On this page I will give you the How To instructions for the foundation front paw target exercise.

Focusing on his paws will help your dog feel in control of his body in new or stressful situations. As a result, your dog will feel more grounded and relaxed.

Doing body awareness and coordination exercises like this front paw target exercise (placing paws on targets is an eye-body coordination exercise + it works on your dog’s body awareness as she feels the sensation of different surfaces under her paws) helps the learner focus on here and now, regulate dopamine and other “feel good” hormones in the brain, create a sense of agency and self confidence.

Using this “pattern” paw target exercise is also my favorite way to introduce new surfaces to my dogs! Once the dog knows the pattern with a familiar target, you can just swap the target for something new. Using a familiar pattern with a new object will create a sense of “I know this! I can totally dog this”, boosting your dog’s confidence while making introducing new surfaces super quick and smooth.

First teach this exercise at home in a safe and comfortable setup. Once your dog knows this exercise, you can start practicing it in more locations, even with your dog on a leash or in limited spaces!

Scroll down for the first video! You can also get the HOW TO video together with troubleshooting tips for 2 most common problems on your email so you will always have access to it:

Note that this video is from inside my Movement Puzzles course and may refer to other exercises that are not part of this training!

In case of questions, please send an email to Kriste from our support team: support@themovingcanine.com

Happy training 🙂