Kroki

Question · Dog

How do I teach my dog to give paw?

The short answer

Sit down near your dog, close a treat in your fist at chest height and wait. When a paw lifts and touches your hand, say your marker word and hand over the treat. After a handful of quick repeats, show an empty open palm instead and say “Paw” just before. A grown dog can usually train for three to five minutes at a time. Kroki, a reward-based training app for dogs of all ages, practises the marker word that makes this trick easy to teach.

How to do it, step by step

  1. Find out how your dog feels about its feet

    Before you start, touch one front leg briefly and give a treat. If your dog leans in or ignores it, carry on. If it pulls the leg back, stiffens or turns its head away, skip any touching for now and only reward a lifted paw in the air.

  2. Reward the first small lift

    Sit side-on rather than leaning over your dog, which many rescue dogs find less pressing. Hold the treat fist low near its chest. Grown dogs often try a nose push, a sit or a down first. Wait quietly. The first time a front foot leaves the ground, even a little, mark and pay.

  3. Ask for a little more each round

    Once the lift comes easily, wait for the paw to actually touch your fist before you mark. Then for a firmer, longer touch. Raise the bar in small steps, so your dog keeps winning about four times out of five.

  4. Open your hand and add “Paw”

    Now offer a flat empty palm and pay from the other hand. When the paw lands reliably, say “Paw” once, then hold out your hand. A grown dog can do several short rounds of five or six tries with a sniff break in between.

  5. Practise in new places and positions

    Dogs learn in pictures, so a trick taught on the sofa may fall apart in the garden. Ask for “Paw” in another room, while you stand, or with a guest your dog likes. Make it easier at first in each new setting.

  6. Pay less often, but keep it worth it

    When the paw comes right away on the cue, reward every second or third try with food and the others with a scratch or a game. Go back to a treat every time whenever you notice the paw getting slower.

Teaching a puppy instead?

A puppy tires fast and its paws are still clumsy, so it needs sessions of only a minute or two and tiny treats that suit a small stomach. Puppies also nibble the fist a lot while they are teething. The puppy page shows the gentler, slower version of these steps.

What studies say about paws, age and touch

Many dogs favour one paw, and you can’t simply pick it for them. In a study where owners filmed 62 dogs at home over ten days, the hand the owner held out did not predict which paw the dog lifted. Females tended to lean right, and left-handed owners were more likely to have a dog with a left paw bias (Charlton and Frasnelli 2023). So reward whichever paw comes first and name the second one later.

Older dogs can still learn new things. In a study of 95 Border Collies aged from five months to thirteen years, the oldest dogs learned a new task more slowly and switched rules less easily. Yet their memory after six months was as good as that of younger dogs (Wallis and colleagues 2016). Expect a senior to need more short repeats, not to fail.

If a dog avoids having its feet touched, pain is worth ruling out. A review by vets and behaviour researchers estimated that at least a third of dogs referred for behaviour problems had a painful condition, most often in the muscles and joints (Mills and colleagues 2020). A dog that suddenly stops lifting a paw may be sore, not unwilling.

Rescue dogs and dogs that dislike handling

  • Teach a lifted paw first and contact much later. Your dog decides when the foot comes near your hand.
  • Keep your hand low and still. A hand reaching from above can feel like a grab to a dog with a hard past.
  • Let your dog walk away. If it leaves the session, end there and try again later with an easier step.
  • Some dogs freeze rather than back off. A dog that stops eating, licks its lips or holds very still needs a break, even if it hasn’t moved away.

Common mistakes with grown dogs

  • Tapping or lifting the leg to show what you want. Many adult dogs find this uncomfortable, and it teaches them to wait for you.
  • Waiting for a perfect paw from the start. Reward the small weight shift first, then build up.
  • Training only in one spot. The cue then belongs to the sofa, not to your dog.
  • Pushing on with a dog that has gone slow. A slower paw often means tired, sore or bored, so end the round.

When to see a professional

Give paw is a gentle trick for most grown dogs. Talk to a professional first if:

The help pages list services in Germany, Austria and Switzerland only. Elsewhere, ask your vet practice who they recommend near you.

Frequently asked questions

Can an older dog learn to give paw?

Yes, an older dog can learn to give paw at almost any age. It may need more repeats than a young dog, so keep sessions short, use soft treats and practise on a rug if its joints are stiff.

How do I teach my dog to give the other paw?

Teach the second paw only once the first one is solid on cue. Hold your hand slightly to the side of the paw you want, reward only that paw and give it its own word, such as “Other”.

Why does my dog only give paw when it sees a treat?

Your dog has learned that the treat in view is part of the trick. Start rewarding from a pouch or the other hand, keep your cue hand empty, and the food will stop being the signal.

My dog hates having its paws touched: can it still learn this trick?

Often it can, as long as you start with a lifted paw in the air and no contact. Build towards a short touch slowly, and ask a vet to check its feet if the dislike is new.

How long should a give paw session be for an adult dog?

Three to five minutes is plenty for most adult dogs. Several short rounds with breaks in between work better than one long session, and you should stop while your dog is still keen.

Is giving paw a sign of submission?

No, a trained paw is simply a move your dog has learned pays off. Dogs also paw at people to ask for attention or food, which is a normal request rather than a statement about rank.

Can a rescue dog learn give paw in its first weeks?

It can, but let it settle in first and keep the trick light and optional. A rescue dog that enjoys short games with treats may find give paw an easy way to build trust with you.

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