Sports enthusiasts often give each other a high-five to convey excitement. You can teach your Yorkshire terrier, commonly called a Yorkie, to join in on the fun on game day with you and your pals. The high-five command is taught from a “sit” position, so you will teach that to your pet first.
“Sit”
Step 1
Sit down on the floor with your Yorkie standing in front of you and facing you.
Step 2
Hold a dog treat in one hand between your thumb and forefinger. Allow her to see and smell the treat, but do not give it to her yet.
Step 3
Move the treat in the air above her snout and over her head in a slight arc to her tail while saying “sit.” As she follows the treat through the air, her natural reaction is to sit on her hind end. As soon as her rear touches the floor, give her the treat and tell her “good sit, good girl.”
Step 4
Push her hind end down gently with your free hand if she does not sit on her own. Practice training her to sit several times a day in short sessions of about 10 minutes.
High-Five
Step 1
Sit on the floor with your dog in front of you and ask her to sit. Give her a treat for sitting.
Step 2
Hold a treat in one hand. Tell your dog “high five” and raise your other hand at about her shoulder height with your hand open, palm facing her and your fingertips pointing up.
Step 3
Take her paw in the hand with the treat and touch it to your open hand. Say “good high five” and immediately give her the treat. You may have to touch her paw to your hand a few times, and then she should touch your hand on her own to receive a nice treat.
References
Resources
Tips
- If your Yorkie already knows how to shake, it is helpful to teach her the high-five with her other paw to differentiate between the two tricks. Using the same paw for both tricks can be confusing to a dog at first.
Warnings
- Some small breeds of dog do not like to have their paws touched. They have tiny feet that may have been stepped on in the past. Your dog may have had her nails trimmed too short in her past and she associates pain with touching her feet. If this is the case, you will first need to teach her, through touching her feet often and rubbing them, that it is OK to be touched on the feet.
Writer Bio
Mary Lougee has been writing for over 10 years. She holds a Bachelor's Degree with a major in Management and a double minor in accounting and computer science. She loves writing about careers for busy families as well as family oriented planning, meals and activities for all ages.