Did you just get a new Boston Terrier puppy, and now you are ready to teach it how to shake? Or are you prepared to teach your older Boston how to shake?
If your dog is old or young, no worries, using this method to teach your Boston to shake will work.
Here is how to teach your pup how to high five or shake…
Topics Covered In This Article
Your Guide To Teaching Your Boston Terrier How-To Shake
Teaching your Boston Terrier to shake is one of the funniest little tricks to show friends and family.
And it really is one of the first tricks most people will teach their dog.
How to teach your Boston Terrier to shake.
FYI…this video was made during the coronavirus quarantine, so the house and kids are a little crazy.
Step 1: Teach your dog how to sit and grab their attention.
You will first need to teach your Boston Terrier how to sit before you can have them learn the shake command.
The purpose of having your Boston sit before you begin is to grab their attention.
If your Boston is running around or distracted, now may not be the time to start teaching them to shake or high five.
Here is a video on how to train your dog to sit.
If you want all the details on how to train your dog to sit, here is the article we wrote on, How To Teach Your Boston Terrier To Sit.
Step 2: Have a treat or reward in hand, ready to go.
Before you get started, you will want to have a treat or reward ready to go in hand.
Emily and I use treats for Bella because she is very food motivated, and I bet your Boston is to.
This treat will be given to them to help reinforce the good behavior of shaking your hand. So ensure you break the treat into little pieces.
And ensure the treat is not too big or hard to chew.
What kind of treats can you use to help reinforce good behavior?
The treats I use for Bella are the Doggy Delirious Organic Dog Treats.
Bella can not have grain, so these are a grain-free treat. Here is a link to amazon for the dog treats, Doggy Delirious.
Here are some other treats I would recommend.
Step 3: Reach for your Boston’s paw.
Your Boston Terrier, at this point, probably does not know what is going on. You will need to reach for their paw to grab it.
Step 4: Shake your Boston’s paw.
Once you have their paw in hand, shake it.
Step 5: Give your Boston their treat.
Be sure to give your Boston a treat every time you shake their hand. This is reinforcing good behavior in your dog’s brain.
Now they think, hey every time I shake their hand they give me a treat!
Step 6: Repeat
You will need to repeat this behavior multiple times. In my non-professional opinion, I would say 10 to 15 times before moving to the next step.
Step 7: Remove treat or reward
Once your dog reaches for your hand when you come down to shake, they are now ready to have the treat removed.
Now that your Boston shakes without the treat, your Boston has officially learned to shake.
You can use the treats now as often or as little as you like.
However, if you do have your Boston shake be sure to reward them in some way every time. Instead of food, you can now use praise and love.
What are the benefits of teaching your dog to shake?
The real benefit of teaching your Boston to shake is the bonding time you have with your dog. Along with the deeper connection you now have when your dog listens to your commands.
As Cesar Milan would say, you are showing your dog, you are the leader of the pack.
What do you do if your Boston Terrier will not listen while you’re teaching them to shake?
If your Boston is not listening to you from the beginning, now is not the time to teach them to shake.
You need to grab your dog’s attention in some way, and the best way to get their attention is to have a tired dog.
Go and take your dog for a quick run to help burn off some excess energy. This should help to mellow your Boston before you start working with them on tricks.
Yet, be sure to not wear them out too much. You need to burn off just enough energy to help them become more focused on you.
When should I teach my Boston to shake?
According to the Veterinary Centers of America, you should start training your Boston Terrier all their basic commands of sit, stay, heel around 7 to 8 weeks old.
Based on this number, you could start to try and incorporate shake into the training mix.
However, at 7 to 8 weeks old, I do not think Bella would have been ready for this.
Are Boston Terriers easy to train?
Yes, Boston Terriers are easy to train. Not only does the American Kennel Club state Boston’s are easy to train, but hundreds of owners do as well in the Boston Terrier Society Communities.
Final thoughts…
Teaching your Boston Terrier to shake is one of the very first tricks a dog owner can teach their new puppy outside of the basic commands.
Ensure this training time is fun for both of you and treat it as bonding time.
Join The Boston Terrier Community!
Join thousands of Boston Terrier Owners in the Boston Terrier Society Facebook Group.
In the group, we share photos, thoughts, and stories. As well as have contests with prizes and more!
This is a fun and friendly group. Feel free to pose any question you have about your Boston Terrier.
Other Articles You May Like To Read
- Teach Your Boston Terrier How To Sit
- Fun Quiz: Is This A Boston Terrier Of Frenchie
- Fun Quiz: How Well Do You Know The Boston Terrier Breed
- Fun Quiz: Should I Get A Boston Terrier
- 15 Interesting Facts About Boston Terriers
- Boston Terrier Zoomies Everything You Need To Know
- 20 Winter Exercises You Can Do With Your Boston Terrier
