Frito Feet

You will want to start by just touching the outside of the leg and slowly let your flat hand slide down toward the paw. It would be helpful to be talking softly to the dog all the while and even some neck scratching will help. It is very likely the dog will move the paw away. That's fine. Just start at the shoulder and do the same until the dog leaves the paw there and lets you touch it. A treat now and again would expedite the procedure and reassure the dog you mean no harm.

Some dogs will growl when you try to touch the paws. Correct that with a growly "aaaaah!" No time like the present to let the dog know you're higher in the pack than s/he is. If the growling stops and the dog is just leery of your work, give it a treat. Keep rewarding good behavior and you'll soon be able to handle all the dog's feet, teach it to shake and "high five" and to let you sneak a whiff of "frito feet."

(BTW, your vet and groomer will thank you for teaching your dog to be touched all over. Makes things so much easier for them.)

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Cute

I am not a professional dog trainer, but have spent time training dogs in conjunction with 4-H and as an instructor at PetsMart for many years. Information in my blog and on any lens is from my own experiences and research. I cannot be responsible for what you do with the information provided, nor how you interpret that information. If you use tips provided in my blog, on the site, or in my articles, you do so at your own risk.