How to teach a dog to high five?
How to teach a dog to high five?
Teaching your dog how to high five, or “give a paw,” is a great trick to teach your dog. It’s a trick that can impress your friends and showcase what your companion can do.
Teaching a dog to give you their paw as a high five, rather than a shake, is a pretty basic trick you can teach almost any dog and can be done in three easy steps.
The basics of the high five trick work like any other dog training command. All you need to do is capture a dog’s natural action, name it and then give a reward.
But before we start, you never want to grab your dog’s paw to try to teach them to high five. This won’t make much sense to your dog companion, but also, many dogs have sensitive foot pads. Grabbing the paw might actually hurt the dog and make your dog afraid of the high-five trick.
Your dog companion will learn better in an area that doesn’t have any distractions and one they are familiar with. If possible, teach them this trick at your home or an open space they feel comfortable in.
Alright, now for the three steps!
Step One
Start with your dog in a sitting position so they can more easily lift their paw.
Place a treat in your hand and make a fist. Hold it around nose level and wait for your dog to grow impatient and paw at your hand. The moment they do, mark it with the words: “high five!”. Next, reward the dog with the treat. Repeat this a couple of times for the dog to get the hang of it.
Step Two
Next, place a treat in your hand just like before. Make a tight fist and hold it at nose level. Before your dog lifts their paw, say “High Five!.” The moment they lift their paw and touch your hand, reward them out of your other hand. Repeat this as often as necessary.
Step Three
Next, we want to start reshaping the position of your hand into a true “high five.” With no treat in your hand, hold your flat hand up to your dog companion with your palm facing their nose. Say “High Five!” and when they touch your hand with their paw. Reward and repeat.
Once your dog is consistently high-fiving, begin to slowly reduce the frequency of your treats. Start by rewarding them with food once every other high-five, then every third high-five. If your dog begins to struggle with the game, you know you’ve decreased the food too quickly and reintroduce the reward slowly.
Final Thoughts
That’s it. Your dog now knows how to do a high five! Be sure to refresh Fido’s memory frequently with the trick so don’t be afraid to show it off to your friends and family. Trust us, your dog companion will love the attention!
