How do you teach your dog to shake?

Question

I know it may seems like a stupidish question, but I've been having trouble teaching him. I have a puppy who is about 3 1/2 months old, who has been learning other simple commands pretty easily. He knows sit, lay down, out (to go outside from in the house), stay, and Kennel. When teaching him shake I've started out by picking up his paw, shaking it, telling him good boy and giving him a small treat. I'd repeat it about 10 times, but I still could not get him to give it up himself, even with a little tap to the back of the leg. In all the videos I've watched they've gotten their dog to give up their paw within 2-3 times of telling him good boy and shaking his paw, etc.

Voelven · Accepted Answer

You are right. Shake is usually an easy behaviour to teach because it mimics a puppy's body language when begging. I think what you are doing wrong is to not have the puppy offer the behaviour. If you are picking up his paw, shaking it, and then praising him, then he is passive through the whole process and have not done anything to get the reward, except letting himself be handled.

What I have always done it to let the pup see that I have a treat and then hold out my hand. Some pups will offer their paw immediately, some will not, in which case you wait. As soon as your pup lifts his paw just a fraction then praise and treat. He should soon get the idea.

Once he knows what is expected of him, you can by holding the treat over his head to shift the balance in his body, teach him to shake right and left paw, according to which hand you reach out with. My dog will shake with her left paw if I reach out with my left hand, and shake with her right paw if I reach out with my right hand.

? · Answer

Sorry this isn't exactly the answer you wanted, but teaching a dog to shake isn't the best idea. All the dogs we taught that NEVER stop "shaking" they'll randomly paw us and it HURTS ! 
If you REALLY want to teach him that, go ahead, but it might come back and bite you on the butt.

Now, if you want to teach it, this is an easy way.
Put a small treat in your hand in a fist shape. He will lick at it, but can't get the treat. He will end up pawing at your hand, then give him the treat. Keep doing that WITHOUT saying "Shake" or "Paw".
Then put the treat under your thumb and place your thumb tightly on your hand, keep doing that and he will paw your hand. Give him the treat each time he paws your hand.
Soon, you will be able to do those positions with your hand WITHOUT the treat and he'll paw your hand, then give him the treat from your other hand.
If he does it without you having the treat in the hand your pawing, you can start saying "Shake"
right before his paw touches your hand.

Hope I helped !~

My Name Is Trip · Answer

i started by picking up his paw and at the same time i say SHAKE HANDS. i kept repeating this and repeating this until he eventually started picking up his own paw. however i always practiced with his left paw so when i said OTHER HAND he had no idea what i meant. so I had to redo the entire thing with his right paw and now he knows both ways

Colton · Answer

try having him sit. then hold out ur own hand and say shake. repeat a few times. then pick up his paw and say shake. then tell him good booy and scratch his head. behind the ears dogs love that. then keep doing it. dont give up. its a fairly easy thing to teach if they already sit.
you also want to teach him left and right. trust me it helps when running around poles at the park.

Bentley · Answer

From my experience... you are doing everything that I have done.  For some reason it's not clicking yet.  I would continue to do it about 3 times a day... no pressure.. I just taught a foster dog... He realized what I was asking in about 3 days and is totally consistent now.

How do you teach your dog to shake?

5 Answers