Dr. Dunbar’s 28-Day Good Dog Challenge
Puppy Push-ups
Day 3 · Down, Sit, Down, Sit… for just one piece of kibble.
Today’s challenge
How many Push-ups will your dog gladly do for just one piece of kibble? By midnight tonight, text me your record. Bonus: send a video!
Why Puppy Push-ups?
Puppy Push-ups teach two of the most useful words your dog will ever learn, Down and Sit, and they show you just how much your dog will do for a single food reward.
Step by step
Teach Down
- Get ready. Hold a piece of kibble between your finger and thumb, right in front of your dog’s nose.
- Say “Down.” Then, palm down, move your hand from your dog’s nose to their toes. Their nose will follow the kibble to the floor.
- Hold still. Keep your palm flat and still on the floor until your dog’s elbows and chest touch the floor, with their bottom still up in the air, like a play bow.
- Slide toward their chest. Slowly move your hand along the floor toward your dog’s chest. As their weight shifts back, their bottom will plop to the floor.
- Praise, and reward. “Good Dog!”
Teach Sit
- Say “Sit.”
- Raise your hand, palm up, upward and slightly back over your dog’s muzzle, to where their nose will be once they sit. As their nose goes up, their bottom goes down.
- Praise, and reward.
Now go for a record
Once your dog will lie down and sit up for one piece of kibble, ask for two Push-ups in a row for lots of praise but just one food reward. Then three in a row, then four, five, eight, and twelve.
Keep track of your record, then challenge your family and friends to beat your personal best!
Special tips
My dog has short legs.
Work on a low, 6-inch training platform, or on a landing at the top of some stairs, so you can lower the kibble below their front paws. As your dog’s nose moves down to follow it, they lower their back end as an anchor.
My big dog gets comfy and won’t sit back up.
You’ll need to energize your dog. Step back and pat the floor about a foot in front of their paws. As they stand to move toward you, step in and give the Sit signal, moving your palm quickly upward and back over their muzzle. Praise and reward the moment they sit.
My dog stands up instead of lying down.
Move your hand more slowly, and keep the kibble right at their nose. Hold your palm still on the floor and be patient. Most dogs fold into a Down if you wait a few seconds.
My dog jumps up for the kibble when I ask for a Sit.
Your hand is probably too high. Keep it just above their nose, and move it back over their head rather than straight up.
What’s next
- Tomorrow, Day 4, we add Stand and mix up all three positions, so your dog listens instead of guessing.
- From Day 7, 5 Puppy Push-ups are part of your daily warm-up.
Filming tips and prizes: Videos and Prizes.
Top Dog Academy
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