Shake is the classic first trick. Your dog lifts a paw and places it in your hand, and it never fails to charm visitors. It’s also a genuinely useful skill: a dog who’s comfortable offering their paw is often easier to handle for paw wipes after a muddy walk and for checking between their toes. Best of all, most dogs pick it up quickly, which makes it a confidence builder for both of you.
Shake is a beginner trick that works well once your dog knows the foundations, especially sit. If your dog can hold a sit for a few seconds, you’re ready. This guide walks you through teaching shake on one paw, then the other, and then turning it into a high five.
The Short Version
To train a dog to shake, ask for a sit and hold a treat in your closed fist near your dog’s chest, low to the ground. Wait for your dog to paw at your hand, then mark with “yes” or a click the instant the paw lifts and give the treat. After several successful reps, switch to an open palm, add the cue “shake,” and reward only when the paw lands in your hand. Teach each paw with its own cue, and most dogs will offer a paw on cue within a few days of short sessions.
What Shake Means and Why It Helps
Shake means your dog lifts one front paw and rests it in your open hand for a moment. Some owners call it “paw” or “give paw,” and the method is the same no matter which word you use. The behavior comes naturally to many dogs, because pawing at something they want is already part of how they communicate.
Beyond being a fun trick, shake has practical value. It gets your dog used to having their paws touched and held, which makes paw wiping and simple handling easier. It also gives your dog a polite way to greet people. A dog who sits and offers a paw is not jumping up, and guests usually enjoy being asked to shake hands with the dog.
Tricks like shake also keep training fun. Short, successful sessions build your dog’s enthusiasm for learning, and that carries over into everyday manners skills.
What You Need
You need small, soft treats and a marker, either a clicker or a short word like “yes.” Pick treats your dog likes but that won’t send them into a frenzy, since overexcited dogs sometimes paw hard or jump at your hand. A quiet room and a comfortable spot to sit or kneel at your dog’s level make the early steps easier.
It’s helpful if your dog already knows sit. Starting from a sit keeps your dog steady and makes lifting a paw the easiest movement for them to try. If your dog has long nails, a recent nail trim makes the trick more comfortable for you.
How to Teach Your Dog to Shake in 5 Steps
Each step builds on the last. Move on when your dog gets it right about 4 out of 5 times, and keep sessions to three to five minutes.
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Step 1: Get the Paw Moving
Ask your dog to sit. Put a treat in your hand, close your fist, and hold it low, near your dog’s chest. Your dog will sniff and lick at your fist first. Be patient. Most dogs eventually try pawing at your hand to get the treat. The instant a paw lifts off the ground, mark with “yes” and open your hand to give the treat.
If your dog doesn’t paw after a minute, try holding your fist a little lower or slightly to one side, so lifting a paw is easier than nosing at it. You can also mark and reward a tiny weight shift or a small lift of the paw at first, then wait for a bigger one.
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Step 2: Reward the Paw Touching Your Hand
Once your dog lifts a paw reliably, wait a little longer and only mark when the paw actually touches your fist. Repeat this 10 to 15 times across a session or two. Your dog is learning that putting a paw on your hand is what earns the treat.
Keep your hand still. Let your dog do the work of reaching for it rather than grabbing their leg. Dogs learn faster when they’re the ones making the movement.
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Step 3: Switch to an Open Palm
Now hold your empty hand out, palm up, in the same position your fist was. Keep the treat in your other hand or a treat pouch. When your dog places a paw in your open palm, mark and reward from the other hand.
If your dog seems confused by the change, go back to the closed fist for a few reps, then try an open hand again. Some dogs need a couple of sessions to make the switch.
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Step 4: Add the Cue
When your dog is putting a paw in your open hand quickly, start saying “shake” just as you hold out your hand. After several sessions, say “shake” first, pause for a second, then present your hand. Your dog will start to anticipate the word. Mark and reward each correct response.
Gently hold the paw for a second before rewarding if you’d like a true handshake. Build up slowly so your dog stays comfortable having their paw held.
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Step 5: Teach the Other Paw
Most dogs have a paw they prefer. Once shake is solid on one side, teach the other paw using the same steps, but hold your fist slightly toward the paw you want. Give the new paw its own cue, such as “paw” for one side and “shake” for the other, or “left” and “right.”
Teaching both sides keeps your dog balanced and gives you two tricks for the price of one. Expect the second paw to take a bit longer at first, and celebrate small wins.
Watch It in Action
In this short video from Chewy, the trainer teaches a dog to shake using the closed fist method. Watch how she rewards the moment the paw lifts and then moves to an open palm.
How Long Does It Take to Teach a Dog to Shake?
Many dogs start pawing at a closed fist in the very first session. A reliable shake on cue usually takes a few days to two weeks of short daily practice, and teaching the second paw adds a little more time. This table shows a typical progression.
| Stage | What to Practice | Move on When |
|---|---|---|
| Paw lift | Closed fist held low near the chest | Your dog lifts a paw 4 out of 5 times |
| Paw touch | Mark only when the paw touches your fist | Your dog touches your fist with a paw each time |
| Open palm | Empty hand, reward from the other hand | Your dog places a paw in your open hand |
| Cue added | Say “shake,” then present your hand | Your dog offers a paw when they hear the word |
| Second paw | Repeat the steps with a new cue | Your dog offers the correct paw for each cue |
Once your dog knows shake at home, practice in new places and with different people so the trick works anywhere.
Variations: High Five and Wave
Once shake is solid, it’s easy to turn into other tricks. For a high five, hold your hand up with your palm facing your dog instead of palm up. Start just slightly higher than your shake position and reward a paw touch. Raise your hand a little at a time until your dog is reaching up to meet it. Add the cue “high five” once the behavior is reliable.
For a wave, hold your hand up as if for a high five, but just out of reach. When your dog lifts their paw and doesn’t make contact, mark and reward the lift in the air. Over time, add a waving motion of your own hand and a cue like “wave.” Teach these one at a time so your dog isn’t confused between similar movements.
Common Mistakes
Shake is simple, but these habits can slow your dog down:
- Grabbing the paw. Lifting your dog’s paw for them doesn’t teach them to offer it, and some dogs dislike it. Let your dog make the movement.
- Repeating the cue. Saying “shake, shake, shake” teaches your dog the first word doesn’t matter. Say it once, then help with your hand position.
- Rewarding a frantic paw. If your dog paws repeatedly or scratches, wait for a single calm paw before marking. Hard pawing can scratch people, especially children.
- Only teaching one paw. Practicing just one side is fine to start, but teaching both builds balance and makes a stronger trick.
- Accidentally rewarding pawing for attention. If your dog starts pawing at you all day, only reward paw lifts that follow the cue, and ignore uninvited pawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to the questions owners ask most often about shake.
What Age Can a Puppy Learn to Shake?
Puppies can start learning shake as soon as they know sit, often within the first few weeks at home. Keep sessions very short and use small treats so your puppy stays focused.
Are Shake and Paw the Same Trick?
Yes. Shake, paw, and give paw all describe the same behavior. Many owners use one word for each paw so they can ask for left and right separately.
My Dog Paws at Me All the Time Now. What Should I Do?
Only reward paws that come after your cue, and calmly ignore pawing that wasn’t asked for. You can also ask for a sit or a down when your dog paws for attention, then reward that instead.
Why Won’t My Dog Lift a Paw?
Some dogs try nosing or licking the treat hand for a while before pawing. Hold your fist lower, be patient, and reward even a small lift at first. If your dog seems reluctant to put weight on one leg or flinches when a paw is touched, ask your veterinarian to take a look.
What to Teach Next
Shake is a perfect first trick. From here, spin is another easy one that most dogs enjoy. If your dog already has a solid down, roll over and play dead are fun next challenges. And if any of the foundation or manners skills like wait, go to place, or come when called still need work, mixing them into your trick sessions keeps everything sharp.
Video: Chewy, embedded from YouTube.