Cue words - Wave, Hello, Bye Bye

Teach your dog to wave so that he can say hello to friends and relatives when they come over to your place for a visit.

This is a cute trick that will impress people, even those who are afraid of dogs.

Pre-requisite

• shake hand (or paw) 

• clicker-savvy dog

Your dog already knows how to shake hand (or paw) and is clicker-savvy. See a short guide to clicker training if you do not know what this is all about. See below for instructions on how to teach your dog to shake hand.

What you need

A clicker and lots of treats.

How to teach

If your dog knows how to shake hand, she will raise and put her paw onto your hand when you put out your hand in front of her. 

With a clicker ready in your left hand (whichever hand you're comfortable with), and lots of treats ready in your treats pouch or somewhere nearby, put out your right hand in front of her. When she lifts up her paw to put on your open palm, click and quickly withdraw your hand before she puts her paw onto your palm. Reward her with a treat. Repeat and she will soon learn that waving her paw in the air is what you want from her.

When she starts to offer the behaviour voluntarily, you can attach a cue word, for example wave, say hello or bye bye to this behaviour.

Zuiko says bye bye and have fun training your dog!

How to teach your dog to shake hand

Let your dog know there's a treat in your hand, close your fist and hold it in front of your dog. Hold it there and wait. Your dog will try to lick your fist or paw at your fist. Click when he puts his paw on your fist. Immediately open up your fist and reward him with the treat.