Hi everyone. I’m struggling with teaching my dog the ‘beg’ trick where she sits on her hind legs with her paws in the air. I’m hoping some of you have advice or ideas. My dog is a shepherd, about 60 lbs, with a low, long body, so I’m not sure if it’s a balance issue or something else.
When I put her in a sit and try to lure her by holding a treat above her head, she just backs up (she knows ‘back up’ too) and then sits down again.
I also tried starting with her sitting, then having her give one paw, then two paws, but she ends up resting her paws on my arm and putting her weight on me. If I try to take my arm away, she either drops back down or tries to walk on her hind legs.
It’s like she can’t figure out how to sit back on her butt while keeping her front paws up. None of the training videos seem to cover this; they all make it look so easy, and the dog just magically balances. Has anyone else had this issue? Any tips for getting her into position?
She’s a smart pup, so once she gets it, I think she’ll be fine. Just need help getting her there in the first place.
I had the same issue with my dog. This trick took her a long time to get, but eventually, it clicked.
I found that holding the treat just above her head made her jump, so instead, I held my hand palm out with a treat and slowly pushed it toward her head. This way, she didn’t jump up.
Just wanted to say it’s a tough one, but keep at it – they usually get it eventually.
@WoofWisdom1
For my dog, it’s like she’s programmed to back up instead of lifting her paws. No matter how slow I go, she eventually just backs up and sits again.
That’s my issue with luring as a method. If the dog isn’t inclined to lean back, it doesn’t work. She just backs up to keep the treat in sight.
I’d recommend the clicker too. My dog Lucy figured it out after we practiced having her jump up on us. Holding the treat encouraged her to stand as long as she could. Eventually, she got tired and balanced on her butt with her paws up. We rewarded that position every time, and now she knows to sit like that with just a small hand signal.
Once they understand, they’ll find ways to balance.
feddy said: @Gia
When she jumps up, is she actually balancing on her back legs, or does she lean on you?
My dog relies on me for support, so I’m not sure how to get her to stand alone.
Lucy balances on her back legs without leaning. She’s got strong thighs (probably the terrier in her) and a smaller chest, so that helps. I just kept holding the treat up, and whenever she tried to lean on me, I backed up slightly. Over time, she was able to sit back on her own.
My other dog Moses, though, can’t balance like that – he’s too front-heavy. Maybe practicing on soft ground would help your dog?
It’s totally fine to let them hold onto your arm for a while. Over time, they build the muscle memory and strength to balance without support. I let my dog wrap his paws around my arm at first, then slowly moved the treat further away so he had to hold himself up.
There’s also a method where you have the dog sit in front of your legs and lean against you. You support their chest while they get the hang of it, then slowly phase that out as they gain confidence.
feddy said: @PupProGuide4
Good to know. So it’s probably a strength issue. How long did it take for your dog to go from needing support to balancing alone?
Maybe about a month? It’s been a while, but we practiced a little every day with his meals. It was worth it – people love it when he does the trick.
