Teach your dog to shake, high five and wave
Your dog knows how to sit? You can teach him to shake in just a few sessions: hold a closed fist near him, mark with a "yes!" the moment he sets his paw on it, then reward with your other hand. From the high five to the wave, it all starts with this one gesture, gently, and never higher than his shoulder.
Why this trick is worth more than a party piece
For all its gimmicky looks, "shake" is really about accepting paw handling: it is the gateway to nail trimming without restraint. It keeps the mind busy (mental effort tires a dog more than a run), it builds the confidence of a shy dog who dares to offer a behaviour, and it trains your timing without the stakes of a recall. The more you reward on a new task, the better a dog learns (Rooney & Cowan 2011).
Three minutes is plenty. We stop while the dog is still asking for more.
0 / 4Shake, step by step
The dog is sitting and calm. Get down to his level at first, it makes learning easier.
Present your closed fist
Hide a treat in your fist and present it low, at the dog's height. He sniffs, licks, then eventually sets or scratches his paw on it: mark the moment of contact, open your hand, reward. If he only sniffs, let him puzzle it out without repeating yourself or moving, the paw will come.
Move to an open hand
Empty fist first, then palm up towards the sky. The treat is in your other hand, out of sight. He sets his paw down, you mark, you say "paw", you pay from the other hand. Only mark gentle contacts: a paw that strikes doesn't get paid, we present the hand again.
Stand up straight
Present your flat hand in front of the dog, owner standing, without ever going past the tip of his shoulder. Ask for "paw".
Fade the hand
Ask for "paw" with the hand barely sketched, then taken away: the gesture comes out on the word alone. That's already halfway to the wave.
Once the paw is reliable, let it rest in your hand for a second or two before you mark, then lightly brush the top of the toes. You've just opened the door to cooperative nail trimming, with no restraint and no struggle.
Going further: check, high five, wave
Once the paw is gentle and reliable, the same gesture branches out. Use a different word for each variation, otherwise your dog can't guess which one you're paying for.
Un pont commode entre la patte et le high five, avec son propre mot.
- Tilt your hand somewhere between palm-up and vertical, facing the dog
- He sets his paw down, mark, say "check", reward from your other hand
Une tape nette sur la paume verticale, au mot.
- From the reliable paw, gradually pivot your palm towards vertical, fingers pointing up
- Stay at chest then shoulder height, never higher
- Mark the clean, gentle tap, new word: "high five"
Move on when: Tape fiable et douce avant toute montée en hauteur.
La patte s'agite en l'air sur le signal, sans contact.
- Ask for a high five, then pull your hand back just before contact: the paw swipes through the air
- Mark that swing, shape two or three movements
- Add the cue: "wave" with a waving gesture of your hand
Move on when: Si le chien se penche ou pose la patte, reviens au high five : c'est très bien aussi.
The wave on the effort scale
Tenir l'équilibre assis, une patte en l'air sans appui, est coûteux pour les chiens raides, lourds ou âgés : la plupart des référentiels de tricks classent d'ailleurs le wave en niveau intermédiaire.
Go all the way to the wave if
- Your dog is young, supple and comfortable on his feet
- He keeps a steady sit and shakes gently
- He offers the behaviour on his own, without you pushing
Stay with the shake or a low high five if
- Your dog is a senior, stiff, overweight or a large breed
- He leans in, sets his paw down or stands up as soon as you raise the height
- A precise paw movement bothers him: we keep it simple and don't push
The mistakes that stall progress
- AVSAB — Position Statement on Humane Dog Training (2021)
- Rooney & Cowan — Training methods and owner-dog interactions: links with dog behaviour and learning ability (2011)
- 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
How do you teach a dog to shake?
Start from a steady sit. Present a closed fist with a treat hidden inside, at your dog's height: the moment he sets his paw on it, mark with a "yes!" and reward from your other hand. Next move to an open hand, palm up, then to the word "paw" on its own. A few three-minute sessions are plenty.
How do you get a dog to shake without a treat?
The treat is only a starting point: fade it early. As soon as the gesture is smooth, present an empty hand, mark with a "yes!" and pay some other way, with an enthusiastic voice, a stroke or a game. Simple rule: if you start a session without a treat, finish it without one, otherwise your dog learns that you'll give in.
At what age can you teach a puppy to shake?
As soon as your puppy holds a settled sit, often around two to three months, in very short sessions (one to two minutes). It's a ground-level trick, with no jumping or joint strain, so it suits a young dog. Stick to gentle contacts and stop while he's still asking for more.
My dog shakes too hard and scratches, what can I do?
Never mark a scratch: pull your hand back for a second and present it again. You only say "yes!" and reward the gentle contacts. Gentleness is a criterion in its own right, especially with a child: a high five stays supervised as long as the dog is still raking.
How do you teach a dog to high five?
Start from a reliable "shake". Gradually pivot your palm towards vertical, fingers pointing up, without ever going past the dog's shoulder. Mark the clean, gentle tap with a distinct word, "high five", and reward from your other hand. Use a different cue for each gesture, otherwise he'll mix up the paw and the high five.
How do you teach a dog to wave?
Ask for a high five, then pull your hand back just before contact: the paw "swipes" through the air. Mark that swing, shape two or three movements, then add the cue "wave" with a waving gesture. It's the most demanding variation for balance: if your dog leans in or sets his paw down, go back to the high five, that's perfect too.
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