How do I teach "Bang, dead dog"?
- Thread starter Charliesmommy
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You could try teaching "on your side" (I think it makes for a better "your dead" position) and then just get him really, really revved up and then give him the command so he'll do it faster cause he's excited? I'm really not sure. He may just not fall fast because it might hits when he hits the ground?
If you'd like a reference to "on your side" this is Izzy doing it (it was her first leg in learning roll over"
Good Luck!!
If you'd like a reference to "on your side" this is Izzy doing it (it was her first leg in learning roll over"
Good Luck!!
It's good that she know's the "roll over" command. That was they are familiar with the motion of turning on their side. But to get them from "roll over" to "bang"... we just did it by using a lure.
1) From a down position, we'd hold a treat (hot dog or whatever) in front of her nose.
2) We'd slowly move the treat from in front of her to the back and side (close to her body). As she followed the treat with her head, her shoulders would move into a position where she eventually was lying on her side.
3) We did this in small increments though. Each time she went a little bit further down, we'd treat and praise. She'll start "dropping" more quickly as she gets familiar with the motion of "falling over".
*We struggled a little bit with Charly's head-- she just didn't want to put it down (she was too excited for the treat). When you have gotten to the point that she is on her side, you can move the treat and lay it on the floor directly in front of her nose. Make it one motion so she doesn't "flip" back up to a sitting position. This again, teaches them the position you want them to assume. Don't forget your release word! It's really important in this trick. It's how you make them stay "dead" for a while.
4) Eventually, you phase the treat out, and just lure her with an "empty" hand. At this point, you can start using the word "bang" right before you begin the hang motion.
5) Then gradually, you can phase out the hand movement, and shoot your "gun" and say "bang". She should understand that the word "bang" is her trigger for falling on her side and laying "dead" until you release her.
It's all about baby steps with this trick. Lots of treats for each little step. Each time she goes a bit further than last time is a big deal that deserves treats and lots of praise. And of course.. you'll need a lot of patience too
The only thing we haven't mastered with this is how to get Charly to stop wagging her tail like a manaic when she is "dead". Although, that just may be asking too much
1) From a down position, we'd hold a treat (hot dog or whatever) in front of her nose.
2) We'd slowly move the treat from in front of her to the back and side (close to her body). As she followed the treat with her head, her shoulders would move into a position where she eventually was lying on her side.
3) We did this in small increments though. Each time she went a little bit further down, we'd treat and praise. She'll start "dropping" more quickly as she gets familiar with the motion of "falling over".
*We struggled a little bit with Charly's head-- she just didn't want to put it down (she was too excited for the treat). When you have gotten to the point that she is on her side, you can move the treat and lay it on the floor directly in front of her nose. Make it one motion so she doesn't "flip" back up to a sitting position. This again, teaches them the position you want them to assume. Don't forget your release word! It's really important in this trick. It's how you make them stay "dead" for a while.
4) Eventually, you phase the treat out, and just lure her with an "empty" hand. At this point, you can start using the word "bang" right before you begin the hang motion.
5) Then gradually, you can phase out the hand movement, and shoot your "gun" and say "bang". She should understand that the word "bang" is her trigger for falling on her side and laying "dead" until you release her.
It's all about baby steps with this trick. Lots of treats for each little step. Each time she goes a bit further than last time is a big deal that deserves treats and lots of praise. And of course.. you'll need a lot of patience too
The only thing we haven't mastered with this is how to get Charly to stop wagging her tail like a manaic when she is "dead". Although, that just may be asking too much
Thanks Tami. I guess I'm not explaining my problem very well. ^^That is pretty much what I have done - and we have all of that down pat. The problem is - how do I get him to fall over from a sitting position, rather than doing a "down" and then a "on your side"? I mean, he's doing the trick, sort of, but not in one motion. How do I get from the 2 commands (down and side) to one command where he does it all together?
Ah... I see. Well, I'm not sure about that Charly does it from a standing position- but I'm know sure how we got there. I DO remember her struggling a bit with it at first.
Maybe if you do the down command and piggy back the "bang" immediately after... and reward tons as he gets starts doing it more quickly. Soon, he should anticipate that once you ask him to "down" he will immediately got into a "bang". Use your bridge word and don't treat after the down-- treat only after the "dead". Does that make sense?
Charly does it from a standing position- but I'm know sure how we got there. I DO remember her struggling a bit with it at first. Maybe if you do the down command and piggy back the "bang" immediately after... and reward tons as he gets starts doing it more quickly. Soon, he should anticipate that once you ask him to "down" he will immediately got into a "bang". Use your bridge word and don't treat after the down-- treat only after the "dead". Does that make sense?
Or now that I'm thinking about it-- lure the whole thing. From a sitting position it should be pretty easy.
Put him in a sit. Lure him with a treat into a down and continue luring into a "dead" position (all at one time- so there is no stopping). Don't say anything at first (especially not "down" so as not to confuse the "down" command with "dead" later on). When he's done with the full sequence, use your bridge word and treat tons. When he's comofortable going from sit to down to dead... add in "Bang" and treat only when the full trick is done.
Yeah, I think luring is the way to go with this one.
Put him in a sit. Lure him with a treat into a down and continue luring into a "dead" position (all at one time- so there is no stopping). Don't say anything at first (especially not "down" so as not to confuse the "down" command with "dead" later on). When he's done with the full sequence, use your bridge word and treat tons. When he's comofortable going from sit to down to dead... add in "Bang" and treat only when the full trick is done.
Yeah, I think luring is the way to go with this one.
I just used my hand signal for down and then I used force. LOL. I took the easy way out and gently stroked the side of Lyric's head/cheek and pressed his head right down so he was lying flat and told him, "hold it..." That "hold it" he had already learned which means to not move. (luring is really better to get the head over flat) I treated and released, made a fuss. (I keep the praise calm until released so he doesn't pop up before... then more praise) Then we did it again a few times.
Next, I began to add in the cue, "bang bang!" with my hand signal and if needed would assist his head over so it was flat on the floor...."ho-o-old it....h-o-o-o-old it." Praise (low key)/treat/release. Pretty soon, if I just waited (because I'd often have to wait) he would slowly put his head all the way over onto the floor and freeze until released. Slowly, I faded the hand signal for down and turned it into more of a shooting the gun with the pointing finger signal along with the verbal cue.
The only thing we have yet to do is speed things up. He dies verrrrrrrry slowly. LOL. So, if I really cared that much about this trick, I would get out my clicker and click/treat for the faster drop to a down, head down thing. And gradually reward only for better and faster ones, not the crummy ones. LOL.
My son's dog falls over very quickly and rolls over on her back, but she doesn't freeze or lay her head flat down every time. He just did it by yelling, "BANG!" pretty loudly and forcefully. Uggg. And pointing the finger at her. (I think that's what he did. He did this before he lived here) Maybe he helped her into a down position. (?) And she's a little submissive and would roll over easily. Then he praised and treated her. I don't particularly like that idea because at first, it must have been a little overwhelming to her. She was mistreated in her childhood. But she knows now that it's a game and has fun doing it I think because she gets a good treat and loads of attention. I positively do not recommend doing it that way.
Breaking things into steps is always a good way to start out and then put them together. Very often, starting with the last step and working backwards to the front is a good way to do it....like, starting with teaching the dog to lay his head down flat on the floor, attaching a cue to that. Then teaching the down and putting the head on the floor, first as two manuvers, then putting them together and eliminating one of the two cues you may have used. Then starting from a stand to a down/head down....that sort of thing. Each part may have or develop a seperate cue or hand signal to help the dog do that part but then once the dog is doing each part easily, you can then eliminate each seperate cue (gradually) and transfer to one cue for the whole chain of behaviors.
Anyhow, you can do a Google search too for training tricks and see what there is. Good luck. Let us know how things go.
Next, I began to add in the cue, "bang bang!" with my hand signal and if needed would assist his head over so it was flat on the floor...."ho-o-old it....h-o-o-o-old it." Praise (low key)/treat/release. Pretty soon, if I just waited (because I'd often have to wait) he would slowly put his head all the way over onto the floor and freeze until released. Slowly, I faded the hand signal for down and turned it into more of a shooting the gun with the pointing finger signal along with the verbal cue.
The only thing we have yet to do is speed things up. He dies verrrrrrrry slowly. LOL. So, if I really cared that much about this trick, I would get out my clicker and click/treat for the faster drop to a down, head down thing. And gradually reward only for better and faster ones, not the crummy ones. LOL.
My son's dog falls over very quickly and rolls over on her back, but she doesn't freeze or lay her head flat down every time. He just did it by yelling, "BANG!" pretty loudly and forcefully. Uggg. And pointing the finger at her. (I think that's what he did. He did this before he lived here) Maybe he helped her into a down position. (?) And she's a little submissive and would roll over easily. Then he praised and treated her. I don't particularly like that idea because at first, it must have been a little overwhelming to her. She was mistreated in her childhood. But she knows now that it's a game and has fun doing it I think because she gets a good treat and loads of attention. I positively do not recommend doing it that way.
Breaking things into steps is always a good way to start out and then put them together. Very often, starting with the last step and working backwards to the front is a good way to do it....like, starting with teaching the dog to lay his head down flat on the floor, attaching a cue to that. Then teaching the down and putting the head on the floor, first as two manuvers, then putting them together and eliminating one of the two cues you may have used. Then starting from a stand to a down/head down....that sort of thing. Each part may have or develop a seperate cue or hand signal to help the dog do that part but then once the dog is doing each part easily, you can then eliminate each seperate cue (gradually) and transfer to one cue for the whole chain of behaviors.
Anyhow, you can do a Google search too for training tricks and see what there is. Good luck. Let us know how things go.
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Another thing you can always do is capture the behavior or even something nearing the behavior. If you happen to see your hot or tuckered out dog flop down and fling his weary head on the ground, treat/praise and give your cue, "bang." A few of those added up...several reps and reinforcements for that will also teach help teach the trick.