Try making your own treats. These could be small pieces of cooked meat or even some fruits and vegetables. Don’t overfeed your dog. Keep treat sizes as small as you can. Do not feed your dog the following food items, as they can cause poisoning or illness: avocado, chocolate, bread dough, grapes, raisins, hops, ethanol, moldy foods, macadamia nuts, xylitol, onions, garlic. [2] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
Don’t reward the dog with the treat here, as you are teaching him how to shake, not sit.
Don’t let the dog grab the treat from you yet. Hold the treat between your thumb and your palm.
When your dog makes a move toward the behavior you want, immediately reward them with the treat. Ignore any other attempts your dog may make, such as sniffing or mouthing your hand. [4] X Research source Be patient. Practice this way a few times until the dog is reliably lifting their paw when you say “Paw. "
Hold the paw for a few seconds before rewarding. Be gentle and move slowly.
Your command could be any word, but “Shake” or “Paw” are commonly used. Say your command clearly and loud enough to be heard by your dog. Issue your command at the exact moment the dog paws at your hand. Once you pick a command, don’t change it, as this will confuse your dog. [6] X Research source Keep any command short. Generally only one word commands will be the best. [7] X Trustworthy Source The Humane Society of the United States National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare Go to source
This step helps him to realize the verbal command is now the signal to bring his paw up to shake. Ideally, your dog will bring his paw up as soon as you say your command. Only after he shakes should you reward him with the treat and praise him. If your dog doesn’t bring his paw up at the command, try again until he does. If he still doesn’t after about fifteen minutes, stop for a while and try again later. You don’t want to frustrate your dog.
Avoid improper rewarding by always obtaining your dog’s full attention before training. Don’t get frustrated and give your dog the treat if he isn’t doing the “shake” command as you asked. Giving up like this will send the message that if he sits and ignores you he will be rewarded. Realize that your dog is always paying attention. Any treat given to him will likely be associated with whatever he was doing at the time. Your dog wants to earn treats. Once he makes the connection that a behavior will earn him something tasty, he will be ready to behave in that way. This counts for both good or bad behavior. Be aware of this when you reward your dog.
Keep practicing until you are positive he will “shake” without a treat. You can try offering an empty hand, with no treat, when first starting this step.
The more situations you practice in, the better your dog will be able to perform this command.
Try using a different command word. If you used “Shake”, try using “Paw” for the opposite hand. [9] X Research source
