Ballerinas are not the only ones that can do pirouettes. It may sound crazy, but our furry friends love to jump and turn just like ballet dancers! Are you ready to teach the Twist to your quadruped? In today’s session, Elisa of WeDogIt talks to us about this fun movement!
The so-called Twist is an exercise that consists of turning clockwise and counter clockwise. In addition to improving the relationship between owners and dogs, it’s often used together with other exercises, sometimes to warm up your dog before a sports session.
Start by asking your dog to stand in front of you. Keep a treat in your hand and use it to make your dog turn around himself in a wide, fluid and continuous movement (he’ll follow the hand that is holding the treat). Once he’s completed a turn, reward him with a treat.
Repeat the exercise several times, now adding a verbal cue before starting the movement (the word normally used is TWIST). Once your dog has learned the trick to one side, teach him to turn in the other direction, changing verbal cue from “twist” to “spin”, so as not to confuse him.
You can now gradually start to reduce the movement of your hand and to help your dog become independent during the movement. Of course, after many repetitions you will no longer need to use your hands or treats.
In this video, Elisa shows us how simple it is to teach your dog this trick. Happy viewing and…happy dancing!