Do you enjoy teaching tricks to your furry friend? Has your pet already mastered basic commands and dog tricks? Weel then you’ve come to the right place! It’s time for a new advanced trick so get ready to learn how to teach your dog to play dead. In this Treat Pouch video, you’ll see that advanced dog training, positive reinforcement, and cues are easier than you might think.
This dog trick is best taught with a technique known as back chaining. This means you’re going to teach the end of the trick first and work backward. This way the end is what is reinforced the most.
Chances are your puppy is an already expert at the standing position and sitting position, so during this training, you’ll be focusing on the dead position. Start with your dog down with one hip relaxed. The side they normally relax to is the direction you want to guide them in. Once your dog is down, make sure its hips are relaxed. This will help them with the roll over command and get them into the rest position to complete the trick. With the dog treats in hand, guide your pet from head to shoulder till they’re on their side on the floor.
This will likely be the hardest part for them to learn when it comes to the correct position. Patience and keeping your dogs attention on each cue word through reward and praise is key here. Keep multiple treats on hand to reinforce this position during the trick training. After they’ve gotten the hang of this, fade out the old signal of guiding them from head to shoulder for the new signal of a hand flip. When they’re comfortable with this routine, you can add the dramatic flair by pairing a hand signal and verbal cue: point your finger and saying “bang”. When they’ve mastered the new trick, who knows? Hollywood may come calling after this training session ends.
Don’t forget to reward them with a favorite chew toy, like a nylon dog bone, so they know they did a good job when the session is complete.
