Teach Your Dog the Trick Cross Your Paws

[@Ca-yr2yv]

So cute!!

[@MM-wl3rh]

She's gorgeous 🥰

[@foxgemdogs6070]

Teach the other paw when the first is solid. Then you can have them alternate crossings! Super cute!

[@leoandrews1696]

Beautiful clear tutorial. Thankyou for posting

[@delmacapagal1097]

Nice trick. Thanks for teaching how to do it.

[@foxgemdogs6070]

My pleasure; have fun with it!

[@animalawarenessarambol3990]

Thank you for this Video. My dog does the crossing nicely but he doesn't like to leave his paw there very long. Any suggestion to teach length to the trick? Thanks, Maria

[@foxgemdogs6070]

Hi Maria, that's a common issue usually solved with a "wait" or "stay". Having said that, I make sure that my dogs have a cue to "freeze" in place pretty early on so I can use it as a tool in situations like in this trick. (ie hold that position whether it's a show stack or holding a paw up for "boo boo"). If that's a bit of a challenge, then perhaps you can take advantage of his movements by having him cross the other paw right away. Cross left paw, back to sphinx, cross right paw, back to sphinx... Then it looks like dancing 🙂 Be patient, enjoy it, and allow yourself small moments of change and troubleshooting. (Do try that quick, "wait good wait good", and if you're holding food, note the position of the food might be effecting his lack of duration of the foot position)

[@GregBlaufuss]

My Border Collie is very food oriented. He can't stay lying in the same place when there's food involved. He's about 29 months old so maybe too young for this trick. The issue is that he will move any way (still lying) in order to get closer to the treat. Nice video, any suggestions appreciated.

[@foxgemdogs6070]

Hi Greg, 29 months is definitely not too young for this targeting trick; hang in there and back track a little. A super dee duper helpful tool in many stationary tricks is to use a low platform or a low target. First take a few weeks to create huge value in being on that platform ( you can use a super thick large towel folded in half or a thick rug, about the size of the dog so it's a little more flush to the floor than a platform) Once the target spot is of high value then staying on that spot helps to keep the puppy in place with less scooting into your bubble while you work on stationary exercises such as Cross Yer Paws. There is some finesse with using food in this but there is more to it than just the challenge of using or not using food. In my experience I notice that things aren't difficult because of the use of food, its HOW the food is used. Starting with self control exercises help a puppy to learn to work for longer times and more reps in between rewards. Take your time, try these foundations first and then go back to trying the cross your paws part of it. Good luck and have fun with it!

[@GregBlaufuss]

@@foxgemdogs6070 Thanks for the response. I'll give it a go.

[@lindaincolorado7854]

My puppy hates to have his paws touched, still he would briefly offer his right paw on command. As I would move my hand further to his left, however, he would simply switch and offer his left paw instead. Another video had said to get him to let me hold his paw long enough to drape it over his left paw. That worked if I would let him nibble on a treat as I did it. After weeks of trying, however, he has yet to place his right paw over his left leg as I would like. Any ideas?

[@foxgemdogs6070]

Hi Linda, I would suggest that when you ask the dog to target your hand, keep your hand open and flat through the action of the target. Perhaps do this without the actual trick, just have him in a sit and offer your hand as a target with your target word, palm open like a platform. He is likely anticipating that you will take hold of his paw ie close your fingers around it. I keep it as an actual flat target. That helped with one of my girls who would target my hand with a quick boop like it was a hot stovetop LoL When she realized I wasn't going to grab, she left her paw ON my hand and we built on duration (of her leaving it there). That might help a bit. Also bear in mind that most dogs will do one direction or the other, better. See if that is the case for your dog.

[@kristinecontento-angell4859]

When I move my target hand over past his other paw he switches paws and uses the closer one instead of crossing. Thoughts on how to address that?

[@foxgemdogs6070]

My guys did that too. So it becomes a matter of how you move your target hand which can be a wee bit different for each dog. What I tend to do is sit directly in front of the dog (I'm right handed and use my right as the target), tap dog's right paw and immediately flip my hand over to create the platform target and hover that target hand super close or actually on that stationary (left) paw (covering the stationary paw with my target hand). So when the dog moves his right paw we end up with something of a stack, his left paw, my right target hand palm up, his moving right paw. Mark yes, gently put the moving paw back into the start position. Hope this helps a bit! It's one of those things that's a bit hard to explain in writing 😀

[@loisbanovz4744]

When my dog gives his paw, he does a claw like move and pulls my hand

[@foxgemdogs6070]

This is something of a common challenge; a lot of dogs will claw or grab with a paw. Before doing more for the Cross Yer Paws trick, try going back and refine your dog's targeting skills a bit. You'll only mark/treat when he targets with a push or touch (or however you want the targeting executed) and ignore the clawing and grabbing. Then apply that refined targeting to tricks like "Cross Yer Paws".

[@loisbanovz4744]

@@foxgemdogs6070 thank you, I will work on this