AKC GoodDog Helpline Trainer Milena Barreto has taught her Standard Poodle, Phoebe, dozens of tricks, and Phoebe shows them off on her therapy dog visits. Here, Milena tells us how to teach the very cute trick of Peekaboo. Your dog will walk between your legs from behind and sit, peeping out from behind your legs.
With this dog trick, I assure, you will get a lot of oooh’s and ahhh’s!
Stand with your dog behind you or, if you have a very small dog, try kneeling rather than standing. Bend at the waist and hold your dog’s favorite treat between your knees.
Call her and show her the treat; when she is between your legs you can say, “PEEKABOO,” and give her the treat. Once she is doing it consistently, try holding the treat when she is between your legs and make her sit (you can either say it or signal) and then give her the treat, always saying “PEEKABOO.”
After a few times of repeating the action, just say “PEEKABOO” and wait for her to go between your legs, sit, look at you, and then give her the treat. Remember to always use a release word (such as “OK” or “all done”) when you want her to move away from between your legs.
Enroll in the AKC GoodDog! Helpline and talk to experienced trainers to get advice on how to best train your dog. The telephone support service is open seven days a week: www.akcgooddoghelpline.org