Prerequisites
We recommend these lessons before this one.
Equipment
Single paw target e.g. coaster, jam jar lid, square of cardboard. Slightly larger than your dog’s paw.
Before you start
Choose which paw you want to teach first and STICK WITH IT!
You need a solid paw crossing behaviour on your first paw, on cue, before you start on the other paw. If you mix and match your dog will likely get confused about which paw they are supposed to be using and it all gets messy.
Process
In this explanation I’m going to describe the left paw, but you can equally start with the right.
1. With your dog sitting, ask your dog to put their paw in your hand as you usually do it. Repeat several times and reward each repetition.
Reward base position after each rep by feeding your dog for staying still in the sit, without fidgeting or throwing paws at you. This will give your behaviour stability, help your dog learn the cue and also keep everything clear and enjoyable for your dog. More on rewarding base position here.
2. Add in a target, held in the palm of your hand so that your dog hits it when they put their paw in your hand. Everything else is the same as step 1. You will need to use the same target for the entire teaching of this exercise. This is because this target is going to mean “left paw” to your dog. We will introduce a different target for their right paw later.
3. Ask your dog to Down and repeat step 2 in the down.
4. You can stop using your verbal “left paw” cue at this stage. The target becomes the cue to offer the left paw. We will add in a new verbal cue that means “cross your paw” later.
5. Vary where you offer the target – directly in front of the left paw, or slightly further out to the dog’s left (i.e. away from the other paw). At this stage we want the dog to start to think about where they are putting their paw, but we don’t want the other paw getting involved.
6. Begin to offer the target slightly towards their right (beginning to think about a cross). This is a game of millimetres, just a tiny bit further across each time. If your dog offers the other paw, remove the target and ask again, but a little easier.
At this stage I often move around so I am sat beside my dog (side furthest from the paw we are working with) as many dogs find it easier to cross towards you. This can mean they try to turn towards you, so I put the treats on a chair on the far side of the dog, which helps to keep them straight.
7. Once you are getting a nice cross with the left paw, while their right is nice and still, you can stop varying how much of a cross you ask for and only ask for the full cross. Now we want our dog to pattern this muscle movement so it is identical every time. Once you get that you are ready to add a verbal cue.
Troubleshooting
Paw hits your arm/wrist instead of target
Usually you just need to be a little further away from the dog so they don’t overshoot the target. If you have a dog that likes to shuffle closer and closer to you it can be helpful to put them on a platform for a while.
Paw scratching at your hand/arm and hurting you
Some dogs are just over the top and give you their paw with such enthusiasm it takes your skin with it! The best way I have found to deal with this is to wear long gloves in the beginning stages. Interestingly, once they start thinking more carefully about where their paw goes, this almost always disappears.
Dog “throws” their paw at you or can’t sit/lie still
Reward base position until they can maintain a completely still Sit/Down. Sometimes you have to reward really fast (machine gun treats) so you can catch them before they move. Once your base position is stable you can start asking for the paw again, but alternate between asking for a paw and feeding your base position.
Trying to hit target with the wrong paw
This usually just means you’ve progressed too quickly. Go back a step and present the target directly in front of the right paw and then gradually build up the degree of cross.
Other paw moves when they cross
This can happen for various reasons – check they are in a straight down, if they have flopped onto one hip it makes it hard to keep the other paw still. You may also need to take it back a step – asking for less of a cross for a while, making sure the other paw is completely still before asking for more.
Ideas for Verbal Cues
- Cross/Word
- Cross/Stitch
- Cross/Nought
NOT Criss/Cross – they sound too similar
Physical Considerations
This is a fairly safe exercise. If your dog has issues with their shoulders or elbows check with your dog’s care team before attempting this exercise.
Next steps
Where to take your training next.
Every one of these lessons comes with Fancy Footwork — buy the one course below and you get them all.
This lesson is part of this course:
Fancy Footwork
Cross paws: in a down; stand; walking; and backwards!
Buy this course · £39or Access all courses and lessons £25/mo £199/yr
Cross Paws (1) – Building a Cross8 minYou are here