Teaching your Boston Terrier to give you a high-five is not only an adorable trick, but it’s also a great way to bond with your pup.
For more training help, see our 14 essential Boston Terrier puppy training tips. You may also find 49 Boston Terrier Training Commands and Tricks! helpful.
It may seem like a daunting task at first, but don’t worry – teaching your Boston Terrier this trick is easier than you might think!
With just a few simple steps, your pup will be giving high-fives in no time. Let’s get started!
Teaching Your Boston Terrier to Give a High-Five
Why should I teach my Boston Terrier how to give a high-five?
Teaching your Boston Terrier to give a high-five is not just an adorable trick – it’s also an invaluable opportunity to bond with your pup. Itโs a great way to demonstrate your leadership, as well as show off their impressive obedience and intelligent behavior.
How long will it take to teach your Boston Terrier the high-five command?
It is going to take, on average, 12+ tries before your Boston is going to pick up on this new command.
These findings come from a poll conducted on the Boston Terrier Society’s Twitter community. With over 44+ Boston Parents responding, the majority state it takes their Boston 12+ attempts before they learn a new command.
See the poll here…I may have spelled try funny, but the information is all the same ๐
How long does it take for your Boston to learn a new command?
— Boston Terrier Society (@Boston_Society) November 29, 2022
What are some other essential commands I should teach my Boston Terrier first?
Learning more essential commands first is an important part of establishing a strong bond between you and your Boston. Commands such as the “sit
,” “down,” and the “come” command are all imperative for teaching your pup obedience and good behavior. So be sure your Boston understands these commands before your start training them to give a high five.
Read: 10 Most Important Commands To Teach Your Boston Terrier!
How soon can I start teaching my Boston Terrier the high-five command?
Once you and your Boston Terrier are familiar with the basic commands, you can begin to move on to more complicated tasks such as the high-five command. It is important that your pup has mastered the basics before attempting any new commands, as this will make teaching them much easier.
What should I avoid doing when teaching my Boston Terrier the high-five command?
When teaching your Boston Terrier tricks, it is important to avoid a few key behaviors. First, never use physical force when teaching your pup a new command or trick. This includes pushing them down on their backside or scolding them in an intimidating manner. Doing so will only scare and distress your pup, which could lead to negative behaviors.
Step by Step – How to teach your Boston terrier to give a high-five
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
The first step in teaching your Boston Terrier how to give a high five is to gather the supplies you’ll need. You’ll need treats!!! If you want to know what type of treats Bostons like, watch this video where I surveyed 1,000 Boston owners…
Step 2: Start Training
Now it’s time to start training. Begin by having your Boston sit down in front of you and hold your hand out with the treat in it, closed fist, this will help them notice the treat and start interacting with your hand. Make sure you are close enough for them to reach your hand without much effort.
Once they have taken notice, raise your hand up towards their nose, with NO treat in it, and gently push their paw against it before giving them the treat. Do this multiple times until they understand what action will result in receiving the treat.
Step 3: Continue Training
Repeat step two several times, making sure each time that you’re rewarding them with a treat for pushing their paw against your hand when asked. Once they’ve gotten comfortable with this, start introducing verbal cues into the equation by saying โhigh fiveโ each time you raise the target towards their paw before they push against it.
Eventually they’ll begin understanding that pushing their paw against your hand when asked will result in getting rewarded with a treat, which should help speed up their learning process even more!
Video – How to train your dog to give high-five!
In this video, Breinna with Chewy walks you through how to teach your dog to give high five.
What other tricks can I teach my Boston Terrier?
In addition to teaching your Boston Terrier the high-five command, there are many other fun tricks you can teach them as well. For example, you can train your pup to do a variety of activities such as fetch, roll over, play dead, speak, and even dance!
Final Thoughts
With patience and practice, soon enough, youโll have an obedient little Boston whoโs ready to give high fives on command! Teaching your Boston Terrier how to give high fives is not only fun but also helps strengthen your bond with them – so go ahead and give it try today!
If you want to learn more commands and tricks you can teach your Boston Terrier, be sure to visit our article, 49 Commands And Tricks You Can Teach Your Boston!
I share more of what worked (and what didn’t) with Bella’s training in my book, The Complete Boston Terrier Health & Care Guide.