It's a shootout! You on one side, a hardened toy-killer on the other. Tensions are high as you stare each other down. The furry foe goes for his gun, but you are faster. Bang, bang! He stumbles slowly and falls to the ground.
If you want to get laughs from any who visit your home, why not teach your pooch to act like he's been shot? It sounds a little gruesome, but once you see it, the only thing you'll die of is cuteness.
To teach your canine to be an actor straight out of an old Western, all you'll really need is an afternoon of work. Pups who are a little more mature tend to learn faster with this one, as some basic commands are needed before they can get dramatic.
There are a few variations of this fun trick, some with your dog standing, and others with the pooch laying down. The idea is that after you make your gun noise (by saying the word “pow!” or “bang!”) your fur buddy rolls over and plays dead. If you train it right, not only will people love it, but your dog will have fun performing as well.
To prep your pup for his acting career, you'll need a few things. To be prepared, make sure to have:
If your dog has mobility issues or is in his senior days, maybe skip out on teaching him the standing version of this trick. A bit of fun is not worth injuring your best buddy.
Below are a few methods you can try to teach your dog to be shot dead (for pretend!) See what one suits you and your pooch the best, and give it a go.
Have this handy tool in hand along with a bag of treats.
Use a treat to convince your pooch to roll on his side. As soon as he does, click and give him the food.
Start to say “bang” or “pow” before the lay-down command. Repeat this until simply making your noise gets your canine to perform the trick.
Start including a gun hand signal each time you give the command. Pretty soon, as soon as your fingers go up, your furry friend will be dropping to the floor.
Get your dog in a comfy sit-stay position. Reward her with a treat.
Grab a treat in your hand and slowly raise it above your dog's head. If she stands up on her back legs, give her the goodie.
Keep doing the previous step, but lead her higher each time. Eventually, she should be able to stand up for a few seconds to wait for the treat.
Start bringing your dog up the same way as before, but have no food in your hands. Every now and then, bring the treat back into play to keep your mutt interested.
Start to switch your hand from a fist to a gun shape. Your dog will begin to pick up on this new signal.
Say “stand” as you use your new hand signal. This will be the command for the trick.
Master these steps, then head to The Lazy Victim Method. Once your pooch is standing on cue, add the lay-down and roll-over (with a bang).
Get your dog flat on his tummy and reward him. Make sure he stays.
Gently encourage him to roll onto his side. Once again, lure him with treats and praise him if he obliges.
Do the side roll a few times with short breaks in between. After your pup is getting consistent with the trick, you can move on.
To add the comedy into your routine, you need to have a good gun sound. “Bang” or “pew pew” are crowd favorites.
Every time you have your dog lay down and roll to the side, make your noise.
Using your fingers, make a little gun (think little boys playing cops and robbers). Make the signal every time you make your gun noise. Practice, and enjoy!
Written by Amy Caldwell
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 10/05/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
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i cant get him to do anything
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
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Hello Elora, Check out the video I have linked below. Sometimes a video example can help when training dogs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMRRLUyAIyw Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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