Who is this trick for?

The “Bang!” or “Play Dead” trick is suitable for you and your dog if you are already experienced and enjoy trick training. In this trick, your dog should lie down on its side and stay as calm and composed as possible. The trick is physically demanding, so it’s suitable only for overall healthy dogs that have no issues lying down and getting up repeatedly. If your furry friend has health restrictions due to musculoskeletal problems, there are many other great and challenging tricks you can do instead, such as “Speak” or “Put Your Head Down.”

How do I start?

Create a good training atmosphere by choosing a room where you can practice quietly without being disturbed. An ideal room has carpet flooring to make it more comfortable for your dog to fall on its side. Have some small, easily chewable treats and a clicker ready. For this trick, working with a clicker or a marker word is beneficial, as it allows you to precisely confirm briefly exhibited behavior. Perhaps you’ve already worked with a clicker.

If not, start with the clicker’s conditioning. Convey to your dog that the click sound is something great and promises a reward. Click once and immediately give your dog a treat. Repeat this simple process several times so that it becomes clear to your furry friend: Click = Treat. Once you’re sure your dog understands the principle, you can start.

Step 1

You begin the “Bang!” trick with lying on the side. Your dog should learn to lie on its side when you say “Bang!” Start by getting your dog into a down position. Move a treat over your dog’s head towards its back. At this point, you’ll need to use some finesse to determine how far to lure—depending on how motivated or hesitant your dog is. Since this is also the starting position for “Roll Over,” don’t be too demanding initially to prevent your dog from showing the “Roll Over” trick.

At the beginning, click for any behavior that goes in the right direction. If your dog shifts its weight to one side, click and reward. If your dog easily falls on its side, do the same. Gradually work your way up until your dog tips completely onto its side. Important: Always practice on the same side!

If your dog is overly excited and has difficulty relaxing, crucial for the calm side position, try using a less enticing treat or, after a few signals your dog already knows, to calm it down and reduce the initial excitement.

Step 2

After Step 1, your dog should lie on its side when guided by a treat. Now remove the treat, guide with an empty hand, and reward only after clicking the side position. Pay attention to your hand gesture already, so that you can later show the “gun” and your furry friend understands. You guide the head with your hand into the shape of a pistol.

Step 3

To be able to demand the signal from a distance or standing up later, minimize your hand’s distance each time. Now you can also introduce the verbal cue and say “Bang!” just before guiding with the hand gesture.

If the routine works when you’re not guiding your dog as delicately as at the beginning, pause a moment just before clicking to prevent your dog from eagerly jumping up to receive its reward. With repetitions, perfect your trick, build more distance, and work on the calm lying position.

If your dog already knows “Roll Over,” it’s advisable to teach “Bang!” in the opposite direction to avoid it automatically showing “Roll Over” when you try to guide it to the side with the treat.