This piece is a lighthearted character piece reflecting the parlor music aesthetics of the era. It relies on percussive articulation and simple harmonic progressions to create a bright, rhythmic effect.
Focus on crisp, detached articulation in the right hand to achieve the required playful character.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
'Shake Dat Hoof!' is rated Henle level 2 of 9 — beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 2–3. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 3.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 2 — meaning you can already play level 1–2 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of 'Shake Dat Hoof!' lasts about 3 minutes.
'Shake Dat Hoof!' is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include 'World's Fair' Polka by Thomas J. Armstrong, Brazilian March by Thomas J. Armstrong, Bangor March by Thomas J. Armstrong — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.