After showing you a few simple tricks, dog trainer Elisa has decided to raise the bar a notch. We’re all aware that the higher the climb, the more satisfaction once we’re up there! Today’s trick is a very fun game for Daisy: how to stand up on her hind legs.
The “up” position means your dog is standing on her hind legs, with her upper body lifted and balanced, looking much like a bear sniffing a beehive hanging from a branch.
To teach your dog to do the “up” trick, all you need is some delicious treats, a food container – for example, a food bag – and, as usual, a good dose of patience.
After all the other tricks we’ve seen before, our dog has likely learned to follow our hand. Let’s use the same technique again to make our friend move.
Start with your Daisy sitting down. Show her a treat and raise your hand, so that she leans back to follow it; when she moves back the first centimetres, give her a treat. Now, this doesn’t mean your dog can already balance on her hind legs; this trick must be taught in gradual steps.
Gradually ask your dog to lean back and balance more and more. She’ll start to raise her front legs, and now the tricks will start looking like the real deal. Once your friend has learned to stand erect, you can start making the trick last longer, making her hold the position for a few moments.
After repeating the trick for a few times, add the verbal cue “UP” before she goes through with it. This will ensure she’ll associate the word with the behaviour.
You can gradually start requesting the behaviour without offering the treat – keep the treats in their bag. Give her a treat only after she does the trick, and after you say “bravo!”
Are you ready to make your quadruped stand erect?
