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Crawl

From down, the dog moves forward while keeping chest and belly close to the ground.

Age suitability: From about 10 months.

Aliases: army crawl

Prerequisites: Down

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Details

Why dogs take to it: Crawl is mostly a shaped behavior requiring impulse control, not a broadly spontaneous trick.

Breed tendencies: Short-legged dogs often show easier mechanics; tall breeds frequently pop up and need slower criteria.

Physical suitability: Avoid for dogs with elbow issues; use padded/non-abrasive surfaces.

Supplies: treats, soft surface, optional low obstacle

Verbal cues: crawl

Hand signal: Low forward sweep near the ground.

Fun fact or history: Crawl is used in working-dog contexts for low-profile movement.

Training guidance

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