Dog Tricks: Walk

There is a circus dog in every canine just waiting to be released! This trick is relatively simple to teach once the your pooch learns to balance on his hind legs. It is a classic no fur ball can do without. So roll up those sleeves, and let's get cracking!

Before beginning this lesson, Rover should be familiar with the Stand and Stay commands.

The Basics:

1. Place Rover in a Stand. Hold out your arm well above the his head. Make sure Rover notices you're holding a treat.

2. As soon as he raises himself up, give him the command. This can be "Walk", "Up", whatever works for you. Just make sure to use the same word each time!

3. Once Rover is consistently responding, move away from him, give him the "Up" command followed by a Stay, and toss him the treat.

Tips:

-Once Rover is reliably standing on two legs, you want to focus on improving his balance, and increasing the time he spends in an upright position. To do this, hold the treat so that he has to work at getting it from your hand while standing on two legs. This simple technique works wonders!

-You can teach Rover to walk forward once his balance has stabilized. Hold the goodie jussst out of reach, and encourage him to move towards you. At first he will only take a step or two. Make sure to praise him, since this is still progress. As his confidence grows, so will the distance he 'walks'.

-In order for this exercise to be a success, you have to make sure to only give the treat while the dog is in the upright position. Remember, you only want to reward desired behaviors.

-This trick should not be taught to dogs with back or hip problems.

-If Rover exhibits difficulty balancing, up the ante. Use a mouth watering goodie Rover can't resist, and he will be so focused on reaching it that any fears the dog may have been experiencing will disappear.

-Don't reward the dog if he is jumping to get the treat. Focus on desired behaviors only.