# Having trouble teaching "shake"



## kbigge (Dec 29, 2007)

Kodee is 10 mos old, and I've taught him several commands, all of which he picked up within about 2-5 minutes training sessions. Except for "roll over", which took a little more work. I'm trying to train him to be a therapy dog, and we've worked a ton on basic obedience and socializing. For some reason, everyone in the world who sees him with his vest on, assumes he can "shake." So, that's the new command we're working on.









I've only worked with him on it a couple of times, but he doesn't seem to be getting it at all, which is unusual. I'm not feeling impatient with him, but I think I may not be teaching it right. Basically, I say "shake", and reach down and lift his paw, and as soon as it's in my hand, I mark "Yes!" and treat, saying "Good shake!" 

What am I doing wrong? Or is this the right method and I just need to give him more time?

TIA!


----------



## Elmo's Mom (May 21, 2007)

I had the same problem with Elmo. He learns everything very quickly, but he had problems with "shake". I had given up on teaching him for months because I thought it was hopeless. In our case, it turns out that I was trying to teach him on hard wood floors and his little butt would slide a little. He didn't like that. I tried again last week on the carpet. He figured it out in just a few minutes. 

The other thing I learned was that I was always lifting his right leg to shake his paw. I don't think he feels as stable without the help of that leg. So, he always uses his left paw. Eventually, I'll teach him left and right but this was a good start for us.

Good luck!


----------



## DocBrown (Jan 19, 2007)

"Shake" took a while for me too. After Doc finally got it, he quickly learned the command "Other paw" and will shake with the opposite paw! Just stick with it and Kodee will get it!

Doc is almost 20 months old and he STILL doesn't get "rollover". We still have to shift his body manually to get him to do it. Not to hijack your thread, but if anyone has any suggestions on how to teach rollover... please share!!


----------



## song032005 (Dec 4, 2005)

what i did with forrest for shake was putting a treat in the closed hand faced up that i wanted him to put his paw on [making sure he knew it was there, the excitment of the treat gives you an automatic paw when the sniffing and licking doesnt open the hand] and i would say shake when he lifted his paw and touched my hand with the paw i wanted, then quickly opened my hand and he got the treat with a good boy.







repeat as needed... then just bring the hand down without the treat with making a fist, reward. then moving to an open palm up, reward.







its just breaking it down.


----------



## kbigge (Dec 29, 2007)

Thanks for the replies, everybody.







You won't believe this, but as soon as I posted, I went back in and worked with him for 2 or 3 more minutes, and he's starting to get it! He finally was just lifting his paw off the floor, so he's got a start on "shake" now. Yay! He's such a smart boy!


----------



## song032005 (Dec 4, 2005)




----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

actually our sitter taught him to give his paw and retrieve his ball. here's what she showed us. she would say "give me your paw" as soon as she said it she would reach down and pick up his paw and say "good boy", pet him and treat him. one day she just came over to play with him and as she was leaving she said "Loki gives his paw none and he'll get his ball". then usuing her method i taught him to give the other one. so now i can say "give me your paw" and he normally gives the right one(first) and when i say the "other one" he gives the left. i don't know how long it took our sitter to teach him give me your paw but it only took a few tries and he was giving the other one. i don't think it really matters but since we shake with our right hands teach him to give the right paw first. once he learns this be carefull because now he might "give you the paw".


----------



## itsajdamnit (Apr 13, 2008)

I had trouble teaching shake to Nevada, but I think it was because I didn't want him climbing on people so i taught him not to put his feet on people and then I think i confused him with shake because it's exactly what I taught him not to do before.


----------



## Maryn (Feb 15, 2008)

Reich knows come here, get the door, crate, sit, laydown, get down, go potty, up, get in your seat, get your ball, look at me, leave it, drop it, stay, and heel.....but this girl refuses to give me her darn paw.

She looks at me like 'really...this is so beneath me'.

Can't get her to 'speak' either.
She seems to enjoy the 'stupid human tricks' part of me trying to get her to do it though lol


----------

