How to Teach a Dog Paws Up: Front Feet on a Low, Steady Step

How to teach a dog paws up starts with a low, steady step that will not slide. Lure your dog forward until both front feet land on it, and pay while the back feet are still on the floor. Once that hold is easy, the step becomes the center of a slow pivot.

What makes a good step for paws up?

Low, wide and steady, with a surface that grips. The bottom stair of a staircase is a good pick, since it is built into the house. A sturdy box works, and so does a thick book wrapped in a towel that will not slip on the floor.

A chair or a stool is the wrong choice, because either can tip or slide when a dog's weight lands on it. A step that moves under a paw gives you a reason to stop and fix it before going on.

Test it first with your own hands. Lean your weight on the edge and try to slide it. If anything shifts, find a different step or put a rubber mat underneath.

Of all the tricks to teach your dog, this one makes a handy base, since the same step later becomes the hub of a turn. It is a trick, not exercise, so keep the sessions short and light.

How do you get both front feet on the step?

Show your dog a bite of cheese, then draw it forward and slightly up, toward the top of the step. Pay the first paw that touches it. Then ask again, pay a paw that stays, and then work toward both.

Never lift or set your dog's feet on the step for it. Your hand is the lure, and the step is the target. If a paw lands on the step by accident, that is a payment, so be ready for it.

Keep the early rounds quick. A paid paw followed by a reset is better than a long wait for two feet at once. As your dog starts to step up on its own, delay payment by a breath, and then pay for both feet resting on the step.

If your dog hesitates at the edge, move the treat closer to the step and wait. If your dog sniffs the edge, you are close.

How do you keep the back feet on the floor?

If your dog climbs all the way onto the step, the step is too big or the lure went too far. Reset, lower the lure, and pay earlier, when the front feet land.

Deliver the treat low, at the chest, so your dog does not stretch upward or climb to reach it. A treat held high pulls the whole dog onto the step. A treat held low keeps the back end where you want it.

A short pause helps here. Once both front feet are on the step, let a slow breath go by, and then pay while the back feet are still planted. Stretch that pause only a little at a time.

How do you turn paws up into a pivot?

With both front feet on the step, move your lure hand a little to one side, close to the chest. If a back foot steps around to follow the hand, pay that step, and then ask for another.

The front end stays put on the step, and the back end walks around it in a small arc. That is the pivot. Go slowly and pay often, because the first few steps are the hardest part.

A pivot looks like spin, but the two are different. Spin turns the whole dog in place, and the spin guide covers that. Here the front feet are anchored and only the back half moves.

Pivot one direction first. Once it runs smoothly, teach the other direction, and then you can ask for a full circle around the step.

For a mat trick that uses all four paws, see the place guide. Our freeze dried cheddar bites work for small and large dogs alike, per our listing, and they belong in the treat column, not a complete diet.

Questions

Is paws up the same as place?

No. Place asks for all four paws on a mat. Paws up asks for the front feet on a step and the back feet on the floor. The two can follow each other, but they teach different positions.

How high should the step be?

Low. Start lower than seems necessary, so the front feet land with almost no effort. You can raise it later if you choose, but there is no need to rush.

What if my dog climbs all the way onto the step?

The step is likely too big, or the lure went too far. Reset with a lower lure, pay at the chest, and pay the moment the front feet land. A smaller step also helps.

Which way should the pivot turn first?

Either one. Pick the direction your dog steps into more easily and teach it first, paying each back-foot step. Once that side is smooth, teach the other direction as a fresh, short lesson of its own.

What if the step slides on the floor?

Put a rubber mat under it, or choose a step that already grips. Stop the session as soon as you see the slide, and fix it before the next one.

Can a puppy learn paws up?

Ask your vet first if your dog is still a puppy or is getting on in years, since this trick puts weight on the front legs. Until you hear back, use the lowest step you have. Puppies are on our listing for the bites, along with grown dogs.