How to Teach Your Dog to Shake

Posted by Oreo the Labrador on Wed, Jan 4, 2023

Have you ever wanted to teach your dog to shake? We’ll show you how! Teaching your dog to shake hands is a great way to show off your pet’s intelligence and start to build a strong bond between you and your pup.

Shaking hands is a great trick to show off to friends and family, and it’s not as hard as it may seem. With a few simple steps, you can have your pup shaking hands in no time.

Step 1: Start With a Treat

The first step in teaching your dog to shake hands is to get them used to the idea of shaking hands. Start by offering them a treat and saying the command “shake”. When they take the treat, say “good shake” and praise them.

This will help your pup associate the word “shake” with the action of taking the treat. Repeat this several times until your pup seems comfortable with the idea of shaking hands.

Step 2: Offer Your Hand

Once your pup is comfortable with the idea of shaking hands, you can start to offer your hand as a reward. Hold your hand out with the treat in it and say the command “shake”. When they take the treat, say “good shake” and praise them.

Again, repeat this several times until your pup is comfortable with the idea of shaking hands with you.

Step 3: Add the Handshake

Once your pup is comfortable with the idea of shaking hands with you, you can start to add the actual handshake. When you offer your hand with the treat, wait for them to take the treat and then gently wrap your fingers around their paw and say “good shake”.

Repeat this several times until your pup starts to offer their paw to you when you say the command “shake”.

Step 4: Use Positive Reinforcement

The last step in teaching your dog to shake is to use positive reinforcement. Whenever your pup does the trick correctly, make sure to give them lots of praise and a treat. This will help reinforce the behavior and make sure that your pup remembers the trick.


Teaching your dog to shake hands is a great way to show off your pet’s intelligence and start to build a strong bond between you and your pup. With a few simple steps and some positive reinforcement, you can have your pup shaking hands in no time. So get out there and start teaching your pup to shake hands!