How to Teach Your Dog to Take a Bow: Your Simple Guide

Not all the tricks we teach our dogs have practical meaning. For example, shaking hands or giving a paw are dog tricks we use for entertainment only. The good thing is that your dog will also enjoy the attention and praise it receives when performing such tricks.

Would you like to add one more fun trick to your dog’s scope? Consider teaching your dog to take a bow position on command. We offer you a brief guide on how to train your dog to bow.

Get Ready to Teach Your Dog to Bow

The dog bow position trick doesn’t require much preparation. However, like most commands, it relies on positive reinforcement to encourage your dog to display desired behavior.

To train your dog the bow trick you need:

• Your dog’s favorite treats to use as a lure and reward.
• A clicker (if your dog is familiar with clicker training).
• Teaching your dog to stand on a verbal cue will be beneficial.

Step 1. Make Your Dog Stand Up

At this stage, your dog should be able to stand up in front of you and be on your command. The stand command is a part of the basic obedience training. So, if you haven’t trained your dog to do so, dedicate some time to master the command first.

Start teaching your dog to bow by making them stand before you on all fours. If your dog struggles to follow your verbal command, you can lure them to the standing position using a treat.

Step 2. Get Your Dog to the Down Position

Next, you should make your dog lower the upper part of the body so that the dog's elbows touch the ground. The dog should bend the front legs, while the back should stay up. You can help your dog get in the position by luring.

Keep the treat close to the dog’s nose. Then, slowly move it down to the floor. The dog will follow the treat and go down; keep your dog down for a few seconds and then make the behavior (praise with “Yes!” or use a clicker). Reward the dog for following the lure.

Step 3. Fade the Lure

You need to remove the food lure from the equation at this stage. To do so, keep the treat in one hand and use the other to guide your dog down. When you see the dog bowing in the down position, offer them the treat you kept in your other hand.

Step 4. Increase the Length

It’s a good idea to add more duration to the time your dog maintains the down position. It will train your dog to keep a stable body position without their back dropping down.

Repeat the steps above, but withhold a treat for a few seconds to make your dog bow longer. After some time, your dog will maintain the bow position more comfortably.

Step 5. Add a Verbal Cue

When you teach your dog how to bow, you should work on adding a command word. Before you lure your dog to the down position described in steps two and three, add a verbal cue: “Take a bow!’

Keep practising daily in short sessions to help your furry friend build the connection between the command you give and their body position.

How to Teach a Dog to Bow: Troubleshoot Common Problems

Sometimes, teaching your dog to take a bow isn’t straightforward. Some dogs catch up on the command quickly, while the dog bow trick can be more challenging for others. We’ve picked some of the most common issues dog owners face in training session and how to fix them.

Dog Fails to Keep the Rear End Up

Keeping their back up in the air while bending the front legs can be difficult for some dogs, especially when teaching a dog to bow. One of the ways to help a pup maintain the bow position is to place your arm under the dog’s stomach. At the same time, you should use your free hand to lure the dog down.

Dog Loses the Interest in Training

Patience is key to successful dog training. Don’t rush things. Some dogs can become overtired and overstimulated, especially if you train them for an extended period. That’s why it is vital to keep the training session short, around 5 minutes, but practise consistently to achieve positive results.

Dog Fails to Remember the Sequence of Steps

Some dogs have difficulty mastering all the command steps at once. If this is the case, you can apply shaping as an alternative to luring. Reward your dog for any attempts to bend the front legs. 

First, you can reward your dog for going halfway. After some time, encourage your furry friend to go closer to the floor. Breaking the command into smaller steps will help your dog learn to bow during several training sessions.

Struggling with dog training is more common than you think. There’s no need to do it on your own if you lack proper expertise. Nowadays, getting help from professional dog trainers is easier than ever.

Wrap Up

Many owners choose to teach a dog how to bow to provide them with another fun and impressive trick to perform. You can successfully train a dog bow trick using five easy steps based on luring and positive reinforcement.

Remember to stay patient and praise your dog for following the command to keep them motivated. Slowing down the training process or switching to shaping can also be helpful if the dog struggles to acquire the skill.