teach your dog to offer a paw
If your dog pulls away when you touch his paws, you are not alone. Many dogs dislike having their paws touched. However, there are circumstances when you need to handle your dog’s paws, such as wiping them after he comes in from outside, trimming his nails, or during medical procedures. Fortunately, teaching your dog to voluntarily offer a paw and hold still is easy and fun!
In this video, KPA faculty member Alexis Davison is teaching her dog Arlo to target her hand with his paw. Once Arlo is offering his paw reliably, Alexis gently introduces the actions of holding his paw and touching his nails. When she is confident that Arlo won’t pull away, she begins to use the nail clippers, taking care to keep sessions short and rewarding frequently!
For more training tips and ideas, check out our blogs and our Dog Trainer Foundations course!
Happy Training!