy’s nose so they can sniff it. Close your hand around their nose or lips so that they have to open their mouth and take the treat from your hand. Click your clicker and give them the treat. This will help them to understand that they need to take the treat from your hand when you ask. Once they are consistently taking the treat from your hand, make the process a bit faster. Continue to do this until your puppy is taking the treat from your hand every time, without having to have your hand around their nose or mouth.
Step 4: Add the Verbal Cue
Now it is time to add the verbal cue to the equation. Before you add the word, you will want to make sure your puppy is following all of the previous steps with 100% consistency. Once you are sure that is the case, and your puppy is taking treats from your hand every time, it is time to add the verbal cue. While you have treats on hand, say the word while you are feeding them to your puppy. Be consistent with the way you say the word. Do this every time you give them a treat until they start to associate the word with the action of taking the treat. Once your puppy has learned the trick of shaking hands, you will be able to use it in a variety of situations. You can use the trick to greet friends and family, or you can even use it to end a play session with your pup.
Step 5: Reward Your Puppy for Shaking Hands
Now that your puppy knows the verbal cue and is consistently taking treats from your hand, it is time to add the shaking hands part of the trick. Start off by having your puppy sit in front of you. Make sure that both of your hands are visible to your puppy. Slowly raise one of your hands towards your puppy’s hand. Click your clicker and reward your puppy with a treat as soon as their hand makes contact with yours. Repeat this process until both of your hands are up in the air towards your puppy’s hands. Once both of your hands are in the air, move them down towards your puppy’s hands until they make contact. Click your clicker and reward your puppy with a treat. Repeat this process until your puppy is consistently touching both of your hands with their paws. If your puppy is having trouble making contact with both of your hands, you can use the handkerchief or glove to help them.
Step 6: Practice Makes Perfect
Once your puppy is consistently touching both of your hands with their paws, it is time to practice the trick in different situations. Start off in a low distraction area and try practicing again, but this time use both of your hands at the same time. Once your puppy is consistently touching both of your hands, move to a high distraction area. Continue to practice the trick over and over again until your puppy is able to perform it in any situation. Once your puppy is consistently performing the trick, you can start to phase out the treats. This will help your puppy understand that the trick is not about the treat, but rather about the trust and bond between the two of you. Once your puppy is performing the trick without treats, it is time to celebrate! You and your puppy have worked hard, and with a bit of patience, you can definitely teach your puppy the trick of shaking hands.
Conclusion
Teaching your puppy the trick of shaking hands is a great way to start a bond of trust between the two of you. It is also a fun and entertaining trick that your pup can learn quickly with the right approach and patience. This step-by-step guide will provide you with the tips and tricks you need to teach your pup the trick of shaking hands with ease. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your pup learns, and how proud you’ll be when they finally get it right!
