Teaching your dog how to beg is a trick that is not suited for all dogs. A few of the larger breeds can find the begging position to be uncomfortable and older dogs can have a problem keeping their balance with the position.

With that being said, do not worry too much about what tricks your dog can and cannot do. If a certain trick is not suited for him, he will not perform it. It is really quite simple. If you want to teach your dog the “beg” trick, four days are usually enough.

Day one: With your dog in the sitting position hold one of his favorite treats above his head. Once he begins to move upwards for the treat then let him have it immediately and praise him. Repeat the process several times for no more than 5 minutes total.

Day number two: Simply repeat the exercise from day number one, but raise the treat a little bit higher. However, do not raise it so high that your dog will get up. He still needs to be in the sitting position.

Same as the other day, once he reaches for the treat reward him with it. This stage too should be repeated several times during the day. But do not overdo it.

Day number three: Again, similar to the previous two days, bring up the treat above his head. But this time wait a few seconds, before you give him the treat when he looks up.

By now, his front paws should naturally be in the begging position. This is great and he should be rewarded with his treat. To help him remember this step, practice it several times per day.

Day number four: Now it is time to actually give the verbal command, too. Say “beg” right before you lift the treat up above his head. As usual, praise him when he does well and keep practicing.

And last but not least: Keep practicing once your dog has the trick down. Every other day will do to remind him of his trick. It will help him perform more reliably and he will enjoy it, too. What would be the ideal outcome is for your dog to perform the trick on command – even if he does not get a treat for it.

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