Trick Time: Say Your Prayers

The Actual Training Method That Works

By Biscuit (Founder & CEO of Adorable Things Inc.)

Step 1: Build a Solid “Paws Up” First (Non-Negotiable)

This trick is a show stopper with an extra dollop of “mega-cute”. Use it’s power wisely, young grasshopper! But, before you even think about the “prayer” part, your dog needs to confidently place both front paws on something.

Use:

• Your forearm (best for the final look)

• A low stool or ledge (easier for beginners)

How to train it:

• Hold a treat at nose level

• Guide your dog forward so they step up with both paws

• The second both paws make contact → reward immediately

Repeat until your dog:

• Offers paws up quickly

• Holds position comfortably

• Isn’t wobbling like they’re on a balance beam

👉 If this part is shaky, the final trick will look sloppy. This is where most people cut corners—and it shows.

Step 2: Introduce the Head Drop (This Is the Trick)

Now we shape the illusion.

With your dog in the paws up position, take a treat and slowly move it:

➡️ From nose level
➡️ Downward
➡️ Slightly inward toward their chest or your arm

What should happen:

• Your dog follows the treat down

• Their head lowers

• Their eyes disappear behind their paws/your arm

The moment the head drops and eyes are hidden → reward

That’s it. That’s the magic moment.

Step 3: Be Precise About What You Reward

This is where you either create a viral-level trick… or a confused dog doing interpretive dance.

You are ONLY rewarding:

• Head tucked down

• Eyes hidden or mostly hidden

• Body still in paws-up position

Do NOT reward:

• Looking down briefly then popping back up

• Sliding off the object

• Pawing at your hand like a maniac

👉 If you reward the wrong thing, your dog will invent a completely different trick. And they will commit to it.

Step 4: Add Your Cue (“Say Your Prayers”)

Once your dog is consistently:

• Putting paws up

• Tucking their head when lured

Now you add the cue.

Say:
“Say your prayers”

Then immediately guide them into the position.

After enough reps, your dog will connect:
Cue → Action → Reward

Step 5: Fade the Lure (Or You’ll Be Stuck Forever)

Right now your dog is following food. That’s fine—for now.

Start transitioning to:

• Same hand motion

• No treat visible

Then reward AFTER they complete the behavior.

If you skip this step, your dog will only “pray” when they see snacks.
Which, to be fair, is relatable—but not helpful.

Step 6: Build Duration (This Is What Makes It Cute)

A quick head dip is not “praying.” That’s a glitch.

You want a held pose.

Train it like this:

• Head down → count 1 → reward

• Then 2 seconds

• Then 3 seconds

Gradually increase.

👉 The longer they hold it, the more it looks intentional—and the cuter it gets.

Step 7: Clean It Up for the Final Look

Now we refine the presentation:

Aim for:

• Paws stable and close together

• Head fully tucked

• Minimal movement

If your dog keeps peeking up:

• Lower your lure slightly more

• Reward only the deepest head tuck

If your dog slides off your arm:

• Your “platform” is too unstable

• Or you moved too fast

Step 8: Practice in Real Positions (Arm vs Object)

A subtle mistake people make:
They train on a box… then expect it to magically transfer to their arm.

It won’t. Dogs are literal.

So once the behavior is solid:

• Practice with your forearm

• Practice at different angles

• Practice standing and sitting

Common Mistakes (That Will Absolutely Happen If You Ignore This)

1. Training head drop without stable paws
→ Dog just bows awkwardly on the ground

2. Moving too fast with the lure
→ Dog loses position completely

3. Rewarding too early
→ Dog never fully hides their eyes

4. Not separating the steps
→ Dog gets confused and improvises

Final Biscuit Truth

This trick looks simple…

…but it’s actually a precision shaping exercise.

Do it right, and you get:

• A clean, repeatable trick

• A ridiculously cute pose

• A dog that looks like they’re politely negotiating with the universe

Do it wrong, and you get:

• A dog leaning on your arm

• Making eye contact

• Judging you

Choose wisely.

—Biscuit 🐾

Tails from the Doghouse

“The Night I Became… Deeply Spiritual”
By Biscuit (Founder of Evil Inc., Part-Time Philosopher, Full-Time Snack Enthusiast)

It started, like many of my greatest ideas, with snacks. Daddy had been teaching us a new trick called “Say Your Prayers,” where you put your paws up, tuck your head down, and suddenly everyone acts like you’ve achieved enlightenment. I tried it once—got a treat. Tried it again—got two treats. That’s when I realized this wasn’t just a trick… it was a system.

Later that night, I decided to test this discovery. I approached Daddy on the couch, calmly placed my paws on his arm, tucked my head down, and held the pose. Stillness. Commitment. Art. Daddy gasped. “Aw, Biscuit… that’s adorable.” Treat. Excellent. I repositioned and did it again—longer this time, really leaning into the whole “deep reflection” vibe. “Okay, okay… one more,” he said. Treat. Now we were talking.

Naturally, I escalated. I followed him into the kitchen and repeated the maneuver. Same precision. Same intensity. Kevin wandered in. “Bithcuit, awe you pwacticing being a statue?” I remained focused. Great artists are often misunderstood. Daddy sighed, “Alright… last one.” Treat.

The next morning, I tried it on Cricket. Paws up. Head down. She adjusted her glasses. “You’re not actually praying, you know. You’re just repeating a trained behavior for reinforcement. This is operant conditioning.” I held the pose. “…Okay, that is kind of impressive.” Treat. Even Cricket couldn’t resist.

At this point, I believed I had unlocked an infinite snack loop. But then… everything fell apart. That afternoon, I approached Daddy again—perfect execution. Silence. No gasp. No treat. I peeked. He was watching me, arms crossed. “Biscuit… are you just doing this for treats now?” I froze. I doubled down—deeper head tuck, more intensity. Nothing. “Nice try,” he said. No treat.

I tried Kevin. “Bithcuit, is you asking the thnack gods for tweats?” Finally, someone understood. He looked at me the way only a proud little brother can. “Good wuck.” No treat.

I tried Cricket again. She didn’t even look up. “You’ve overused the behavior. The reinforcement value has dropped.” I didn’t know what that meant, but I didn’t like it.

That night, I sat in my bed actually reflecting. Had I taken something cute and turned it into a snack vending strategy? (Yes. Obviously yes.) The next day, Daddy called me over. “Biscuit, say your prayers.” I did the trick—no desperation, no scheming. Just the behavior. He smiled. “That’s a good one.” Treat.

And that’s when it clicked. Tricks can get you treats. Being adorable is powerful. But if you turn every moment into a transaction, people stop believing it. Sometimes, you just do the thing… and the good stuff follows.

Also, for the record, I am still running a limited-time “prayer service” in the kitchen between 4–6 PM.

Business is business.

—Biscuit 🐾

See Biscuit’s “Evil Inc.” business at work in this hilarious episode!

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