Cop CopDog places front paws on your feet and walks with you
The dog stands on your feet (front paws on your shoes) and walks with you, parent-child dance style. Built from middle (dog between your legs) and high five (paw targeting). Best for medium or smaller dogs. Walk very slowly.
Also known as: Paws on Feet, Dance With Me
At a glance
- Tier
- 4 · Expert
- Time to fluency
- 4–10 weeks
- Practice
- 3× per week, 5 min each
- Equipment
- Small soft treats, Flat, stable shoes
Prerequisites
Your dog should know these words first:
How to teach cop cop
Lure
From middle, lure one paw onto your foot, then the other
- Start from middle position between your legs
- Hold a treat low and slightly forward, tapping your shoe. Mark any paw contact with your foot
- Shape one paw on one foot, then the other paw on the other foot
- Once both paws are on your feet, take one tiny step and reward
Hand Signal
Tap both shoes as the invitation to step on
- Tap your feet, then hold a treat between your knees to guide the dog into position
- Once on your feet, walk extremely slowly. One step at a time
- Keep your feet flat and stable so the dog feels secure
Verbal Cue
The cue starts the walk. The dog steps onto your feet on the word
- Say the word from the middle position, mark paws-on-feet
- Build from standing still to 1 step to 3 steps to walking
- Keep sessions short. This requires coordination from both of you
Success criteria
- Unlearned
- Does not place paws on feet or steps off immediately
- In progress
- Steps onto feet on the word and takes 3 steps with you
- Mastered
- Walks 10+ steps on your feet on verbal cue, smooth and coordinated
Common mistakes
- Walking too fast, which dislodges the paws
- Attempting with a dog that is too large or heavy for your feet
- Not starting from middle, so the dog is not in the right position
- Shuffling your feet, which is uncomfortable for the dog. Lift and place