How to Teach Your Dog to High Five

One of the way humans celebrate an exciting event is to high five each other. If your dog is your best friend then you have definitely shared high five worthy moments together.  Follow the steps below and you and your dog will be high fiving by game time. 

Step 1: If your dog doesn’t yet know the “sit” command, you’ll need to start there. The high five will be taught to your dog from the sitting position. Once he can sit on command, have him sit and stay while you kneel in front of him.

Step 2: Don’t confuse “shake” for “high five”. If your dog already knows how to shake, be prepared that you might have a hard time teaching him the difference between shake and high five.

Step 3: Raise your right hand to the height of your dog’s shoulder. Your palm should be completely open and your fingertips should be pointed towards the sky. With your left hand, lift your dog’s left paw towards your open palm.

Step 4: At the time your dog’s left paw makes contact with your right hand, say “high five”. Repeat this several times.

Step 5: After repeating the paw to hand contact several times, reward your pet for participating. You may choose to either give him a treat or lots of praise and affection.

Step 6: Hold your right hand in the air again and say the command “high five” but do not reach for your dog’s paw. Hopefully he will place his paw against your hand. Allow him the opportunity to do it on his own before you reach for his paw. If he does it on his own, reward him immediately with treats or praise.

Step 7: If your dog does not respond to the command, or lifts his paw lower for the “shake” command, continue to repeat steps 3 and 4 until your dog can complete step 6 on his own.

Step 8: Like with all training commands, you will need to practice “high fiving” several times a day for a few days in a row.  Soon enough, your dog should respond to the command.

A high five shouldn’t take too long to master and it will definitely be worth the effort. Your friends will be so impressed when they see you and your dog exchanging high fives in response to thrilling moments.

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