How to teach your dog to play peekaboo: Dog peekaboo tips and tricks

There are different tricks to teach your dog and enjoy all the positive things that you can get from it. It can be a solution for rainy days or great fun to spend more quality time with your best friend. All dogs love to play, and when you connect it to treats or a toy, they are even more excited to do whatever you ask from them. Here are a few ideas on how to teach your pooch to play peekaboo. Dog peekaboo is a relatively simple trick to teach your four-legged friend that is a lot of fun for both of you! In this blog post, we’ll tell and show you more about it, so that you and your own dog can learn the basics! There are so many tricks out there that you can do with your pup, but we recommend starting with something simple like this, that still looks impressive. In this short video, you can hear and see how you can do it:

What is dog peekaboo?

This little trick is also known as ‘middle’ to some dog owners, but you can call it whatever you like! It’s an adorable way to play with your dog, where you encourage them to walk around you, sit behind you, and poke their head through your legs- the ‘peekaboo’ or ‘middle’ part of the trick! While it’s definitely one of the more simple tricks out there, it’s still adorable, whether your dog is big or small, and is sure to win the adoration of your family and friends. You can use it as a good basis to teach your dog more complicated tricks, and get a feel for whether they enjoy playing these sorts of games with you. It will also help their more general training, as it uses lots of the skills they’ll need to develop into a well-rounded, well-behaved dog.

More tips and tricks for playing dog peekaboo

Learning peekaboo

You will be surprised how useful peekaboo can be in everyday life!

Peekaboo is a neat little trick, that serves as both a fun training game to show off your pup’s skills with, as well as a trick with plenty of practical purposes! 

But how can it be used as a practical skill as well as a fun game? Well, it’s great because it gives your dog somewhere to “park” out of the way while you are busy doing something. Whether it is giving directions to a lost stranger, letting horses or bikes pass you safely, or paying your bill at the vets, boarding facility or groomers, it’s a good skill to master so your dog can stay out of your way, and you don’t need to worry too much about them misbehaving in the short time you are occupied. 

Dog peekaboo can also be a fun addition to your recall repertoire, as it is excellent for building the trusting and loving relationship with your dog that you need to have a harmonious life together. And, it can also help if you need to manoeuvre your dog in a crowd or in an alley where you need your dog to be out of the way. 

Peekaboo is one of the easier tricks to teach your dog.

Having a few tricks up your sleeve to play with your four-legged friend is fun, and a great excuse to show off your pooch to friends and family! If your dog loves treats, take a few of their favourite ones into your hands and stand in front of your dog face to face. Start luring your dog on one side with treats and then start throwing them on the floor next to you. Then, throw the next one behind you, and then the next one between your legs.  Be sure that your dog is following your hand and taking the treats. In three little steps, your dog is between your legs with their head out. At that point, give them a treat and say ‘peekaboo’. Put more treats in front of you, so your pooch knows that is the position where to stop. To really get the hang of this trick, you should repeat these motions several times until they can do it 9 out of 10 times. That is the time you can use only your hand with no treats to guide them. 

When your dog understands the physical cue (only hand, no treats), you can introduce verbal cue next. Start by saying your dog’s name, along with the term ‘peekaboo’ too. 

How to teach your dog playing peekaboo?

Use this trick often.

Dog peekaboo is a trick that can be helpful and so easy. Even your children can do it, so the whole family can get involved and have fun with your dog! And, using tricks like these can always be a nice pause when you are doing the obedience training sessions. When you are both stuck with the training, you can make a little ‘peekaboo’ break to relax and have fun together. 

For more visual information about ‘peekaboo’ trick, please click here to visit the video again.

Of course, learning and training with your dog should be fun! But, it’s important to remember that all dogs are different. What motivates one dog won’t work for the next, for example. When you’re training your dog, it’s vital to use a good mixture of methods, fun, and games like Peekaboo to get the most out of your training. A well trained dog is far less likely to have behavioural problems such as anxiety and aggression down the line, so it’s a good idea to start your positive training journey as soon as you can!

Royvon is a family-run business that’s been providing dog training and boarding services for over 60 years! We use all of the lastest training methods, and focus on positive, rewards-based training to get the best out of your pup. From puppies who need to learn the basics to thrive as adults, to adult dogs who have more severe issues that are impacting upon their owner’s daily lives, we have seen it all! We can work with you to develop an effective training programme, no matter what your needs might be. To find out more about the services that we offer, both in-person and virtually, please visit our website, or why not get in touch to discuss your unique needs?