Teaching Your Pug Dog How To Crawl

Step 1: Teach this behavior on grass or on a carpeted surface.
Place your Pug in a down position. Step in front of him, facing your dog.
Hold a piece of dog biscuit in your right hand. Place your left hand on your dog’s shoulder.
Place the biscuit six inches in front of your dog’s nose. Give the command “Crawl.”
As your dog moves forward to get the biscuit, praise him.
Keep your left hand on the Pug’s shoulder. If he tries to stand up, command “Down.”
Do not allow your dog to get the biscuit. Continue to keep it about six inches in front of his nose while you induce him forward.
After your dog has crawled forward about twelve inches, praise him and allow him to eat a piece of the biscuit.

Practice this step every day. Increase the distance that your dog crawls forward a little each day before you reward him with the food. Be sure to reward him with verbal praise as he is crawling. Do not remove your hand from his shoulder. You want to condition your dog to keep his belly on the ground.

Step 2: When your Pug will crawl for ten feet using step 1, you can now move on to step 2.
Place your dog in a down position.
Step directly in front of your dog, facing him. Do not place your hand on his shoulder. Bend forward slightly toward your dog.
Show him a dog biscuit. Give the command “Crawl” and slowly back up in your tracks.
If your dog follows after you by crawling forward, praise him.
If he attempts to get up from the down position, quickly command “Down.” Then repeat the “Crawl” command.
After your dog has crawled forward for twelve inches, reward him with a piece of biscuit.
Continue backing up, rewarding your dog at one-foot intervals, until you have gone ten feet.

Practice this step every day. Be sure to stand right in front of your dog. As your dog becomes proficient with this step, have him crawl longer distances between rewards. Eventually do not reward your dog until he has crawled the entire ten feet.

Step 3: When your dog will crawl with your hand off his shoulder for ten feet, you are ready for step 3.
Down your Pug dog and tell him to “Stay.”
Go one foot away and turn to face your dog. Hold a dog biscuit in your hand.
Give the command “Crawl.” Simultaneously pat both of your hands, palms open, on your thighs. Your dog will associate this hand patting as a hand signal to crawl.
Back up six inches as your dog begins to crawl toward you. Verbally praise him as he crawls. Continue to pat your thighs and interject the command “Crawl.”
Be sure your dog keeps his belly on the ground. If he starts to stand up, give the command “Down.”
When your dog reaches you, pet him and verbally praise him. Let him have a piece of the biscuit.

Practice this behavior every day. Increase the distance away from your Pug dog in one-foot intervals until he will crawl as far as you want. If you have problems, revert back to a prior step.

Teaching Your Pug A Classic Trick: Roll Over & Play Dead

Straight From The Vet’s Mouth

How A Simple Set Of Keys Can Be The Best Tool In Pug Training

How A Pug Dog’s Vision May Cause Mistaken Behavioral Problems

How A Pug Breeder Should Put On A Puppy Presentation (Part 3)

How A Pug Breeder Should Put On A Puppy Presentation (Part 2)