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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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Many dog owners know just how hard it can be to train a mischievous pup to follow commands, especially when it seems like they're just ignoring every word you say. But according to one dog trainer, it may not be the dog's fault at all.
Dog trainer Charlie Gardiner has gone viral after sharing the common mistakes that most dog owners make when training their pup how to give paw. Gardiner, who runs Rebel Paws Club alongside business partner Tesla Raessi, explained that most people will grab at the dog's paw in an attempt to show the dog what they need to do.
But rather than aiding the dog, it can actually be quite a big hindrance, as Gardiner told Newsweek that "grabbing at paws can be aversive" and put the dog on edge. So rather than directing the dog to do what you're teaching them, it can create negative associations and discourage the dog from following instructions.
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Since this is such a common mistake that so many owners make, Gardiner shared a clip on her TikTok account (@trainuppupofficial) showing how they taught Poppy the Pomeranian to give paw. Social media users have certainly appreciated the valuable insights as the video has already gained more than 3.7 million views and over 334,000 likes since October.
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"When training paw people often make the mistake of grabbing at their dog's paw to try and teach them the behavior. Not only do some dogs not like to be grabbed or are sensitive around their paws, but it also takes our dog's choice out of the equation," Gardiner said.
"Another mistake is that people do not reinforce their dog for pawing at them without being asked. This can lead to some issues with our dogs pawing at us for attention or treats, even when we do not want the behavior to be elicited."
For anyone struggling to teach their dog to give paw, Gardiner encourages owners to use positive reinforcements as a training tool instead. Gardiner explained that rewards and prompts will help the dog learn to follow the command on their own rather than being forced to do it against their will.
If the dog is still reluctant to give their paw, it can also be helpful to change the position of your hand, placing it lower to the ground, or cover the treat with a plastic cup until the dog puts their paw on that. Training a dog doesn't have to be a difficult chore, and Gardiner adds that it can be done for a dog of any age, too. So, while you might think that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, it's always worth a try.
"This gives our dogs much more choice and gets them thinking about what they need to do rather than just having their paw grabbed," Gardiner said.
"Teaching paw is not an essential skill. However, it is great for relationship building, having fun with our dogs, and building up a dog's confidence. Paw can act as the foundation for lots of other cool tricks such as ringing bells, pressing buttons, closing doors and other paw targeting."
Since the video went viral, Gardiner and Raessi have been amazed by the positive reaction they received. Many dog owners took to the comments to share their own experiences of training—the good and the bad.
One comment reads: "My dog finally learnt this at 13."
Another TikTok user wrote: "The biggest mistake I made was teaching my husky to do paw. She now just hits me lol."
"I tried this method and my dog (who never knew what paw means) learnt it in less than 3 days fully," one person commented.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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