How to teach your pooch to play dead
If you have ever witnessed a dog “play dead” on command, then you probably got a laugh out of it. Not only was it fun for you, but the dog probably enjoyed the attention, too. Trick training is a great addition to obedience training. Playing dead is not too difficult, but it does require that you pooch have an understanding of basic commands. Here’s a few, easy tips for teaching your pooch to play dead.
Trick training is not only entertaining for friends and family, but it is also a way to implement and reinforce obedience training. Training your pooch to perform tricks is often a nice break from training for obedience. Since training can become monotonous and cause your pooch to lose interest, your best bet is to mix in a little trick training with your regular obedience training. You can even use trick training as a way to treat your pet!
Before you start training, there are a handful of items you need to acquire and a few things you should keep in mind. First, make sure you have a “handful” of treats on hand. You want to reward your dog for the good he is doing, and he will love the reward of a tasty treat! The first thing to keep in mind is the length of the training session. An appropriate session will last about 10 to 15 minutes, but you can conduct more than one session each day. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough time to get your pooch familiarized with the behavior but not so much time that he loses interest. Second, never get angry with your pet. Remember, trick training is fun…not necessary! If your pooch doesn’t get the hang of things, then keep trying. With patience and a few treats, he’ll learn. Lastly, you may not like entertaining the thought of your dog “playing dead.” So, come up with a command that you would like to use. Instead of “play dead,” how about using “take a nap,” “go to sleep,” or “sweet dreams.” You’ll also need a command to tell him that it’s okay to release the trick. A simple “okay” works and so does “good morning,” “rise and shine,” or “wake up.” It’s all up to you what you choose to use.
Now, onto the training. Grab the treats, your pooch, and find a quiet area in your home free of distractions. Your dog needs to at least understand “sit” just so you can get him to be calm and listen to you. If your dog can lie down on command, then this is also a plus, but it isn’t necessary. If your pooch doesn’t understand “lie down,” then you are in the perfect position to take care of two skills at one time!
Sit in a chair or beside your dog on the floor. Tell him to “sit” or “lie down” (whichever command he understands). If he does not understand the lie down command, then hold a treat at his nose and lower it to the floor. Say “down” as you do this; you may have to push his hind quarters down into the lying position. Give him a treat for completing the command, and repeat this a couple more times.
Once he understands that you want him to lie down, begin teaching the play dead trick. While he is lying on his stomach, manually turn him on his side as you say “play dead” (or whatever command you come up with). Hold him there for a couple of seconds, but do not force him to stay down. As you let him up, use the second command “wake up” or “good morning,” whichever you prefer. When he stands up, give him a treat. Repeat this several times, but try not to exceed the ten to fifteen minute time frame. Try to practice the trick several times each week, but try to mix things up a bit.
Trick training is a wonderful addition to obedience training. If you practice a few times each week, your pooch can learn to “play dead” and “wake up” in addition to his obedience skills. Don’t forget to let him show off his new talent to family members and friends. Everyone will enjoy watching your dog perform, and your dog will love the extra attention!
Article provided by pet-super-store.com an online pet site carrying aluminum dog crates, dog beds and dog carriers.