Doggie pushups are a fun and engaging exercise routine for dogs that can help build their strength, agility, and mental focus.
It’s essentially a series of commands that your dog follows, incorporating the two different movements of “sit” and “down”.
The best part is that this dog exercise is easy to teach!

Disclaimer: This blog post was originally published in 2017 and has been updated in 2023. It contains affiliate links I may earn compensation through at no additional cost to you.ย
How to Teach Doggie Pushups: The Benefits
But first, I’d like to point out its benefits!
You probably know that a strong human core reduces and prevents injuries.
But did you know that the same concept is true for dogs?ย
Teaching doggie pushups really does come with a plethora of benefits:
- Strengthens the bond between you and your dog(s)
- Maintains flexibility in your dog
- Gets rid of pent-up energy
- It’s a K9 core strengthener
- Builds those K9 abs
- Burns calories
They get bonus points in my book for being fairly easy to teach, so whatโs not to love about this exercise?
Check out Missy & Buzz in the video below to see what doggie pushups look like:
So How Do I Teach Doggie Pushups?
As Missy & Buzz just demonstrated, doggie pushups are a back and forth motion between a โsitโ and a โdownโ position.
Soย itโs easy to teach if your dog already knows those two commands.ย
Simply tell him to โsitโ and then to โlie downโ.
Repeat that motion several times โ thatโs it!
I typically ask the pups for 3-5 reps in one session and reward them with a tasty treat at the end of the exercise.ย
I Use Food Rewards
Use whatever (food) reward works best for your pup.
I love using single-ingredient dog treats that donโt contain any crap like artificial colors or preservatives, but thatโs just my personal preference.ย
Plus, I’m a raw feeder, so the treats I use for the pups reflect their diet.
Side note: If your dog is more motivated by a favorite toy or TLC rewards from you, then use that!
Whatever motivates your dog to work is fine.
Sometimes, I reward with a small, bite-size treat.
Other times, I give more of a jackpot style treat like a dehydrated duck neck.ย
The size of the treat really doesnโt matter to the pups, but I like to keep them guessing at what Mommy will dish out next to keep it interesting and worth working for.


What If My Dog Doesnโt Know The โSitโ And โDownโ Commands?
No worries if your dog doesnโt know the โsitโ and โdownโ commands quite yet.
Both are easy to teach โ I used a combination ofย capturingย andย shapingย the behaviors when I taught them to Missy & Buzz.
How does capturing work?
Capturing simply means to catch your dog in the act of doing the desired behavior.
So when Missy & Buzz would lie down on their own, Iโd reward them with a treat and associate the word โdownโ with it.
I applied the same logic to whenever they sat on their own โ reward and associate the word โsitโ with it.
How does shaping work?
Shapingย meansย showing them what you want them to do.
So in order to help them learn the โsitโ command, Iโd hold a small treat right above their noses when they were in a standing position. Then, I slowly moved it back towards their heads, right in between their ears.
What happened is that they followed the movement of the treat, meaning their butts hit the ground. Once they did, I associated the word โsitโ with the position.
Super easy, right?!ย
When shaping the โdownโ position, Iโd have them stand or sit, hold a small treat in my hand and move that hand towards the ground, between their paws.
Again, they followed the movement of the treat, and ended up lying on the ground.
Once they did, I said โdownโ. Also pretty easy to teach.
Don’ts:
- Donโt practice on slippery surfaces. Non-slippery surfaces like carpet or grass provide much better traction than tile or hardwood.
- Donโt practice right after your dog eats. Thereโs a time forย everything and exercising right after your dog eats is a bad idea. At best, the food will come back up, at worst, your dog will die from bloat.
- Donโt overdo it. Keep exercise sessions short and fun. I like to exercise 3-4 times a day for no longer than 5 minutes each session. TV commercial breaks are a great time for little exercise sessions, by the way!
How to Teach Doggie Pushups: Bottom Line
Doggie pushups areย easy to teachย because the only prerequisites are the โsitโ and the โdownโ positions. Both are two basic obedience commands that are also fairly easy to teach.ย
Theyโre aย great strength-training exerciseย that can easily be used to burn energy and calories when weโre stuck inside on those crappy days. Iโm thinking snow, high winds, and pouring rain.ย
Enjoy your doggie pushup practice sessions, butย avoid them right after your pups eat to avoid bloat.
I typically wait for 60 minutes after feeding time until I ask Missy & Buzz to perform any type of exercise.ย
Are youย currentlyย practicingย core-strengthening exercises with your dog? As always, Iโd love to hear from you in the comment section below this blog post!
Related Reading:
- 10 Ways to Exercise Your Dog Inside on Crappy Days
- When NOT to Exercise Your Dog – Avoiding Bloat
- Training a Solid Down-Stay
- Real Dog Box Review
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