Are you a dog lover who loves to brag about your furry pal and impress family and friends by showing off some awesome tricks? If so, welcome to the club! You definitely want to add this one to your doggy's repertoire. While it's true that many trick-training books have been published on the subject, the bow deserves a place of honour. Why?
Because nothing beats seeing a well-behaved pooch take a bow in front of guests, which will yield lots of laughs and giggles.
When it comes to teaching tricks, it's a good idea to have a variety up your sleeve; the best trainers out there know that there's not a one-way-fits-all approach for every dog. Each dog is an individual blessed with its own personality, so it's a good idea to get creative and train it in different ways. Through experimentation, I have found that there are three main ways that this trick can be taugh. In some cases, you may find that you may have to use a combination of techniques.
3 Training Techniques for the Bow
Capturing
Luring
Shaping
Don't be bashful in trying more than one! My female dog learned this trick best by shaping using a prompt; my male found it easier through luring. So get your tasty treats ready, and skip those old, stale doggie cookies you forgot in the jar on the top shelf; you'll want treats Rover drools for to get that motivation in full gear.
There isn't a one-way-fits-all approach to training, and this trick is no different. Try each of these methods to find the one that works best for your dog!
There isn't a one-way-fits-all approach to training, and this trick is no different. Try each of these methods to find the one that works best for your dog!
There isn't a one-way-fits-all approach to training, and this trick is no different. Try each of these methods to find the one that works best for your dog!
Method 1: Capturing
In this training technique, you'll need to imagine yourself being a good photographer who is going to capture on film the most vivid moments in life. As the word implies, you'll be literally capturing your dog's behaviours and acknowledging them by immediately feeding those high-value treats.
Just like a photographer, you'll need "eye," patience, and great observational skills. In this case, you won't be taking pictures, though; instead, you'll be watching your dog and rewarding him immediately the moment he takes a spontaneous bow.
The Spontaneous Bow
What's a spontaneous bow, and how does it happen? In a natural setting, you'll eventually see Rover take a bow every now and then. When? Watch him when he gets up from a nap. As he rises from his bed, he'll likely stretch out those muscles like a cat and take a bow.
Another time you want to capture a spontaneous bow is when your dog is in a playful mood and invites you or another dog to play. So be ready to click your clicker or verbally mark with a "yes!" the moment you notice these spontaneous bows unravel before your eyes and immediately deliver a treat.
As opportunistic creatures, click after click, dogs will learn to repeat the behaviour. This occurs because they tend to repeat behaviours with a history of reinforcement. This explains why Rover is so great at placing himself in front of your table and making the most pitiful face ever. He knows that you eventually will drop a piece of food to your starving pooch in the name of mercy!
Command and Reward
Once your dog starts realizing that taking a bow yields rewards, you'll see the behaviour repeat. This is a good time to put the behaviour on cue. This means the moment you see your dog is about to take a bow, you'll say the name of the command and immediately reward after. Once your dog starts responding to the cue alone, you can stop capturing.
Each dog has it's own learning pace and style; patience and consistency are key.
Each dog has it's own learning pace and style; patience and consistency are key.
Each dog has it's own learning pace and style; patience and consistency are key.
Method 2: Luring
Now, imagine going fishing. You have a tasty lure at the end of your fishing line, and the fish is so drawn to it he just can't help himself from following the lure. When you use luring in training your dog, you'll be technically drawing him to a lure so you can teach him new behaviour's.
The lure, in this case, is obviously something your dog likes, such as a toy or a treat. Since many dogs are drawn to food, treats are the most commonly used lures. In training your dog to take a bow through luring, you'll be basically encouraging your dog to position himself to take a bow.
Tempt and Reward
Start with your dog standing in front of you. Bring the treat in front of your dog's nose, let his sniffer smell it, and then bring it slowly down between his front paws. Your dog's nose, like a magnet, will follow the treat.
When your dog's elbows lower and touch the ground and right before your dog's bottom touches the floor, praise and deliver the treat, be quick; time is of the essence when it comes to praising and giving rewards! Repeat the exercise until your dog starts understanding that in order to be rewarded, his elbows must touch the floor, and his bum must stay up.
Once your dog follows the lure into the bow position, it's time to add the cue. Start saying, "Take a bow," right before using the treat so as to position him into the bow position. Once your dog has this down well, it's time for you to fade the lure. Otherwise, you'll end up bribing, and your dog will perform only when he sees the treat.
Fade the Lure
To fade the lure, you will need to work on gradually making your hand movement less and less salient up to a point where it's barely noticeable. Don't forget to take the treat out of the picture (keep it in your pocket and give it only once your dog takes a bow) and continue to progress until your dog is capable of relying less and less on the hand movement and more and more on your verbal cue alone.
Method 3: Shaping
Imagine having some Play-Doh and gradually morphing it into a little statue. You first start with a blob of dough, then you make a silhouette, and then you start adding all those little details.
In the same way, through shaping, you'll be gradually shaping a behaviour from scratch while rewarding all those little signs of progress. Your dog, therefore, will learn to take a bow in successive approximations as you start with low criteria and then start raising the bar as your dog progresses. The best way to shape behaviours is by using a clicker. If your dog is clicker savvy, he most likely is open to offering new behaviours.
Introduce the Clicker
If, on the other paw, your dog is not clicker-trained, you can introduce him to it by loading the clicker. What this means is your dog will need to learn that every click is followed by a treat. You can start by simply clicking and immediately giving a treat afterward and doing this several times in a row.
Your dog does not have to do anything in particular during this time; all you want is for him to learn to associate the click with food. You know the association was clearly made when upon hearing the click, your dog looks for his treat. Now, you can start clicking for desired behaviours.
Gradually Click and Reward
Once your dog understands that a click equals treat, you can start putting your clicker to good use by shaping a play bow. You'll therefore start by clicking and rewarding for every small approximations starting with the slightest shoulder dip and progressing very gradually.
To gain a list of approximations, it always helps to watch a video of a dog performing a play bow fluently in slow motion and identifying all the clickable micro-behaviours that you should expect to see in your dog in a progressive manner.
Using a prop to train my dog to take a bow
Using a prop to train my dog to take a bow
Using a prop to train my dog to take a bow
My Trade Secret: Use a Prop
If you want to expedite the process, you can also use some props. My trick of the trade is using a chair to help dogs that are having difficulties learning to take a bow in the most traditional ways.
I discovered this technique when I was attending a course to become a dog trainer, and I had to train my dog to take a bow quickly. I tried the traditional method, and it didn't work.
Then, during the training, I casually saw my dog taking a spontaneous bow to get some crumbs under a chair. Bingo! I just crafted my own training method, and the instructor was impressed by my creativity!
Start with your dog in a standing position in front of the chair, place yourself behind the chair and use a treat to lure your dog to get the treat from under the chair. As your dog tries to get the treat, he'll likely position himself as if taking a bow.
Start clicking and rewarding the slightest signs of progress. First, click and treat for slightly dipping the front legs, then click and treat for dipping the legs halfway, then you can further raise your criteria and click and treat only when your dog's elbows are touching the floor, and your dog's bottom is up. This is when I like to surprise the dog with a jackpot of treats.
Have Fun!
Taking a bow is ultimately a cute trick that will capture the attention of your amazed audience. If you like to compete in the sport of Canine Musical Freestyle, a nice bow is a perfect addition to your choreography, whether you use it at the beginning or at the end of your performance.
Best of all, taking a bow is beneficial to your dog since he gets to stretch and remove any tension built up in those tight muscles. As seen, training a dog to take a bow has many advantages, and they're all good! Have fun with it, and happy training!
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