How to Teach a Labrador Retriever Puppy to Shake Hands
Labrador retrievers were originally bred for hunting waterfowl. They are tireless swimmers and love to fetch. Labs are easily trained. Because of this they are popular as assistance dogs for the handicapped and as therapy dogs who visit hospital patients. This breed has enjoyed tremendous popularity as pets because they are strong, gentle, and intelligent. Families often choose labs because they are devoted to people and gentle with children. Teaching your Labrador retriever puppy to shake hands will allow people and puppy to connect in a nonthreatening manner.
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Instructions
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Teach your puppy to watch you by calling his name. Praise him when he looks at you for a second or two and give him a training treat. Increase the amount of time you want your puppy to look at you by withholding the treat for five seconds and then ten seconds, until your puppy can focus for fifteen or more seconds. Praise him with words, gentle pats, and a training treat each time.
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Next train your puppy to sit by calling her name and praising her when she comes to you. Hold a training treat in your hand and let her smell it.
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Lift the training treat slowly above the puppy's head. This should cause her to look up. As she looks up, she should sit. If she does, praise her and give her the treat. If she does not sit, gently push her bottom into a sitting position, praise her, and give her the treat.
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Practice the "sit" command until the puppy performs it easily. Reward her with pats, praise, and/or a treat each time.
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To teach the "shake" command, first have your puppy sit. Hold a treat in your left hand and gently touch or tap the back of your dog's front right leg with your right hand. Pick up the leg, shake the paw, then praise and reward the puppy.
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Repeat step five again to see if your puppy will start to lift her paw when you say "shake" while she is in the sitting position. If she won't shift the weight off her right leg, use a treat to get her to move her head to the right. Then repeat "shake," gently lift her paw, and reward her. Eventually she will pick up the paw on her own when she hears the word "shake," but expect to practice several times a day for a week or more before it becomes automatic.
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Tips & Warnings
If your puppy is very small, cut a training treat in half.
As your puppy learns each command, always reward her with pats and praise, but don't give a treat every time.
A new toy or ball can also be used as a reward for learning a new behavior.
Don't give your puppy too many treats in one day. The packaging for store-bought dog treats usually includes information on how much is too much.
Never hit your puppy or punish him for not learning a lesson as quickly as you would like.
