Getting Started Week 50 - Teaching Your Puppy to Crawl

You need to keep learning and teaching your puppy new games and vocabulary to keep your interactions from getting  boring and routine. Mix it up! You are only limited by your creativity.

Once your puppy knows how to lie down on cue, you are ready to teach this new exercise.  From the down position, put a treat where your puppy can lick but not quite eat it.

Keeping your hand on the ground in front of your pup's nose, move your hand/treat slowing forward so that your puppy finds it the easiest to crawl forward to continue to lick your treat hand. Say, "crawl" and release the treat. As your puppy gets the idea, you can move the treat farther before giving it.  Praise the crawl with the treat being the final jackpot. As your pup learns to crawl, you won't give a treat every time but always praise.

NOTE:  When cueing your dog, never pull your hand back quickly. This gives canines a confusing signal. Think of your hand as a machine that is slow and exact - to give a consistent, clear cue.

Parenting Tips™ for your puppy