Teach your dog to crawl
To teach the crawl, start from a reliable down, then slide a treat along the floor and draw it slowly towards you: your dog follows and moves forward while staying flat. Mark the very first crawled step, pay low, and keep to very short distances.
Why it all comes down to your hand
Crawling is hard work for the muscles: the whole front end pulls the body along, elbows bent, without any push from the hindquarters. A few steps are enough to fill a session. And just one centimetre of lure held too high is enough to make your dog stand up: when he rises, it is never a mistake on his part, it is information about your hand.
Before you start, gather the essentials:
0 / 5The crawl, step by step
Raise one criterion at a time, and pay low, on the floor, at every success.
Explain the posture with a bridge
Sit on the floor with your legs forming a low bridge, your dog lying down on one side. Slide a treat along the floor under your legs: to follow it, he has to stay flat. Mark the moment he moves through while flat with a "yes" and reward on the floor.
Get a single crawled step
Dog lying down, treat at his nose. Draw the lure along the floor, slowly, towards you. Mark one step (an elbow moving forward, the body still flat) and reward right down low.
Build up in tiny stages
Two steps, then four, then one body length. If the hindquarters lift, you don't reward and you shorten the distance. If he stands right up, your hand was too high or too fast: go back to shorter, lower, slower.
Empty your hand, then add the word
Repeat the same low, sweeping movement with an empty hand, and reward from your other hand. Add "crawl", said just once, right before the movement. Fade the lure early: a lure that is never removed is the number-one mistake in every trick.
A little more distance, without the lure
Still on a soft surface, in stages. Nothing forces you to aim far: a few clean lengths are worth more than a rushed trip across the living room.
The low crawling posture is also an appeasement posture in the canine repertoire. A dog that lacks confidence may experience a long crawl as a withdrawal rather than a game: with him, we keep the crawl very short and very well paid, or we choose a different trick.
- AVSAB — Position Statement on Humane Dog Training (2021)
- Demant et al. — The effect of frequency and duration of training sessions on acquisition and long-term memory in dogs (2011)
To go further
Frequently asked questions
My dog stands up instead of crawling, what should I do?
Your hand is almost always too high or too fast. Bring the lure down to the floor, slow the movement and shorten it: mark a single flat step. Hindquarters up = no reward, and we go back to shorter.
How do I teach a dog to crawl under a bar?
Lay a broom low across two books, or use your legs as a bridge: this "ceiling" explains the flat posture better than a thousand gestures, then comes away as soon as he has understood. If the obstacle worries him, change the object or do without it, never any forcing.
Is crawling good for building up my dog's shoulders?
It is gentle strengthening for the front end, as long as you keep the dose right: the whole front pulls the body, so a few steps are enough. Two or three short sequences, on a soft surface, not sets and not on a hard floor.
My dog has arthritis or dysplasia, can he learn the crawl?
Probably not: the crawl loads the elbows and hips precisely. With known dysplasia or arthritis, we avoid this trick or ask the vet's advice first. Go for a fine, gentle trick instead, like crossing the paws or touching a target.
From what age can a puppy learn the crawl?
A slow crawl on a soft surface stays gentle, but in very short sequences and without excitement during growth. Before maturity, we favour simple floor tricks, and at the slightest doubt about the joints, we talk it over with the vet.
Do I need a clicker to teach the crawl?
No. A short marker word ("yes!") said just after the right movement, then followed by a treat, does the job perfectly. Mark the first flat step, pay right down low, and keep the distances short.
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