Teaching your dog new games is always fun. Some types of play, such as pretending to be dead, will take more time than others for the dog to master. Luckily, apart from the dog, all you need for this game is your fingers, a flicker, and some dog treats.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Teaching Your Dog to Lie on Command
Step 1. Teach your dog the command “lie down” before teaching him to play dead
Before they can learn this game, the dog must be comfortable with the command to lie down.
Step 2. Choose a comfortable place to train your dog
It is better to choose a quiet area so that your dog is not easily disturbed.
Step 3. Tell your dog to sit down
If your dog doesn't already know this command, take a dog treat in your hand, lift it high, and teach your dog to sit. When his head looks up at the snack, press his bottom until he sits down; and you firmly say 'sit down.'
- When the dog sits down, reward the treat, by putting the treat in his mouth so the dog doesn't jump for the treat. If your dog jumps, say "no".
- Do this exercise several times a day, for a few days until your dog can sit up without you pressing his bottom. In each session, do not practice more than 10-15 minutes.
- Keep giving him a positive, encouraging treat every time he sits down.
Step 4. Stand directly in front of your dog as he sits down
Hold the treat to his nose, but don't allow the dog to eat it. Instead, gently place the treat on the floor while you keep the treat in front of his nose.
- Say the command “sleep” as you move the treat to the floor, so your dog will associate the command with the act of lying down.
- Your dog should lie down while you move the treat across the floor.
- If the dog gets up again, you should continue to train him until he can lie down each time you move the treat to the floor.
- Offer treats while the dog is lying down, that is, before the dog wakes up again.
Step 5. Teach your dog to lie down without the lure of treats
Place your hand in front of your dog's nose as if you were holding a treat, but you're not.
- Use the same hand motion as if you had a treat in your hand, until your dog is lying down.
- Again, reward him with treats while the dog is lying down and before the dog wakes up.
Step 6. Continue the exercise until your dog understands to lie down when you tell him to
You will need to practice this command with your dog several times a day and over several days.
- Each training session should not last more than 10-15 minutes.
- If you want to challenge your dog with the "sleep" command, gradually reduce the visual cues until the dog understands how to respond to your verbal cues.
Part 2 of 3: Teaching Your Dog to Stay in Place
Step 1. Teach your dog to stay still before you teach him to play dead
If your dog doesn't know the command to stay still, it will be more difficult to teach him to play dead. Before teaching this game, make sure that your dog can sit still in a comfortable position.
Step 2. Choose a comfortable place for your dog
Areas like the bed or bedding are good choices. You can also choose a grassy garden in your yard.
Step 3. Tell your dog to take the position you want
Teaching your dog to stay still in a position other than "sitting" or "standing" will help him be ready to learn the play-of-death game.
Step 4. Stand directly in front of him for 1-2 seconds
If the dog starts walking towards you before the time is up, start over again. When your dog can stay still for 1-2 seconds, reward him with treats.
After you give him a treat, the dog may walk up to you, as it has managed to stay where you are for as long as you are told to do so
Step 5. Add the amount of time you stand still in front of the dog
Gradually increase this amount of time, until the dog can stay still for at least 10 seconds.
- An additional 1-2 seconds at each stage will help your dog stay still longer.
- Give your dog treats whenever he can stay in place for longer periods of time.
Step 6. Add verbal and visual cues
When your dog is as still as you want him to be, say “shut up” and give a “stop” signal by raising your hand.
- You'll need to be patient as it may take your dog a few days to understand and associate the cue with the on-the-spot "quiet" command.
- Reward him with treats if the dog is successful and consistently follows these cues.
Step 7. Add some distance between you and your dog
While you can train him to stay still without your dog seeing you, your dog should be able to see you when you teach him to play dead later.
You can increase the distance from your dog as far as the dog can still see you, for example by moving to the right or to the left
Part 3 of 3: Teaching Your Dog to Play Dead
Step 1. Instruct your dog to “sleep” from a sitting/standing starting position
Your dog usually prefers to lean to the left or right when he's lying down, so make a cue in the direction your dog prefers.
- Tell your dog to stay still in a sitting or standing position, then give him the “sleep” command.
- When you train him in this game, always tell the dog to lie on the floor on the side of the body that he likes, because your dog may prefer to lean on this side of his favorite.
Step 2. Guide your dog to lie down in a sleeping position
Don't use verbal cues for this. Use your hands, some snacks, and a flicker. Keep in mind that you will need to coax him at this step, so be patient with your dog as he learns to follow your lead to lie down to sleep.
- You can tell him to lie down to a sleeping position by pressing his body with your two hands from a lying position. When your dog is lying down, offer treats in a positive manner (for example, while giving verbal compliments, petting his tummy, and feeding treats).
- You can also coax him with a treat to make the dog lie down. To do this, hold a snack in front of his nose. Then, move the treat behind his shoulder (his left shoulder if the dog is leaning to the right, or his right shoulder if the dog is leaning to the left). When looking at the treat, gradually the dog will lie down in a sleeping position. Use a snapper and provide positive encouragement while the dog is lying down, so that the dog knows that he is successfully executing the command correctly.
Step 3. Train your dog to change positions from sitting/standing to lying/sleeping
The more fluent your dog will be and move from position to position, the closer he will be to mastering the play-of-death game.
Use your flicker and provide a treat when the dog moves from a sitting/standing position to a lying position, and again after the dog is lying down in a sleeping position
Step 4. Add verbal cues to tell your dog to play dead
You'll know when your dog is ready to make verbal cues, which is when the dog automatically lies down to sleep when it sees you holding a treat or when you coax it with food.
- You can use whatever verbal cue feels right for you, such as 'BOOM!'. This is a verbal cue that is often used in play-of-death games.
- Stay consistent with whatever verbal cues you use. You don't want to confuse your dog by using different verbal cues for the same command.
Step 5. Use verbal cues more often than you coax him with food
At this stage, after you've taught your dog to lie down in play-death, your next goal is to teach your dog to play dead by simply responding to your verbal cues, without you coaxing him with treats.
You may need more time to teach your dog to respond without coaxing him with treats, so be patient with your dog
Step 6. Use visual cues (hand signals) to tell your dog to play dead
The visual cue used for this game is the position of the hand in the shape of a gun. Your dog will immediately understand the meaning of these visual cues, so it can be helpful to combine them with the verbal cues you have chosen for this game.
- There are several ways you can make a gun sign: the thumb and index finger on one hand, the thumb and index finger and middle finger on one hand, or the thumb and index finger with both hands joined together. In the last option, your other fingers should also be joined.
- Give your dog visual cues “at the same time” as verbal cues are given.
- Alternatively, you can use visual cues "after" verbal cues. If you do this, use visual cues before your dog responds to verbal cues. If your dog responds to verbal cues before the visual cues are given, and continues to do so after a few times of practice, you should either stop using the visual cues altogether or use them at the same time as the verbal cues.
- Practice using both verbal and visual cues at the same time, until your dog shows that he understands play-death with both cues at the same time.
Step 7. Use only visual cues
Ultimately, you want your dog to be able to play dead with only visual cues. Even after your dog understands the visual cues, it will need additional time to respond without verbal cues, commands, or the lure of treats.
- Gradually, you should use visual cues more and less and use less verbal cues and commands.
- Give him a treat every time the dog responds to the game with just a visual cue.
Step 8. Train your dog to do this game in different locations
If your dog has mastered the game in one location, this does not mean that it will automatically be able to do so in other locations and situations. Practicing the game in different locations, or around different people, will make your dog more proficient at play-of-death games.
These other locations include different rooms in your house, the playground, or in front of a large number of people
Step 9. Be patient with your dog until the dog masters the game
Your dog may need to learn a few days, or even weeks. No matter how long it takes, give him a generous treat to reward his progress.
Tips
- Spend 5-15 minutes every day practicing this game. Teaching play-dead games involves a lot of challenges, so you need to practice with your dog for at least a few minutes each day, until the dog understands every step of the game.
- Since this game involves your dog learning different types of positions and different types of responses to each cue/command, practice gradually.
- Don't scold your dog by yelling. Not only will this make your dog angry with you, but the dog may be discouraged and won't want to learn the play-death game anymore.
- Make sure that your dog likes this game. If you notice that the dog is unfocused, disappointed, or frustrated, give it a break or postpone this exercise until the next day.
- The best way to show your dog that he is not doing this command well is to withhold his wages. Remember to be helpful and show your dog how to properly complete the command if the dog makes a mistake.
Warning
- Avoid treats that can poison your dog, such as dark chocolate. If you're not sure what treat to give, just visit your local pet store and ask for advice on treats that are safe for your dog.
- Do not teach this game to your dog if the dog has arthritis or other joint disease. He will find it difficult and painful to move from one position to another if his joints are affected by disease.
