How to Train a German Shepherd to Crawl

To begin, find a table that is taller than your Shepherd when he is in the 'down' position, but short enough that he cannot stand up under it. Place this table in an open area, where your dog can enter the table from both ends. With your table set up, place a line of treats on the ground. This line should begin in front of the table and end halfway under the table.

Encourage your dog in a happy voice to eat the treats. If your dog is hesitant then move the treats closer to the area in front of the table or choose more exciting treats, such as real meat. Repeat this until your dog will go at least partially under the table to get the treats without hesitating.

When your dog is comfortable getting the treats, increase the length of the treat line. Have the line start at the front of the table and end at the other side of the table, going all the way across the space under the table.

Now practice encouraging your dog to get all of the treats with the longer treat line. If your dog is hesitant and will not go all the way under the table the first time, just replace the treats that he ate and continue to encourage him to try again. Repeat this until he gains enough confidence to go all the way through. If your table is the correct height then he should have to crawl in order to get to the treats.

When your dog will go from one end of the table to the other, crawling underneath, begin to tell him "Crawl" right before you allow him to get the treats.

When your dog is consistently crawling under the table, decrease the treats by starting the line of treats at the halfway point under the table. Practice having him crawl under the table until he is comfortable with that also.

When your dog is consistently crawling under the table when you say "Crawl", then increase the amount of space that he has to crawl under. To do this, start the line of treats at the point where your dog normally exits the table and continuing it outward for two more feet. Have your dog crawl under the table like before, but when he begins to exit the table space, place your arm in front of the table, right above where his head will be, so that he does not stand up, then remind him to "Crawl". When he gets to the end of the line of treats, then tell him "OK" and remove your arm while you praise him.

Have your dog practice crawling under both the table and your arm until he does not need to be reminded to continue crawling when he reaches your arm, and until he does not attempt to stand up with your arm in place. When he has reached this point, then remove the line of treats, and offer him two treats after he is told "OK" at the end of this trick.

When your dog will continue crawling with your arm above him, without the treat line, and without attempting to get up until he is told "OK", then remove the table from the trick. Place your arm in front of him at a low enough level that he has to get down and crawl to fit under it. With your arm in place, place one treat on the floor on the other side of your arm and command him to 'crawl'.

When he will crawl under your arm consistently when told to, then remove the one treat and begin to raise your arm while he is crawling, so he is not depending on it anymore. If he attempts to get up when you raise it, then lower it back down to remind him to crawl, and then repeat raising it when he is crawling again. Do this until you can remove your arm right after you command him to 'crawl' and he will crawl until told "OK".

To begin, get your dog into the 'down' position. You can do this by luring him to the floor with a treat, or by commanding him to "down" if he knows the command.

With your dog in the 'down' position, touch a treat to the floor between your dog's paws but do not let go of the treat. When your dog becomes very interested in the treat, tell your dog "Crawl", and slowly slide the treat across the floor, away from your dog. Keep the movement slow enough that your dog can continue to sniff or lick the treat while you slide it.

When your dog moves forward by even a couple of inches while trying to get the treat, praise him and give him the treat. If you dog tries to stand up, either place your arm over him, so that he touches your arm and lays back down, or if he has risen all of the way, then lure him back into the 'down' position with a treat or command him to "down", then repeat sliding the treat.

Repeat the sliding process until your dog begins to crawl forward a few inches at a time, without trying to get up. Continue to reward forward attempts whenever you say "Crawl", requiring him to crawl gradually farther and farther by a couple of inches at a time, in order to receive the treat.

When your dog can crawl forward two feet without attempting to stand up, then place the treat farther away. With your dog in the 'down' position, place the treat on the floor one foot away from your dog and tell him to "Crawl". If he crawls to the treat, then praise him while he is moving, and right before he reaches it tell him "OK" and allow him to eat it. If he attempts to stand up in order to walk over to it, then remove the treat and place him back in the 'down' position where he started, then try again. If he still attempts to get up after multiple tries, then go back a step to luring him with the treat. After several successful sliding practices, then try placing the treat away from him again.

When your dog can crawl forward without you moving the treat in front of him, gradually increase the distance that he must crawl before receiving the treat.

When your dog can crawl several feet, remove the treat from the ground. With the treat removed, tell your dog "Crawl". If he crawls without seeing a treat, then praise him while he is moving, and after three feet tell him "OK" and place a treat between his paws for him to eat. If he does not crawl, then remind him what to do by placing a treat on the ground after seven seconds has passed. Repeat this process until he begins to crawl before you have placed the treat.

When your dog will crawl without seeing a treat, then you have taught the 'crawl' command! Continue to practice until he will crawl every time that you tell him. You can also add distance to this trick by gradually increasing the amount of distance that he has to crawl before being told "OK" and rewarded. Increase this distance by just a couple of inches at a time.

To begin, select a tunnel that is short enough that your dog cannot stand up while inside, but tall enough that your dog can still move through it in the crawl position and will not get stuck. After you have selected your tunnel, then set it up in an open area.

With your dog in front of the tunnel entrance, place several treats inside of the tunnel, in a line from the entrance to the exit. Tell your dog "Crawl" and encourage him in a happy tone of voice to eat the treats.

If your dog crawls all the way through the tunnel then praise him enthusiastically and repeat the entire process. If your dog will only go part of the way in before backing out, then replace the treats that he ate each time and keep practicing until he will go all the way through. It may take him many attempts before he will go all the way through. Be patient, this is normal.

When your dog will happily go through the tunnel without hesitation several times in a row, then move the treats further away. To move the treats, begin your line of treats halfway into the tunnel. When your dog has mastered that, then place your treats only at the exit of the tunnel. Remember to tell your dog to "Crawl" every time that he lowers his body to enter the tunnel.

When your dog is crawling all of the way through the tunnel before receiving the treats at the end, then increase the distance that he must crawl. To increase the distance, extend your line of treats at the exit outward by two feet, into the open space. Place your arm right above your dog when he exits the tunnel, and remind him to "Crawl" as he eats his line of treats. Praise him for continued forward movement. When he reaches the end of the treat line tell him "OK" and remove your arm.

Practice having your dog crawl through the tunnel and under your arm until he continues to crawl without having to be reminded, and he does not attempt to get up until he is told "OK". When you have reached that point, then space the treats out again. To space the treats out, begin the line of treats one foot away from the tunnel's exit and practice having him crawl all the way from the tunnel's entrance to the end of the treat line. When your dog is doing well with that, place the treats two feet away from the tunnel's exit and practice having him crawling that far. When your dog is doing well with that, then remove the treats from the floor and practice having your dog crawl without any treats in sight. While your dog is crawling without any treats in sight, when he crawls to the place where the treats used to end, place a treat between his feet and tell him "OK".

When your dog can crawl without treats in sight until he reaches the place where you tell him "OK", then begin to remove your arm. To remove your arm, gradually lift up your arm while your dog is crawling under it. If your dog begins to stand when you do this, then remind him to "Crawl" and lower your arm back down to stop him. Practice this until you can quickly remove your arm after he starts to crawl and he will not attempt to stand while it is gone until he has been told "OK".

When your dog will continue to crawl without your arm over him the entire time, remove the tunnel as well, so that he is crawling in open space. To remove the tunnel, place your arm in front of him for him to go under and command him to "Crawl". After he begins to crawl, remove your arm and praise him while he continues to move. When he has gone three feet, then tell him "OK", and place a treat between his feet.

When your dog no longer needs the tunnel and only briefly needs your arm to begin crawling, remove your arm entirely, and simply tell your dog to "Crawl". If he will not crawl then wait seven seconds. After seven seconds, give him a hint by lowering your arm down. Practice this until he crawls before you have lowered your arm. When you have reached this point, then your dog has mastered the 'crawl'. Congratulations! Maintain this trick by practicing it often.