How to teach your dog to give a high five

Take a treat in a closed fist and hold it out in front of your dog until their paw touches your hand. If you use a grand offering gesture your dog might copy you and do the same with their paw. However, they might sniff or even lick your fist at first, so be prepared to keep your hand still and wait patiently for them to try using their paw.   

As they touch your hand with their paw, say your marker word such as ‘yes’ or ‘good’ and release the treat, so your dog learns that when they touch your hand, they get a treat.

Repeat until they are touching your closed fist with their paw every time you present it to them. If they’re struggling, take a break and come back to it later. If we take things gently and go at their pace, they’ll be more likely to enjoy learning and remember what they’ve learned.

Hold a closed hand without the treat. Don’t forget to say your marker word when they touch your hand with their paw, and quickly give them a treat from your other hand. Repeat again until they are touching your empty hand every single time.

Now try with an open hand and wait for your dog to tap it with their paw, making sure to mark and reward when they do with a treat from your other hand.

If you just want to teach your dog to give paw, you can stop here and now add a verbal cue to name the action. Just before you present your hand to your dog say ‘paw’ or similar, and then hold out your open hand for your dog to touch.

If you want to teach the ‘high five’ action, move your hand a little higher. Gradually move your hand out a little bit higher each time, so your dog must reach slightly higher for your hand. Repeat, each time gradually moving your hand up a bit more.