CrawlDog moves forward while staying in a down
A body-awareness skill that strengthens the core and teaches the dog to move slowly and deliberately. The challenge is keeping the rear end down while the front moves forward. Use a low barrier to help at first.
Also known as: Army Crawl, Creep
At a glance
- Tier
- 2 · Intermediate
- Time to fluency
- 3–7 weeks
- Practice
- 3× per week, 5 min each
- Equipment
- Small soft treats, A soft surface, Optional: a low barrier (broomstick on chairs)
Prerequisites
Your dog should know these words first:
How to teach crawl
Lure
From a down, draw a treat slowly forward along the floor
- Keep the treat on the floor and move it 2 inches at a time
- Mark any forward movement while the belly stays down
- If the dog stands up, you moved the treat too fast or too high
- A low barrier (your leg, a broomstick on chairs) keeps the rear down
- Reward after 2 inches, then 6, then a foot
Hand Signal
Low flat hand sweeping forward at floor level
- Keep the hand very low. If your hand rises, the dog rises
- Add distance gradually: one body length is a real achievement
- Remove the barrier once the dog understands to stay low
Verbal Cue
Name it once the crawl is smooth
- Say the word as the dog begins to creep forward
- Practise on soft surfaces. Crawling on hard floors is uncomfortable
- Keep sessions short; this is physically demanding
Success criteria
- Unlearned
- Stands up from a down when lured forward
- In progress
- Crawls on the word alone for a body length
- Mastered
- Crawls smoothly for 4+ feet on verbal cue on any surface
Common mistakes
- Raising the lure above floor level, which pulls the dog into a stand
- Asking for too much distance too soon. Inches before feet
- Practising on rough or hot surfaces that make crawling unpleasant
- Long sessions that tire the dog's core and sour the exercise