Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog The Bang Performance

Difficulty: Hard

Teach Dog The Bang Performance 

Great work! You've made it to the final trick. Your dog has mastered the basics now, moved on to harder and more advanced ones, and now you're ready to attempt Bang, the final, hardest, most extraordinary trick combination in this book. Now don't get discouraged before you even begin—it's not going to be easy, it will take a lot of work to master, but this is the single best show-stopper that's sure to leave your friends speechless. Your dog must be incredibly smart to have made it this far, and now he's just one trick away from knowing all 52. You can do it! Don't stop now!

A dog shows its teeth and growls, staring unblinking into a gun barrel. He stands protectively before its wounded master lying on the floor of a wet ally. It charges towards the gun. A muzzle-flash bolts in every direction. A lead bullet whisks through the air and strikes home. The dog stops in shock and its teeth fades from view.

It limps retreating from the gunman. It trips to the ground and crawls, crawls to its master. It reaches his side and whines. Rolls on its back, belly upturned, then is still.

A moment's pause. A voice in the sky authoritative and commanding deep and resonate over all things: "CUT" it says. Everything around flips with action, speeding movements in a whirlwind of excitement. The voice speaks again: "Check the gate."

The dog jumps to its paws and looks around, panting. A man chants over a headset to a person invisible. He pets the dog and feeds it a large treat. "Good boy, Max!" he says, "get ready for the next take, buddy."

Step 1: Tell your dog to limp, crawl, and play dead, clicking and treating after he performs each action.

Step 2: Now, give him all three commands again, this time keeping the treat until the end. Repeat several times.

Step 3: Now say "BANG!" before giving the three commands and while he is in his "play dead" position. Click and treat.

Step 4: Continue to practice this, eventually getting rid of your three initial commands so that he does all three together as soon as he hears "BANG!"

OUR EXPERIENCE

The biggest challenge here is the individual tricks themselves. Caspian had to be well-acquainted with each of the individual tricks, and so we began by drilling them over and over again. The hardest one of these, by far, was limp. Once he was able to perform this consistently, we began to string them together. Once you have the individual tricks down, putting them together isn't as much of a challenge. However, repetition is key, and if you're working on a trick such as Bang as a performance trick for your next barbeque, make sure you drill it over and over again in different parts of the house. We found that Caspian can perform a trick perfectly in one room—but if we try it in a different part of the house, he has trouble. When teaching tricks such as this one, teach in a wide variety of places. Be creative: maybe train some at a local dog park. If your dog can perform amidst all the distractions and interesting things going on around him, you've been highly successful.

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog will respond, but it takes him too long to get it.

Work with your dog to obey you right as you give this command for a great performance. But if your dog is too excited when you want to show him off, you can still make things fun. If he doesn't respond to "Bang" right away, just shrug and say, "So sometimes I'm not that great of a shot."

Tip: "You could also add 'Speak' as a yelp of pain to make the demonstration even more thrilling!"

Dog Trick- Teach Your Dog To Play Dead

Difficulty: Moderate

Teach Your Dog To Play Dead 

This is a famous trick that many dog owners teach their dogs. There are two ways to teach this trick: the first is by catching the behavior with the clicker. Many dogs lay on their backs, especially if they're looking for a belly rub. If you notice your dog doing this often, click this behavior and then associate the action with the command, Play Dead. The second way of teaching this trick is by using the touch stick to shape your dog's behavior. This method is outlined below. Play Dead is a fun trick to teach, and can be used in conjunction with Limp and Crawl for the Bang performance:

Step 1: Have your dog lay down. Take your touch stick, or with your treat in hand, slowly guide it so that your dog moves into the 'Play Dead' position. Click and treat. Repeat until he gets into the 'Play Dead' position without help from the touch stick.

Step 2: Keep repeating the process while saying, "Play Dead!" See if he'll do it at your command.

Step 3: In different training sessions, shape and perfect the trick by only clicking when he is in the exact position you want him to be in (i.e., legs in the air, paws bent, unmoving, etc.).

OUR EXPERIENCE

When I taught Caspian this trick, I started by having him lay down. I slowly moved the touch stick saying softly, "Touch," from one side of his head to the other side to get him to roll onto his back. When he got onto his back, I clicked and treated. I repeated this several times until he understood that he had to roll onto his back to get his treat. I stopped using the touch stick at this point and instead used a hand signal (hold first three fingers out, rotating hand around) as he did his trick each time. At this point, I got picky. I would only treat if he was in the exact position I wanted, with his paws bent and his legs sticking up in the air. Each time he did this, I would click and treat, saying my command, "Play Dead" until he could respond to my command.

TEACHING TROUBLE

He stands up to touch the stick rather than roll over to do it.

This part of the training process depends on you. Be very gentle in your movements and commands. Move the touch stick around slowly as you say in a low voice, "T...o...u...c..h..." If you are slow and steady in your voice and actions, your dog's actions will be less reckless, too!

Tip: "Combine this trick with Limp and Crawl for the 'Bang' performance!"

Dog Trick- Teach Your Dog To Crawl

Difficulty: Moderate

Teach Your Dog To Crawl 

The dog jumps over trenches and dodges humming bullets. The mud is blanketed with a sheet of barbed wire fence, mangled from explosions. He must escape the raining bullets, the thundering explosions. He drops to his belly and crawls underneath the barbed wire. Bullets fly and dent the ground. Clumps of dirt and rock cling to his fur. He crawls, scratches his muzzle on a barb, but still crawls. Crawls to safety.

Whether or not your dog is a movie dog like this one, crawl is an easy trick that yours should know. With it, you can teach all sorts of other tricks—as well as teach him to navigate obstacle courses and other tricks and games. Teaching this trick will also pave the way for teaching 

Step 1: Tell your dog to lay down.

Step 2: With treat in hand, coax your dog to move forward with the touch stick. Make sure he does so while in the down position.

Step 3: Repeat several times. Once your dog is crawling naturally, begin saying 'Crawl' before you click and treat.

Step 4: Try stepping back from your dog and giving him the command, 'Crawl.' Click and jackpot if he responds to 'Crawl.' If not, revert to previous steps.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Teaching Caspian to crawl was one of the first tricks we did when he was a puppy. I remember the very first trick we taught him was Touch, touching the touch-stick on command. The next tricks we taught him were sit and down. And, I believe, the trick that we taught after that was crawl. We wanted to put his new-found knowledge of the touch-stick to good use. Even though he was a puppy, and extremely prone to becoming distracted, he was able to learn this cute trick in only a few training sessions. We first had him lay down. We put the touch stick right in front of him and asked him to touch. I'm sure we expected him to crawl to the touch stick, but that's not what he did. Crawling is hard, so he jumped to his feet to touch the stick. We compensated, and the next time, positioned the touch stick only an inch in front of his nose. As he was lying there in the down position, he stretched forward to touch the stick. We clicked and gave him a really good treat. We continued this method, and gradually moved the touch stick further and further from him. Each time, he would inch forward, and before long, he was crawling to get the touch-stick.

TEACHING TROUBLE

Help! My dog won't crawl forwards to get the treat, but gets up from his "down" position.

Don't ever give him the treat if this happens. This is a trick where you have to exercise patience, and don't get too excited! If you act excited, your dog will get excited too. Make sure you have a great treat to lure and give him commands in low tones. If you have to, you can keep a hand on his body to discourage him from getting up.

Tip: "Use this for dance routines, funny comedy sketches, or to retrieve something in a cramped place too small for a human."

Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog To Limp

Difficulty: Hard

Teach Dog To Limp 

This very well may be one of the hardest tricks to teach your dog, and is one many movie dogs learn and act out on the silver screen. Next to Jump Rope and Bang, it doesn't get much harder than this. Although teaching this trick can be frustrating at times, it is a momentous achievement once your dog learns it, and can bring joy and laughter to you and your family; not to mention guests and friends.

Step 1: Hook up your dog's leash to his collar and use it to pull his front dominant paw up - be very careful as you walk with him - click and treat when he walks one or two steps. 

Step 2: Keep doing this until he is successfully 'Limping' with the help of the leash.

Step 3: Try to encourage your dog to put less weight on his lifted paw. Over time use less and less force on the leash, and he will be able to limp on his own.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Teaching Caspian to limp was very frustrating at times. It took a lot of work, many training sessions, a whole bag full of treats, and many many hours. But it was well worth it. After teaching your dog this trick you can combine it with Crawl and Play Dead to give your guests a thrilling death scene (See Trick #52—Bang).

I started out by attaching his leash to his collar, and using it to support his paw, keeping it in the air. Then I held my clicker away, motioning him to walk to it. I clicked and treated as soon as he made a couple of steps forward. The downside to supporting his paw in this way, is that it may condition him to put more weight on that paw; the opposite of what you want. There are other methods you can try, such as putting a sock on the paw: usually dogs will try and raise that paw, feeling the unbalance. Whichever method you use, be consistent, but don't feel like you can't try new things if your dog just isn't getting it. When teaching this trick, keep in mind that teaching your dog to limp on command is one of the hardest things to do, so be patient, be consistent, and vary the reward.

TEACHING TROUBLE

He won't transition into lifting his paw on his own!

It may take a long time for your dog to understand what he needs to do. It takes a long time of determined work to get this trick, even if you have a smart dog. Keep working with him until he gets it right!

Tip: "Be patient! This trick can take months to perfect; don't rush it. Dogs learning this trick need several breaks because of the stress you're putting on his mind and body."

Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog To Turn A Lightswitch On and Off

Difficulty: Hard 

Teach Dog To Turn A Lightswitch On and Off 

This trick assumes that your dog is tall enough to reach a light switch when he jumps up to the wall. If you have a smaller dog, you can still do the trick, but will need a table or other platform for your dog to stand on while jumping up to reach the switch. I used a laser pointer to attract my dog to the lightswitch, but if you don't have a laser pointer, that's okay, the touch stick will work just as well. If you do use a laser pointer, make sure that it is a low wattage model, and keep it away from your dog's eyes. There are two parts to this trick: teaching your dog to turn on a light, and then teaching him to turn it off again.

The First Part: Turn On A Light

Step 1: Using either a laser pointer or touch stick, get your dog in the habit of jumping up to touch the light switch. It is best to have him jump up with his pads on the wall (instead of his claws) touching the switch with his nose. I used a laser pointer here, because I would play with it as a game, knowing that he would really go after it—even if it's on a wall.

Step 2: Using the clicker, begin clicking only when his nose pushes the light into the 'on' position. He will begin to realize the effect of his action, and expect a treat after Begin to only click when your dog begins and ends the trick by successfully turning the light on. He needs to understand that the trick is not two parts (jumping up on the wall, and hitting the switch) but one.

The Second Part: Turn It Off

Step 1: The first step is very similar to step one of teaching him to turn 'on' the light. Get your dog used to jumping up on the wall, but instead of his pads touching the wall, click when his paw hits the light switch.

Step 2: Begin clicking only when he successfully turns 'off' the light switch. Dogs will notice the change in light in the room, and will usually look expectantly when he successfully turns out the lights.

Step 3: Begin clicking only when your dog successfully completes the trick from beginning to end. He needs to learn that in order to be treated, he has to perform the trick in one sitting.

OUR EXPERIENCE

When I taught this trick, I used a laser pointer to get Caspian to jump up on the wall. Caspian loves to chase the laser around, and will drop everything to try to catch it. He now will even go after reflections and glints of light off of lamps, glasses, and other shiny objects. Because he gets excited like this, I thought it would be a good way to get him to do something that he wouldn't normally do.

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog keeps tearing up my wall! 

To turn off the light, dogs are unable to do this with their nose, and must use their paw. Because of this, it is incredibly easy to receive scratch marks and torn wallpaper. If you use this trick a lot, you might want to consider installing clear plexi-glass around your light switch.

Tip: "Laser pointers are often a great way to motivate and excite your dog. It can also act as a reward."

Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog To Bring You A Tissue

Difficulty: Moderate 

Teach Dog To Bring A Tissue 

This is a great trick to do immediately after —Fetch A Drink. After your dog brings you a drink, you can then ask him to bring you a tissue, to wipe down the bottle. After learning this trick, you dog should be able to carefully pull out a single tissue, bring it to you, and then throw it away in the garbage bin. This is an incredible trick on its own, but paired with Fetch A Drink, it makes quite the showstopper.

The First Part: Bring A Tissue

Step 1: Set a tissue box on the ground. Tell your dog to "Take It." He may want to take the whole box - but when he takes one tissue from the box and pulls it out, click and treat.

Step 2: Have him continue to do this until he starts pulling them out on his own. Then, have him "Bring it" to you and "Drop it" in your hand. Click and treat.

Step 3: Continue to do this until he does all three commands without hesitation. Start saying, "Bring Me a Tissue" when he drops it in your hand.

The Second Part: Throw It Away

Step 1: Get out your waste basket. Give the tissue back to the dog and have him "Bring it" to the waste basket, "Dropping it" in. Click and treat.

Step 2: Keep doing this until he takes it, brings it, and drops it without problems or hesitating. Then, use the command "Throw it away" while he is dropping it in.

Step 3: Continue to practice this, just saying "Throw it away" instead of the three other commands, until he is able to throw away the tissue at your command.

OUR EXPERIENCE

This trick wasn't difficult for Caspian to learn. First, I showed him the tissue box and touched the tissue. "Take it," I said. He pulled one out. I clicked and treated. I did this again. And again! But the next time I had him "Take it" and "Bring it" to me. When he had brought it to me, I told him to "Drop It" in my hand. When he dropped it, he received a big treat! We did this several times until he knew exactly what to do.

In another session, we worked on throwing the tissue away. I had him bring me a tissue. Then, I "used it" and gave it back to him. Pointing towards the trashcan, I told him to "Drop it." I clicked and treated. The next time he did it, I used the "Throw it away" command. Soon, Caspian was able to bring me a tissue, and then take it back and throw it away in the trash!

TEACHING TROUBLE

He won't pull out the tissue! Try pointing to it and say, "Take It." If that doesn't work, encourage any good behavior that is close to what you want. If he touches the tissue, click and treat. Then say, "Take it." He'll probably understand.

He pulls out the tissue fine, but then he wants to throw it away before he gives it to me!

If he does that, don't click and treat. Before he drops it in, say - "No - Bring it!" He'll then bring it to you. Soon, he'll remember to bring it to you every time.

Tip: "Just so you know, you're teaching your dog to pull out all the tissues from the tissue box! Make sure he can't get to them when you're away from home."

Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog To Fetch A Drink

Difficulty: Moderate

Teach Dog To Fetch A Drink

Whether you're reclining on the couch watching a football game or just sitting around with friends, this can be a useful—as well as entertaining—trick for your dog to know. It can also be a fun game for your dog, and once he's learned it he may not want to stop! Just be sure to have a handkerchief ready to wipe down that drink. If you have guests over, a good idea is to be very casual when showing off this trick. Nonchalantly say to your dog, "I'm thirsty Max, go get me a drink." When he comes back, open it up, and continue your conversation with your guests. They should be just as surprised as you are pleased.

Step 1: Get a bottle of soda appropriate for your dog's size and put it on the ground. Tell your dog to "Take It." Click and treat when he does. Do this several times.

Step 2: Now, tell your dog to "Take It" and "Bring it." When he brings it to you, tell him "Drop it" Do this repeatedly and remember to click/treat.

Step 3: Put the bottle a bit further away from you each time. Only click and treat if he takes it, brings it, and drops it into your hands. Soon, you can eliminate the three commands and instead use the phrase, "Bring me a drink!"

Step 4: Try asking him to perform the trick from different spots in the room, and then move to different rooms. It makes a terrific trick for house guests!

OUR EXPERIENCE

When I taught Caspian this trick, I used a 16.9 oz. bottle of Dr. Pepper. That's a pretty big bottle, but I thought he could handle it because he's so big. After a little encouragement, Caspian started knocking over the bottle and picking it up with his mouth. We had to teach him to first knock it over, then pick it up—he was getting frustrated by trying to pick it up. He was also scared of the full bottle; either because of the weight, or because of the imbalance of it sloshing around. We decided to completely empty the bottle to begin with, then fill it gradually as he continually completed the trick. I would tell him to "Take It," and "Bring It;" and this took him awhile to get the first time. I gave him a big jackpot when he did, and took a break from training. In the next session, after some review, this time I would say "Bring me a Drink" as he finished his performance. Each time I had him do it, I would put the drink in a different spot, just a little bit farther away from me. Soon, whenever I told him to "Bring me a Drink," he'd run into the kitchen, grab a drink by the fridge, run back with it in his mouth, and then drop it in my hand!

TEACHING TROUBLE

Why can't he pick up the bottle? Caspian learned to knock the bottle over with his nose or paw, and then pick it up with his mouth. Just be quiet when your dog seems to get frustrated and don't try to prod him. Dogs are smart; they'll figure out what they need to do.

It's too heavy for him! It may not be. That's what I thought when I was teaching Caspian this trick, so I emptied the soda bottle. Of course, he picked it up fine. I kept clicking and treating when he would take it, and while he was eating his treat, I filled the bottle up little by little with water. Soon, the bottle was filled up all the way to the top, and Caspian picked it up just fine. He was just not used to carrying something that heavy in his mouth, but after we worked on it, he didn't have any trouble.

Tip: "If you're having trouble getting your dog to pick up the drink bottle, try getting him to first learn to knock the bottle over before trying to pick it up."

Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog To Jump Rope

Difficulty: Hard

Teach Dog To Jump Rope 

This is a fun trick to teach your dog, and good exercise for him as well. Since this is a difficult trick, read the steps carefully and be patient with your dog. Soon he will be jumping rope, and loving it! If your dog is still young, you might want to wait before teaching him to jump rope: jumping too much may be hard on his hips. Before any jumping trick, always first check with your vet to see if your dog can handle it.

Step 1: Put your dog on the table. Ask him to jump. Click and treat. Your dog should stay in the same place so he won't fall off the table.

Step 2: Tie the jump rope to another object. Let your dog get used to the jump rope by moving it back and forth.

Step 3: Give the jump rope almost a full turn, stopping before it crosses your dogs legs. At this point, tell him to Jump. When he does, slide the jump rope underneath. Do this several times, clicking and treating.

Step 4: As your dog gets more accustomed to the jump rope, you will be able to have smoother rotations. Work with your dog until he can do it just right.

OUR EXPERIENCE

It took extra patience to teach Caspian jump-rope (and more than a few handfuls of treats), but hard work pays off. At first Caspian was distracted with the jump-rope, and he would get frustrated after long sessions, but as we practiced more and more he stopped thinking about the rope and started focusing on jumping. Once he did this, it became easier for us to work the rope, and soon the trick was working smoothly. Ever since Caspian's accident we haven't worked with this trick since jumping up and down stresses his back hip. If you have a larger dog breed or if your dog has any history of hip dysplasia, consult your veterinarian before attempting this trick.

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog is scared of the jump rope. How can I get him more used to it? When does he bow? Is it when he gets up from his nap to stretch? Or when he is meeting other dogs? Notice when he gets in that position and use that to shape the behavior.

Tip: "Try putting the jump rope on the table and under the dog before asking him to jump. That way, he will get used to seeing it under him. Don't use any big motions when using the jump rope to start out with. Small motions work best, and you can do fuller turns as your dog becomes more comfortable with the rope."

Dog Tric - Teach Your Dog To Bow

Difficulty: Easy

Teach Dog To Bow 

By now your dog most likely knows a whole repertoire of tricks, from simple ones like Sit to more complicated ones like Put Toys Away. With good treats, your dog can perform a string of impressive tricks for your friends—but you are still lacking one thing: an ending. The perfect way for your dog to to end a performance is the same way any professional does: with a bow. If you follow these three simple steps, you will be set up for a perfect dog show.

Step 1: Start 'rough-housing' with your dog. Whenever he starts to get into the "bow" position, click and treat. Keep doing this until he starts doing it on his own.

Step 2: Start saying "Bow" whenever he gets into the Bow position; then click and treat.

Step 3: Keep doing this until he will bow at your command! Always give your dog a jackpot when he obeys your command for the first time.

OUR EXPERIENCE

My dog loves to play. Whenever I would play with him, and start to chase him, I noticed that he would "Bow" by laying his front two legs down before he ran from me. I decided to shape this behavior into a "Take a Bow" trick. I started by chasing him. As soon as his front legs touched the floor, I clicked and treated. We did this again and again until he understood that I was clicking for his "Bow" position. Soon, he started to do it more frequently. I used the command "Bow" whenever I clicked. Eventually, Caspian was able to obey my command when I told him to bow. And it all started by playing a game of chase!

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog never bows when he is playful! When does he bow? Is it when he gets up from his nap to stretch? Or when he is meeting other dogs? Notice when he gets in that position and use that to shape the behavior.

Tip: "Although many trainers teach Bow by forcing the dog into a Bow position, we believe it is much easier and less frustrating to capture the natural behavior of your dog. We will use this way to teach "Take a Bow."

Dog Trick - Teach Your Dog To Count

Difficulty: Moderate

Teach Dog To Count 

Here is a fun and impressive trick that proves that your dog is as smart as Einstein (mmm … or at least as smart as Einstein's dog). The trick is to get your dog to bark until a subtle cue causes him to stop. Then you can have him bark out any number of barks to answer various mathematical questions. This trick is not that hard to teach, but it does take patience and longer periods of time than most tricks in order to shape the behavior correctly. But it is really worth the effort because it shows that your dog really counts for something.

Step 1: Have your dog sit facing you.

Step 2: Hold a treat in your left hand and hold your right hand up. (Here we are getting the dog to associate the speak command with the visual command of holding your right hand up). Also look your dog in the eye (I look directly into his right eye).

Step 3: Have the dog speak, and treat when he barks.

Step 4: Repeat. But this time only drop your hand (also avert your eyes) and treat when he barks twice. (This may take some patience).

Step 5: Work on this several times a day until your little Einstein realizes he must continue to bark until you drop your hand.

Step 6: Gradually fade from holding your right hand up so that your dog will use your eyes as the cue to stop speaking.

Step 7: Keep refining this trick until he has a smooth flow of barks and stops as soon as you avert your eyes.

OUR EXPERIENCE

While teaching our dog to count, we started by re-familiarizing him with the speak command. While doing this, we introduced a small cue: looking down and staring at him directly into his right eye. When getting him to speak, we began with clicking right after he barked once, then once he was progressing well, we started clicking after multiple barks. Each time we wanted him to stop barking, we would immediately break our eye contact, and click and treat. Once this was accomplished, we could cue him to start barking by rotating our head down and looking at his right eye. Once he finished barking, we would break our eye contact, and reward him for a job well done. This is how Caspian can solve math problems given by friends, we keep him barking using this subtle cue. We just have to make sure we do the math right ourselves.

TEACHING TROUBLE

My dog doesn't always stop barking on time! Keep working with him. This is why this trick takes lots of patience! If your dog (or you) makes a mistake during a performance, put your hands on your hips and say, "Oh! Einstein, I'm ashamed of you," which cues his Act Ashamed trick— for a good laugh.

Tip: "Have your guests think of simple math problems for your dog to answer, but make sure you do the math right!"