Teach Your Dog To Crawl Overview
Teach your dog to crawl with this dog training tip, taken from the Dog Training Planner. This is a fun and surprisingly simple trick that can also be quite challenging. Just like any trick you teach, it will help your dog to become a better learner and improves the relationship that you have with them.
One of the most important things about dog training is helping your dog learn how to think and solve problems.
Crawling is a relatively easy behaviour for a dog to learn to do, but difficult for us because of aspects of our behaviour that have to be adjusted and gradually changed. What I love about this trick is that it demonstrates just how important it is to pay attention to your timing as a trainer.
Having good timing is an important micro-skill that with practice can dramatically improve your training sessions.
You will need plenty of treats and a clicker. Remember to be consistent when training your dog. Ensure that you have good timing when clicking and rewarding.
The 6 Steps
If you scroll down a bit, you’ll see that I’ve written out all the steps from the video for you. I know. I know. I really am that nice (lol).
Videos are great if you’re a visual learner!
Most people learn dog training drills best by first watching a video tutorial, and then having the written steps available during the training session, so they don’t get confused (Hey, if you want to completely avoid confusion, you might like to get your paws on my Dog Training Planner).
Step 1: Lure Forward
Kneel down on the floor and have your dog in a down position.
Use a treat to lure them forward. Any forward movement should be rewarded with a click and a treat.
Step 2: Target Hand
Stay knelt down with your dog in the down position, and hold out a treat with an open palm. This will be a target for your dog. Reward any forward movement with a click and a treat.
Step 3: Increase Steps
Ensure your dog moves forward two steps before rewarding them with a click and a treat. The number of steps can slowly be increased with practice.
Step 4: Trainer Stands
As your dog improves, you can move to a standing position, but do so gradually (standing too soon may confuse your dog).
Step 5: Verbal Cue
Give the cue “Crawl“, just before your hand signal.
Reward the movement with a click and a treat.
Continue to practice until your dog responds to the verbal cue alone.
Step 6: Add Distance
If you are standing and your dog is able to crawl several steps with a verbal cue, you can now add distance between you and your dog. Do so gradually and go back a few steps if your dog gets confused.
Keep practising this trick with your dog and have them crawl across the room or the length of your garden.
Before you go, read on to discover the secret sauce to dog training success...
Loving Leadership
Have a philosophy of loving leadership when training your dog.
As a loving leader, you should be constantly working on the communication pathways with your dog. At the bare minimum, your dog should also have some basic commands such as the lie-down command, sit command, and stay command.
When your dog knows a few basic dog obedience commands he or she will feel loved because they know what you want and have no anxiety or fear about what they should be doing and when.
Once your dog has a few commands under his or her belt (I mean, collar), practice behaviour dog training, command dog training and tricks dog training regularly to ensure your dog is physically and mentally healthy. As you are probably acutely aware, untrained dogs have a way of taking over the control of a home if not taught otherwise (which can be a nightmare). A trained dog, however, will bring years of doggie love to your household.
Pssst. Don't tell anyone, but you can become a loving leader by getting your paws on my Dog Training Planner. You can get my Dog Training Planner for a limited time at a 70% discount.
