Cross PawsDog crosses one front paw over the other while lying down
An elegant trick that looks harder than it is. The dog already knows shake (paw lift) and down (position). Combine them: in a down, lure one paw across the other. Patience matters. This is a precision behaviour.
Also known as: Fancy, Pretty Paws
At a glance
- Tier
- 2 · Intermediate
- Time to fluency
- 2–5 weeks
- Practice
- 3× per week, 5 min each
- Equipment
- Small soft treats, A non-slip surface
Prerequisites
Your dog should know these words first:
How to teach cross paws
Lure
From a down, draw a treat from one paw across to the other side
- Start in a down, hold a treat at the outer edge of the paw you want to cross
- Slowly draw it across to the other side. The paw should follow
- Mark ANY cross, even if the paw only touches the other leg
- Shape in small steps: lift, reach across, cross over
Hand Signal
A horizontal sweeping gesture across the dog's front
- Shrink the lure motion into a small lateral sweep
- Always cross the same paw at first; add the other side later
- The gesture should be at floor level, not above
Verbal Cue
Name the behaviour once the cross is smooth
- Say the word, gesture, mark the cross
- Fade the gesture so the word alone produces the pose
- Pair it with a camera. This trick photographs beautifully
Success criteria
- Unlearned
- Does not move paws laterally in a down
- In progress
- Crosses paws on the word alone from a down
- Mastered
- Crosses paws smoothly on cue, holds the pose until released
Common mistakes
- Expecting a full cross before the paw lift toward the other side is consistent
- Moving the lure too fast, so the dog stands up instead of crossing
- Always crossing the same paw and never teaching the other
- Not rewarding in the down position, so the dog pops up after the cross