The bang trick is great fun to watch and perform. A dog that is taught properly to respond to “Bang” as a command word will drop to the ground, when shot with a gun created from his handlers fingers, and stay perfectly still until a release cue is given.

This trick is very impressive when your dog can do it well. The skill used in how to teach a dog to play dead is mainly timing and reinforcement. It is a brilliant trick to teach with a clicker for this reason alone. We are however going to utilize a cue word rather than the clicker to teach this trick. By reinforcing with a word you will learn a lot about your own timing when giving commands to your dog.

Whilst showing you how to teach a dog to play dead we will use the cue word “good” and offer a treat as a follow up action. Your dog will quickly associate the word with his reward. The cue should be given at exactly the time your dog is carrying out the behavior that you would like to encourage.

Positive dog training

Modern, kind and motivational is a fantastic description of positive dog training.

During the process of how to teach a dog to play dead, you too can learn. There are certain personal rules that professional dog trainers follow in every training session. Whilst teaching your dog this trick, we will be following two of these rules.

The importance of timing during positive reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is the act of reinforcement with reward, of a behavior offered by your dog. Because a dog can offer more than one behavior at once, it can be easy to reinforce the wrong one. An example is a dog that sits and barks can easily associate a reward for either the sit or the bark. As the one teaching your dog, it is your responsibility to time the reinforcement to pinpoint exactly the behavior you want. Admittedly this timing is not as easy as it sounds.

How to use your voice to get the best results from your dog

We will be using only two words when teaching your dog this trick. These words are “good” and “bang”. One of the biggest dog training mistakes is to talk too much. If you are talking throughout the training session your voice will begin to have no effect.  It will simply sound to your dog, like a radio in the background. So challenge yourself to only say these two words whilst teaching your dog this trick.

How to teach a dog to play dead in easy stages

• Prepare with small tasty treats and show your dog that you have them
• When he sees the treats your dog may offer the behaviors that he has already learned, if one of them is to lie down then pinpoint this behavior with the word “good” and give him a treat
•  If this behavior is not pre learned simply wait. Your dog will lie down eventually then use the word “good” and give him a treat.
• You dog will soon associate the down position with “good” and a treat
• Now he knows that the down position is beneficial begin to withhold the word “good” and allow him to work out what to do next. He will quickly attempt to get nearer to the floor.
• Every time he offers a behavior that seems to lead to him lying on his side reinforce with “good” and give him a reward.
• Keep this up and he will soon learn that lying on his side provokes the word and reward.
• Now gradually introduce the word “bang” and the “finger gun” Use it as a prelude to “good” and his reward, you are associating the word to his lying down position.
• Progress by withholding the two words and reward ever so slightly until your dog lies completely still on his side. Then further the progression by bringing the word “bang” and the “finger gun” forward so that you offer it as your dog begins to lie down. Keep the word “good” and reward for prolonging the position.

Depending on your individual dog this could take two to ten short sessions, every canine learns to a different timescale. If you pay attention to your timing, you will be able to see whether your dog has interpreted your reinforcement command, whilst you learn how to teach a dog to play dead, like a professional.

Dog training commands are widespread and varied. The humble and loyal canine is employed within so many roles that the list of dog training commands is getting lengthier all the time.

In reality whatever we train our dogs to do can be called anything at all. We can ask a dog to sit by using the word “egg” if we want to, as long as we have shown the dog what the word means. Generally though the commands we teach to our dogs are far more sensible than “egg”

During competition training particular dog training commands are used. Dogs that carry out specific roles also have their own cue words. Here are some examples of dog training commands used within the English language on a daily basis.

Used in formal obedience and general pet obedience training;

• Sit, probably the most used command, strangers are not adverse to walking up to any dog and asking for a sit response, and more often than not the dog will perform correctly.
• Heel, asking the dog to walk at heel both on and off leash.
• Down, used to ask the dog to lie down on command
• Wait, can be a prelude to another command
• Stay, similar to wait, sometimes used differently dependent on training establishment, the stay is often used for longer term out of sight stays, where the handler can expect the dog to wait for them for several minutes.
• Come, recall, the command used to call a dog back to his handler and the one that many can struggle with.
• Off, particularly useful for dogs that are disposed to jumping on people and furniture.

Flyball and agility training is often based around the dog training commands;

• Up, jumping over things
• Over, jumps and catwalk/a frames
• Through, used to send the dog through the agility tunnel or tire jump
• Steady, to slow an enthusiastic dog whist competing and agility circuit
• Wait, used to steady a dog and prevent it missing crucial touch points on agility equipment
• Fetch, a command used in flyball to encourage the dog to fetch the ball from the dispensing box. Very few formal command words are used in flyball either competition or training as the dog is encouraged to be fast and keen, the atmosphere and adrenaline at a flyball tournament is electrifying. During this activity, handlers often tell their dogs to “go” “fetch” and “come” or “come out”

Working dogs are often taught to respond to the generic obedience commands. Role dependent commands are also introduced; some of them are shown here;

• Seek, a search dog command often used with military arms and explosive search dogs
• Find, another search based command; this is used by tracking dog handlers as well as drugs detection dog handlers.
• Find body, Search and rescue dog command. The target is referred to as the “body” often in these circles.
• What is it, is used by hearing dog trainers to encourage the trained dog to lead to the source of sound after a positive alert
• Forward, used by guide dog trainers when teaching the dog to lead a blind person
• Fetch, Used by physical assistance dog trainers as a prefix to anything from phone, walking stick, coat, food item.
• Chase or attack, Used in military dog training on release of a protection dog to detain an escaping suspect

Dog training commands vary, depending on the training establishment, the particular dog and the role employed for. Some of the commands used when teaching our dogs tricks are great fun;

• Speak, barking on command
• Quiet, cessation of barking
• Bang, feign shooting the dog with our fingers
• Sleep, feign a deep sleep
• Spin, twist the dog around in a circle
• Through, teaching the dog to run through our legs
• Over, teaching the dog to jump a raised leg
• Weave, a great trick where the dog walks through our legs as we walk
• Wave, teach a sitting dog to wave or high five with one paw
• Look left/right, reinforcement of the dog looking in a certain direction.
• Stand tall, stand as tall as you can with your front paws up

Trick commands are great fun and can be used when reinforcing a broad range of impressive behaviors. You can even teach your dog to respond to dog training commands uniquely in a completely different language. You dog will relate to the tone and pitch of your voice rather than the word itself.

Positive dog training is reward based and motivational. Training your dog in a positive manner will ensure that the two of you have a great relationship. Communication is increased immensely by reward based training, and reinforcement alongside reward is a really enjoyable way to teach your dog.

Some dogs have little interest in training treats. The toy motivated dog will work nicely for a tennis ball or tug on a toy rope. Most dogs however will become quickly and easily motivated by a whiff of smelly cheese or liver sausage.

Dog training treats – motivation for reward

By introducing dog training treats into your training sessions you will see the difference in your dog immediately. He will become motivated and want to earn his reward. He will be alert to the potential result of his behavior and responses. Your dog will perform knowing that a reward is possible.

It is a similar response to the human pay increase.

Pet shops sell many varieties of dog training treats. Some catered to the dog’s great sense of smell. Scent of nice treats can be extremely motivational to your dog. Similar to a freshly cooked meal that will make our mouths water in anticipation. Some pet shop treats are already catered to dog training and use with the clicker.

It is not necessary to buy pet shop dog training treats. Leftover meat or cheap sandwich meat will easily get a dog switched on to learning for his reward. Small squares of cheese will present the same result and for hungrier dog’s part of their daily meal.

Working out the value of dog training treats

The best way to use treats as reward is to work out their value to your dog. Dogs, like human beings have preferences. I know a Yorkshire terrier that becomes completely manic for a lick of an empty cream tub; he prefers sweet rewards such as doggy chocolate drops. (This is a special blend of dog training treats since pure chocolate can be quite toxic to dogs.)

When you know your dog you will be able to tell if his interest is piqued by a particular treat. You can test him out with various small amounts and see which he likes the best, and then you can use the favorite for ultimate motivation.

Dog Training Treats – Optimization of effect

There is little point using the treat that your dog likes best to carry out easy tasks. Reward should reflect motivational level needed. By beginning with lowest level of reward you can gradually build to higher value dog training treats to build your dog’s motivation.

Here are some ideas for reward treats beginning with lower value treats and working to the elite and tastiest food reward.

• Carrot chunks
• Cherry tomatoes
• Daily ration of kibble
• Small dog biscuits
• Dry dog treats
• Dog chocolate drops
• Soft pet shop bought dog treats
• Cheese
• Cooked meat’s i.e. ham, sausage, hot dog sausage
• Cooked liver and liver cake

Be careful with some human food. Any chocolate that is not specifically for dogs carries a toxic ingredient that is poisonous to the canine so steer well clear of this. Also be aware that much excess food in the form of dog training treats can cause weight gain.

Size of treats

To provide an effective motivational reward dog training treats should be tiny. A taste will leave your dog wanting more. Slivers of ham just big enough for your dog to taste will be sufficient reward. Think how the first tiny half square of tasty chocolate makes you feel, much better than you feel after devouring a large block of the same treat. It is paramount that you leave your dog wanting more throughout and at the end of a training session.

If dog training treats are too big your dog will lose learning momentum whilst the takes the time to eat them. He will also tire of them quicker therefore his motivation will wane sooner.

You can utilize the value of treats during training sessions. By having a stash of mixed treats ready your dog will never know if he is getting an average treat (piece of kibble) or something really special (square of liver) By alternating reward value you will maintain the motivation of your dog.

Dog training games provide so much more than mental stimulation to your dog. They enable handler control and encourage the dog to focus. They build the relationship between you and your dog and bring the same relationship onto another level.

A Dog’s Eye View

Imagine a dull lesson where you become confused and learn very little. No motivation is offered to encourage you to learn and the whole scenario leaves you feeling a little dull and dispirited. The person teaching you may look disappointed and frustrated throughout. You would certainly not look forward to the next lesson. In fact you could easily begin the dread these sessions and want to avoid them or withdraw into yourself.

Now imagine the same lesson taught in an upbeat and interesting manner. Fun is involved in the learning process. You are given a reward when you get things right and motivated by the promise of this reward. During this session you are encouraged to learn in stages that you can understand easily. You will leave this type of lesson with a sense of achievement and look forward to the next one.

Dog training games

Using dog training games to teach your dog anything will work. In my humble opinion the word games should be used far more frequently at the end of the phrase “dog training”. Even the word gives a good feeling and certainly accentuates the level at which a dog should be taught. By making any learning experience a game for your dog you will be employing positive dog training.

Control and Focus

Old fashioned dog training has claimed that a dog must have respect and be shown dominance. This is neither modern nor proven dog training. Many problems that people encounter with pet dogs can be controlled simply by teaching the dog control and focus. We have all witnessed the frustrated dog walker repeatedly and almost desperately issuing a sit command to an over excited dog. A dog that is that is neither looking at nor paying attention to him. At some point we have probably all been that poor dog walker, I certainly have.

There is no point in asking a dog to do anything if you do not have his attention. There is little point asking for his attention when highly distracted if you have not trained him to focus on you. By using dog training games you can bring your dog to a point where he looks directly to you for a reward when he sees a distraction.

Dog Training Game to Encourage Focus

A brilliant game to encourage control and steady focus is based on reward. It is a simple game that can be carried out over a few minutes, a few times a day and will provide quick and effective results. You will need a reward that the dog likes and a quick hand.

• A food reward is probably best for this game, tiny pieces of something that the dog likes will be easy to work with and encourage the dog to want more. Smaller frequent treats are very motivating.
• Get your dog in a sit position (I assume that you have taught your dog to sit), and then drop a treat on the floor. What you will want to do at this point, is reward a good choice on your dog’s part. If your dog lunges or tries to get to the treat, then immediately put your foot over the treat.
• But on the other hand, if your dog is able to ignore the treat and looks at you, then give him another (and different) treat to reinforce this behavior.
• When the game is over, you can tell him to “Get It!” so that he can get the treat on the floor, or pick it up and give it to him.
• By proofing the command and lengthening the amount of time before rewarding, you are establishing focus and control and at the same time playing fun dog training games that allows your dog to think and gives your dog the opportunity to make a choice.
• Try this with many different distractions, including toys, other people and even other dogs. As long as you have your dog on a leash and that he can’t leave you for the distraction, you should be able to reward the right choice.

When your dog knows to look to you before reacting to something, in this case his treat, he will eventually learn to do the same with other distractions. By employing this focus technique to all your dog training games you will obtain the best results.

A saying used daily in many circles is “you can’t teach old dog’s new tricks”. This is simply not true. A dog of any age will learn when motivation and circumstance permits. A human being can obtain a higher degree whilst simultaneously drawing a pension. A middle aged or elderly dog can learn equally well.

It is undoubtedly true that a puppy is usually very trainable. Alongside the training of a puppy an owner must also tend to the socialization needs of their dog.

Many adult dogs are re-homed or rescued every day. Each of these dogs will learn to cope and interact within their new home. Many settle with few problems. Even if no tricks are taught or formal obedience learned, the new owner is training an older dog.

Military and some assistance dogs are all trained as adult donated or rescued dogs. The learning process often begins late in life for them.

If a hearing dog moves from one deaf recipient to a different one in latter canine years he will learn new things. Each hearing dog is catered to a particular recipient therefore new sounds have to be learned. Using the motivational technique of reward based training the older dog usually learns quickly and easily.

Training an older dog – The benefits

There are great benefits to training an older dog. Learning can help focus your dog’s thoughts, mentally stimulate him and help to slow any onset of confusion or dementia. Training will make your dog mentally happy and healthy regardless of his age.

Training an older dog can be a culture shock for both of you. It can be harder if you have lived with the dog for a long time. Asking your dog to do something out of the ordinary can come as a surprise. The dog will usually enjoy the change of routine and individual attention very much.

Motivation

As with all dog training regardless of the age of dog, positive and reward based methods will get the best result. Motivation is sometimes more effective for an under stimulated older dog than a young keen puppy.

Work out what best motivates your dog. If he has received no training for some time or is a new dog to you then this can take a while.

You will see when your dog is motivated by something by his behavior when the thing is produced. His eyes will light up, tail will wag and he may become physically excited and attempt to take the rewarding item from you.

Treats are a regularly used motivator. If you are considering treats for motivation it is worth starting by experimenting with the less tasty end of the scale. By doing this you will leave yourself with the option of a further and more motivational reward later on.

Toys are another good option. If your dog likes toys then find a great one that he prefers. Only get the special toy out during training times. Put the toy away at the end of each training session whilst your dog is still excited by it.

Physical praise and handling is all some dogs need for motivation.

Training an older dog that has not learned anything new for a while means that you must put some effort into motivation. A dog that is in the habit of settling down and staying in routine for many years may not be keen to change this.

Clicker Training

Clicker training is a fabulous activity for dogs of any age. It is also great fun for a handler. Watching a dog that you have known for a long time display new facial expressions, whilst they learn, is wonderful. Clicker training provides an “I am working this out” look. It builds confidence and makes dog training fascinating and fun.

Bad Habits

Training an older dog that has established bad habits can be difficult. Removing unhelpful habitual behavior and replacing it with something more useful usually calls for an approach of ignore the bad and reward the good. The dog needs to learn to offer a different behavior to the unhelpful one.

By completely ignoring any unhelpful behavior you remove attention away from the dog. If the behavior is to seek attention your dog will not receive his reward until he offers a different behavior. If the better behavior is not automatically offered then it should be quietly prompted.  This is an approach that works well when training an older dog.

Human benefits

Local dog training classes are not all full of puppies. Many providers offer specific sessions that include training an older dog. Training classes are fun and social.

Stimulating your dog and working out how to help him learn is great for the human mind too. Research on positive dog training will open up a new world to you. You will certainly wonder why you didn’t teach your old dog new tricks before.

Teaching your dog new tricks might not be the easiest thing in the world, but it’s highly beneficial to you and your dog. Teaching your dog new tricks can help strengthen your relationship with your beloved pet in many ways. Below are some great reasons why you should start teaching your dog new tricks.

1. Make everyone safe- While learning to teach your dog new tricks, you learn many training techniques which can also be used to gain control over your dog. Teaching him basic tricks like sit and stay can also be used in life situations like crossing the street or entering a store.

2. Give Your Dog Something to Do- It doesn’t take long before your dog gets bored and decides to take on a new hobby of chewing anything in sight, including your brand new sofa. Teaching your dog new tricks will keep him focused on the task at hand, and will entertain him for hours!

3. Help Keep Your Dog’s Mind Sharp- Training your dog will keep his mind active and responsive. As dogs get older they become less physically active, but learning tricks will keep his mind active and alert.

4. Help Create a Better Bond between You and Your Dog- Your dog will look up to you as being the pack leader, and will listen to you instead of trying to get your attention in destructive ways. Best of all, once you teach your dog new tricks, the both of you will become a team.

5. Show Off- You can show off your dog if you teach it some cool tricks, and your dog will get people’s attention. Dogs love attention and they love being in the spotlight so they will like performing in front of your friends and family. Of course, you will also get the recognition of being a star trainer.

6. Make Vet Check Ups Easier- Both the veterinarian and you dislike it when your dog can’t control itself during a checkup. If you teach it to be calm during the check up, it will make both of your lives easier and you won’t be embarrassed that your dog is acting up.

7. Gives Your Dog a Hobby- We all have hobbies we like to do such as watching TV or playing games, but dogs also need things to do. Training your dog new tricks is a great way to pass the time on a rainy day when you can’t take him for walks.

If these reasons have inspired you to teach your dog tricks, then you’ve come to the right place. We have a great dog forum that is full of dog owners training their dog new tricks every day!

My father e-mailed me this amazing pet show video today, I thought it was so great and special that I had to create a blog post about it! It’s only about 5 minutes long but well worth every second, especially the ending!

As I watched this pet show, I wonder how much time and effort went into training these dogs. I wonder what training techniques they used to achieve this high level training and how they were able to coordinate the entire show. I’ve trained my dogs to do quite a few tricks over the years but never anything quite to the caliber that is demonstrated in this pet show. I found this inspiring and showing what actually can be done if we really set our mind to it.

Since I am experienced in training dogs, I was able to spot several signals, in the beginning obviously the whistle being used was a signal, but throughout the video there were several distinct hand and body signals.

Overall, this was an outstanding performance and would love to see it live in person. I think that the best trick performed in the pet show is the two dogs standing together while getting other dogs jumping above them. You can clearly see that both of the dogs are cautious to get hit as they tilt their heads back. There definitely must have been quite a bit of training involved to get this behavior.

What do you think? Leave a comment below if you enjoyed watching this pet show and which trick ‘awed’ you the most!

People often ask me how they can train their dog to do a variety of tricks. Some of the easier ones to start with is shake a paw, high five and roll over. From my experience, I have found that you can learn how to teach a dog to roll over in 3 easy steps.

• The first thing you want to have is some delicious dog treats to train your dog. It is best to use a special treat that your dog doesn’t normally get to eat so that he is enthusiastic about the training. I recommend using turkey sausages because they are inexpensive and easy to cut into small pieces for training.
• Begin your training by putting your dog in a sit position, and then you want to bring the treat next to his nose and down to the ground, and gradually move your hand towards his neck. Give your dog a treat for following your hand and going onto his back. Next, you want to move you hand further away from him so that he rolls over. Make sure that you praise your dog often throughout the training. The most enthusiastic you are during your training session, the more your dog is going to love training with you.
• Once your dog can roll over, you will want to say the command “Roll Over!” at the same time that you “lure” him with the treat. Remember to always give him a treat after he rolls over so that he learns what is expected of him.
• Practice these exercises every day for a week. After that, you will want to phase out the treats so that your dog can roll over without having to use treats. I also recommend that you train in different environments; train in your backyard, your local park or at your friend’s house – that way your dog will be able to perform his new trick everywhere he goes.

Tips:

• You can always use toys instead of treats if your dog is not motivated by food. Use a special toy that you can keep especially for training, like a tug-toy or a squeaky toy.
• Your training session should only be about 5 to 10 minutes long, and you can train several times a day (up to 3 times a day).
• Don’t forget to always praise your dog throughout the training, especially when he completes the roll over trick. You want your dog to have the greatest fun during training, and if you are enthusiastic, he will pick up your energy and will be more willing to work with you.

I hope that you enjoyed this short tutorial on how to teach a dog to roll over, visit the Dog Trick Academy blog and forums if you would like more dog tricks tutorials to train your dog.