Teaching Hug On Command

The 'hug' on command is an adorable and impressive trick for two or more dogs to do. You, my readers, requested a video of Earl and Ethel hugging not long ago, so, along with this, I'm also going to give step-by-step instructions on how to teach your own dogs to hug on command! We hope you enjoy!

The end result!

How to teach hug on command

- You will need at least two dogs to participate. If you really want, you can involve several dogs, all hugging each other!

- You will need treats to reward the correct behaviours.

- To successfully learn this trick, your hugging dog should know how to give/lift/place a paw on another object. If not, you can teach this as part of the hug on command.

1. Sit your dogs next to each other. I like to have the larger of the two dogs hugging the smaller dog, therefore I position the smaller of the dogs sat slightly in front of the other, still to the side.

2. Ask your hugging dog for his paw and reward for this behaviour.

3. Once your dog is confident lifting a paw, ask for this again. This time though, place your flat hand on the shoulder/back of your other dog, and ask your dog to place his paw on your hand in this position.  Reward for this.

4. Once your dog is confident placing his paw on your hand on your other dog's shoulder/back, ask for this again. This time though, simply point to your other dog's shoulder. As soon as your hugging dog's paw makes contact with your other dog, reward with a treat and heaps of praise.

5. Practice this, and then add a different, more specific command. Now, ask your hugging dog to 'hug', while pointing to your other dog's shoulder/back. Praise as before when this is carried out.

6. Now, after more practice, you should simply be able to say 'hug' and your hugging dog should place his paw on your other dog. Now you can impress your family and friends with this adorable duo trick!

P.S. In our video, you may see Ethel spinning around after Earl has 'hugged' her. This is simply to get her back into position near Earl for the next hug!

If you teach your dogs this trick, we'd love to see a video/photo/both! Send them to us at borderterriersruleOK@gmail.com and we may even feature some on the blog!

We're joining our hosts Ruckus The Eskie, Love Is Being Owned By A Husky and Barking From The Bayou in the Thoughtless Thursday Blog Hop. We send many thanks their way, and you can join in below.