How to Train a Greyhound to Do Easy Dog Tricks

How to Train a Greyhound to Do Easy Dog Tricks
Medium difficulty iconMedium
Time icon1-6 Weeks
Fun training category iconFun

Introduction

Greyhounds are a special breed of dog, and they love to learn and use their brains. Teaching your dog some simple tricks is a great way to enhance playtime and tire her out. She'll never get bored when she's learning with you, and with each new trick she'll trust you even more and see you as a leader.

Whether it's 'shake', 'bow', 'high-five', or 'roll over', teaching your Greyhound easy tricks will take some patience. Remember to take your time and try not to push her too quickly.  Be clear in your commands and gentle in your corrections. If it seems like she's getting bored or losing interest, stop the session and do something fun. With practice, your dog will be able to do a number of new tricks.

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Defining Tasks

Before you begin teaching your Greyhound, you need to understand her limitations and needs. Long training sessions without playtime first just won't be successful. Greyhounds are bred to run and love to play, so long training times will never keep their attention. Be sure to run and play with your Greyhound to get her extra energy out. Then she will be ready to learn.

You'll also want to teach her basic commands first. Obedience training creates the foundation for responsiveness, good manners, and a willingness to learn. Teaching commands like 'come', 'sit', 'stay', and 'down' establish your bond and set your dog up for successful training later in life. If you have adopted a retired racing Greyhound, you may have a lot of work to do to get her ready to learn a few tricks. Make sure you know your dog well and what she needs before you move on.

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Getting Started

After you've finished the groundwork, you're ready to move on to easy tricks. Make sure you have these items on hand to help you out and make training easier.

  • Training treats
  • A leash
  • A martingale collar your dog can't slip out of
  • A quiet place to learn

You can read directions to train three easy tricks below. Take your time and be sure you are training on your dog's schedule. With time, you'll add three fun tricks to her repertoire and have a fun time bonding together. 

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The Crawl Method

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1

Set up the location

For this trick, make sure you're working on a carpet or rug. Make sure she has a soft place to work.

2

Ask for a 'down'

Start by asking her to lay down and stay.

3

Lure her with a treat

Show her a treat and slowly lure her forward by moving the treat just out of reach.

4

Reward small movements

As soon as she starts to pull herself forward without standing up, tell her "good girl" and give her a treat.

5

Introduce 'crawl'

When she's crawling a few paces, introduce the command "crawl" right before you give her a treat.

6

Increase the distance

Slowly increase the distance you ask her to crawl before she gets her treat. If she stands up, ask her to lie down and start again, not going quite as far.

7

Remove the treats

Once she's crawling a few feet consistently, slowly decrease the use of a treat as a lure and reward when you ask her to crawl.

The Shake Method

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1

No distractions

Always start in a place with no distractions so she can focus on you.

2

Ask for a 'sit'

Traditionally this trick is taught from a sit, but often retired Greyhounds don't sit comfortably due to training on the track. If your dog doesn't like to sit, you can try this from a standing position.

3

Touch her leg

Touch the top of her leg to encourage her to lift her paw. As soon as she starts to lift it, give her a treat.

4

Paw in hand

Touch her leg and hold out your hand. When her paw touches your hand, give her a treat.

5

Teach her 'shake'

When she is consistently placing her paw in your hand, start to say "shake" before you give her a treat.

6

Reduce the treats

She should start to offer her paw when you hold out your hand and say "shake". Gradually stop giving her treats until she's shaking consistently on command without them.

The Bow Method

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1

Pick your spot

Find a quiet spot where she is less likely to be distracted from the lesson.

2

Get in position

For this trick you'll want her to be standing but relaxed. She should be standing at attention with a loose leash.

3

Guide her with a treat

Place a treat under her nose and slowly guide her head down between her legs. Give her the treat.

4

Introduce the command

When she is consistently following the treat into a 'bow' position without moving, start to say "bow" before you give her the treat. Practice for several days to a week.

5

Take away the treat

When she is consistently bowing, start to treat her less, while still using your command. Eventually, she should bow on command without the need of a treat.

Written by Katie Smith

Veterinary reviewed by:

Published: 02/27/2018, edited: 01/08/2021

Training Questions

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Training Questions and Answers

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Sooty

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Greyhound

Dog age icon

6 Years

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Question

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We just can't teach her paw.

Feb. 5, 2022

Sooty's Owner

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Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer

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1128 Dog owners recommended

Hello Quinn, I suggest a different approach. With pup sitting in front of you, tap the back of pup's front paw until they light it slightly off the ground, while happily saying "Paw or Shake". As soon as they move it at all, praise enthusiastically and reward with a treat. Repeat this until pup starts to lift the paw all the way off the ground - then reward. When pup is lifting the paw up, require pup to lift it higher before rewarding with a treat. Continue to praise for attempts though. When pup will lift the paw a couple of inches off the ground when you tap and say shake, start to tell pup to Shake, then wait seven seconds, then tap to remind pup if they don't lift on their own. Do this until pup starts to lift the paw consistently without needing the tap a few seconds later. When pup can lift when you say paw, place your hand under their paw when they lift it, praise and reward right when their paw touches your hand - even though you caused it to. Repeat. Next, place your hand slightly below where pup's lifted paw is, wait until pup lowers their paw a bit - accidentally touching your hand on their own (by accident on their part at first), as soon as pup touches your hand on their own because your hand was under the paw, praise and reward. Repeat until pup starts to intentionally touch your hand because they are associating it with the treat being given. When pup starts to understand that touching your hand is what earns them the treat, wait until pup puts their paw all the way into your hand, rather than just touching it slightly, before you reward. Practice this often for lots of short training sessions frequently, rather than fewer long ones to help pup focus and not get as distracted during training. Expect this to take several days or weeks to teach, not just one or two sessions. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Feb. 7, 2022

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Chelsea

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Greyhound

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2 Years

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Question

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I am trying to teach her to give paw. She will sit but not for a long period of time . She also has a very short attention span . From a standing position she loses balance when I try and lift her leg. Help ! How long should it take to teach her this ?

Dec. 28, 2019

Chelsea's Owner

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Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer

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1128 Dog owners recommended

Hello Wesley, Generally, paw should be taught from the sitting position first. Try having her sit before beginning the training to get her to lift her paw. Wait until she knows the trick really well before you try to transition to doing it standing. How long the training takes depends on several factors. For example, it can depend on how many repetitions that dog or breed of dog generally takes to learn something new (A Border Collie is said to be the most intelligent breed, and a Greyhound is ranked as #46 out of 79 ranked breeds). A Border Collie for example may learn something as soon as 5 repetitions, a Labrador in about 20 repetitions, and a greyhound may need 30-40 repetitions. These number can vary a lot depending on your teaching skills, your individual dog, and whether they are physically capable of doing the trick behind performed - or need to develop the balance or muscles for that trick overtime - such as standing on hind legs. The general point is that you most likely need to keep practicing and be patient with pup - knowing that it's probably normal for her to need a lot more practice still. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Dec. 29, 2019


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