Paws on an object (up/off)
Balance and the back end
Plenty of dogs "forget" their back end: they know exactly where their front paws are, and far less about what is happening behind them. Resting his two front paws on an object, or climbing onto it entirely, helps him feel where all four paws are, hold his balance and shift his weight differently. It is also one of the first tricks where he is the one offering the next move, and you simply confirm it. Once the two of you have found that rhythm, everything else comes far more quickly.
A dog who looks at the object, puts a paw down, gets it wrong and tries again is a dog learning perfectly normally: let him. Punitive methods are associated with fewer interactions with strangers, and physical punishment with less play with the owner; reward, by contrast, is linked to better performance on a novel task (Rooney & Cowan, 2011). You never force: you make it easier, and you let it come.
Choosing and preparing the two objects
Get your objects ready and check them before the very first session, never afterwards: an object that tips at the first contact can put your dog off any support at all for weeks.
0 / 4Skill 1: both front paws on the small object
Put the small object on the floor and stay quiet: he offers, you mark. The word for this trick is "paws".
Step 1 / 4He looks at the object of his own accord, several times in a row.
- Put the small object on the floor without saying anything
- Mark with a "yes!" the simple fact that he looks at it
- Toss a treat near the object to restart his exploring
Move on when: He looks at it on his own, several times.
He comes to explore the object by himself.
- Mark the step he takes towards the object
- Mark the nose that sniffs it
- Keep rewarding every small step forward
Move on when: He goes up to it on his own, several times.
He puts one front paw down on purpose.
- Mark as soon as the paw touches, even by accident
- Give several treats in a row for that first contact
- Wait for him to offer it again, without helping
Move on when: He puts one paw down easily, several times.
He rests both front paws, then does it on your word.
- Mark as soon as both front paws are on the object
- When he anticipates (he moves towards the object, lowers his head or shoulder, shifts his weight forwards), say "paws" once, just before he lands
- Reward with the other hand
Move on when: He rests both front paws easily, then on the word "paws".
Four common sticking points, and what to do. If he ignores the object for a whole session, make it more inviting: put a treat on it or right beside it, tap the top with your finger, or take a lower, more familiar object, then try again later. Do not wait forever for something to happen. If he does not dare come close or put a paw down, drop back a notch rather than pushing: return to the previous stage, or take a lower, more stable object. If he tries to climb on entirely, the object is too big: take a smaller one, where only two paws fit. If he slips as he puts his paws on or takes them off, stop the session, add a non-slip surface on top and all around, and start again lower.
Working it out like this, on his own, tires your dog quickly: he really is thinking. Aim for sessions of two to three minutes, once or twice a day, and always stop on a success, even if you only got one or two that day. You do not need several successes in the same session to make progress: they can spread across several days. Short, spaced-out sessions produce learning that is at least as good, and often better, than long sessions close together (Demant, 2011).
Skill 2: "up" and "off", the whole body on the support
Here your dog gets entirely onto a bigger support: a step, a pouffe, the sofa he is allowed on, the car boot. You guide the whole climb with the treat, instead of letting him work it out alone as with the paws. The boot has its own rule for getting down, just below.
Lure him up with the treat
Your dog is standing in front of the support, you right beside him. Hold the treat against his nose, then raise it slowly, straight up, above the seat: his head follows, his front paws land on the edge, and the rest of the body follows. Never a hand on the collar to help him up. If he does not dare clear the height, add a step beside it: never push on his back end.
Say "up" at the right moment
Say "up" once only, exactly as all four paws touch the surface, then reward straight away. Say it too early, before he has finished climbing, and the word sticks to nothing: it has to land precisely on the movement.
Move to an empty hand
Stand in front of the support, one hand empty or behind your back. Say "up", wait for him to climb on his own, then bring out the treat and give it to him once he is up there. If he does not move with empty hands, do not keep repeating the word into thin air: go back once or twice to the lured step with the treat, then try again. The word comes before the movement, the treat after: that is what turns your invitation into a real cue.
Teach "off" the same way in reverse
From the sofa, a step or a rock (never from the car boot, a special case covered just below), hold the treat against his nose and lower it slowly, straight down, towards the floor in front of his front paws: he comes down following you, one paw after another, instead of jumping down in one go. Say "off" once only, exactly as all four paws touch the floor, then reward. This slowed-down descent protects his front paws on landing, especially in a puppy or a fragile dog (see below). If he slips on the way down, stop and put a non-slip mat on the floor, right in front of the support. Once the movement is solid, drop the treat and say the word on its own, spacing out the rewards little by little.
The traps that wreck this trick
When to stop and think health
Stop this trick at the first sign of discomfort, and never work on it if your dog is in pain.
Take a break
- Lip licking, yawning, head turns during the session
- Unusual slowness going up or coming down
- Your dog switches off, wanders away or scratches
See your vet
- Persistent refusal to climb in a dog who used to do it happily
- New stiffness or hesitation on stairs or jumping into the car
- Stubborn licking, always in the same spot on a paw
Straight away
- Limping on a back leg, especially if it lasts or keeps coming back
- One leg visibly thinner than the others, a change in gait or posture
- In a young large-breed dog: any limping, especially if it moves from one leg to another
What it is good for
- The scales or the table at the vet's: a dog who happily rests his paws on, or climbs onto, an unfamiliar surface goes there without a battle.
- The car boot, the sofa he is allowed on, the rock in the holiday photo.
- A gentle warm-up before exercise: two paws on, a weight shift, a controlled descent.
- The method itself: break down a step, wait, reward at the right moment. Know-how that will serve you again for plenty of other tricks.
- Rooney, N.J. & Cowan, S. — Training methods and owner-dog interactions (Applied Animal Behaviour Science) (2011)
- Demant, H. et al. — The effect of frequency and duration of training sessions on acquisition and long-term memory in dogs (Applied Animal Behaviour Science) (2011)
To go further
Frequently asked questions
How do I teach my dog to climb onto something?
These are two separate skills. Resting both front paws on a small low object is taught by shaping: you put the object down, you stay quiet, and you mark with a "yes!" every step forward, from the first look to both paws landing. Getting the whole body onto a bigger support is taught with a treat, with the words "up" and "off". In both cases: non-slip surface and modest height.
What height of support should I start with?
For the two front paws, take an object lower than his chest, just wide enough for his two paws and too small for him to stand on it entirely. For getting his whole body up, choose a stable support at a height he can clear without launching himself. If he does not dare, it is most likely too high or not stable enough: lower it, never force it.
My dog jumps out of the boot the moment I open it, how do I stop him?
Do not teach "off" from the car: teach him instead to wait for the go-ahead when the boot opens. It is a genuine safety point in a car park or beside a road. Getting down happens on invitation, with a treat, never by pulling on the collar.
What exactly is shaping?
It is a trainer's word for a simple idea: you cut the trick into tiny slices and you reward every step towards the goal. Your dog looks at the object, you say "yes!". He goes up to it, "yes!". He puts a paw on it, "yes!". Then both. He offers, you confirm at the right moment. You never place him with your hands.
At what age can a puppy learn to climb onto something?
Very early, as long as you keep the two moves apart. Resting two front paws on a small low object is no problem in a puppy. What we limit is having him climb entirely onto a high support or the sofa, with repeated ups and downs: on landing, that loads the front legs of a skeleton that has not finished growing. At the slightest doubt, talk to your vet.
My dog suddenly refuses to climb up when he used to, why?
A persistent refusal in a dog who used to climb happily often points to pain rather than "disobedience". Rule that out first: if it lasts, talk to your vet rather than pushing.
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