How to Teach a Dog To Crawl: Step-by-Step Guide with Videos | Pupford
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We’ve never found the saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” to be true. No matter your dog’s age, trick training is a great way to build your communication with each other, show off, and improve your relationship. No matter your dog’s age, you can teach them how to crawl by following the steps outlined in this post!
Here's what your dog should know first:
Your dog should have a pretty good understanding of the “down” cue, in order for them to begin working on the crawl cue. If your dog needs help with that cue, check out some trick training videos here to teach your dog down, and a bunch of other tricks as well!
If your dog has a firm grasp on “down,” you’re ready to move onto the crawl cue!
Follow along as Kaylin teaches Luna how to crawl. Follow @Lunathetrickdog on Instagram for so many other valuable training tips, tricks, and more!
TEACHING YOUR DOG TO CRAWL
TOOLS YOU WILL NEED:
- A clicker (or maker word)
- A treat pouch
- Some small, high-value treats!
Luna LOVES the freeze-dried treats. They don’t have a lot of extra moisture or fillers, so they are full of tasty goodness!
🐶 Don't miss out, sign up for the online Trick Training Class. Get started here! 🐶
SETTING UP THIS TRICK
When you begin working on a new trick, it’s important that the environment you are in is conducive to training. For example, a high-distraction place like a park won’t set you up for the most success, as there are so many distractions in that environment.
So, set up a corner in your home without distractions, or another area that your dog is very familiar with to begin working on this. Then, once your dog fully understands what you are asking, you can slowly increase the distractions around you. But remember to move at your dog’s pace.
It’s also important to not force anything on your dog. If they aren’t comfortable, don’t seem to understand what you’re asking, or just aren’t interested, don’t force your dog to perform this cue (more notes on that at the end of this).
Now, you’re ready to teach your dog!
STEPS TO TEACH “CRAWL”:
- Cue your dog to the “down” position
- Hold a treat at your dog's nose and slowly move it forward at ground level
- Mark (with a clicker or word like “yes!”) and reward for even the slightest movement at first, then gradually lure further
- Fade out the treat by just luring with your hand, eventually holding your hand farther away, and start saying a verbal cue like “crawl!”
Keep on practicing this consistently, to help your dog get the hang of it!
HOW TO KEEP YOUR DOG LOW TO THE GROUND WHILE TEACHING CRAWL
One of the main challenges pup parents run into when teaching crawl is their dog wanting to stand up or not stay low to the ground.
If your dog keeps wanting to pop up, try luring them under your leg. Do this by sitting with your leg bent and holding the treat in front of their nose, then luring them underneath your leg.
This can help encourage your dog to stay low to the ground!
🐶 Don't miss out, sign up for the online Trick Training Class. Get started here! 🐶
NOTES ON TRICK TRAINING
- It’s important to keep to about 5 minutes for training sessions, as anything much longer can lose their attention
- You can tell if a session is going too long if they seem frustrated, are yawning, or don’t seem super engaged
- Before you begin training, make sure that your dog’s basic needs are met so that they are properly focusing on you during the session (things like going to the bathroom, drinking water, eating (if applicable), and some play (but you don’t want them to be TOO tired… it’s important to find the sweet spot))
- After a short training burst, you can have them play, do enrichment, or a power nap, then try again with another training burst!
- Make sure you are giving your dog a lot of reinforcement during their training (could be in the form of praise, play, or treats). Head here to learn all about types of reinforcement for dogs!
- AND make sure to end on a positive note! Have your dog successfully complete a task, like down, crawl, etc. to end a session!
Related Reading: Teach your dog to nod 'yes' here.
RECAP OF TEACHING A DOG TO CRAWL
And there you have it! We hope these tips were helpful as you teach your dog how to crawl. Here's a recap of the steps for teaching a dog to crawl:
- Cue your dog to the “down” position
- Hold a treat at your dog's nose and slowly move it forward at ground level
- Mark (with a clicker or word like “yes!”) and reward for even the slightest movement at first, then gradually lure further
- Fade out the treat by just luring with your hand, eventually holding your hand farther away, and start saying a verbal cue like “crawl!”
Have any questions about the tips shared in the video or post? Let us know in the comments!
Want to learn even more fun tricks? Sign up for the Dog Trick Training Class here!
🐶 Don't miss out, sign up for the online Trick Training Class. Get started here! 🐶
9 comments
Leave a CommentGreat idea! Thank you!
I’ve taught my previous dogs how to crawl but I had carpets which seemed to make it easier. I now have only wooden floors and the dog I have now seems frustrated after a few minutes. She knows the down position, but can’t seem to get to the next step. I’ve tried several times, but after a couple of attempts, she gets frustrated and just gets up and jumps at the treat.
Hi Sandra! I would try using a different treat or moving with your dog to make it more exciting
I have a female Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Gucci. Corgis have long torsos and short legs, but their physical body build doesn’t make it easier for them to crawl, bow, or beg. As you mentioned, having a dog “crawling” under your leg helps with this trick. Gucci was able to go under my leg easily. It’s taken about 4 months of training and she’s being to crawl! Learning to bow can be a stain on her long body. We trained this skill about 3 to 4 times. At first, I’d put my clicker arm under her body at the rear, so she wasn’t able to go into a full down. She has learned to bow which helps to stretch her back. I’m working on begging, I allow her to keep her balance by letting her use my arm. She’s beginning to find how to balance without much support from my arm. Again, we only work on this 2 to 3 times and not every day. I tried having her sit with her back to my legs, so when she begs she has my legs to help her balance. I’m confident that as she develops strength in her back, she’ll be able to beg. I’m taking it slow, to prevent any injury. She may never be able to preform a beg independently, but she’s willing to try. She’s learned to back-up, close, all back end awareness activities for agility, obedience, and freestyle.