Bang You’re Dead Trick Overview
Teach your dog the bang you’re dead trick with this dog training trick from the Dog Training Planner. You will need plenty of high-value treats (to entice your dog to work hard) and lots of patience to teach your dog.
This is an advanced dog trick with multiple steps. So, it may take your dog several training sessions (over several days) to master this trick and it is important to practice each step before moving forward.
The secret to nailing this trick is to start at the end and work your way forward. You do that because you want the dog to associate the entire trick with food, and we always give food at the end, so that’s where you need to start.
The 5 Parts
If you scroll down a bit, you’ll see that I’ve written out all the steps from the video for you. I know. I know. I really am that nice (lol).
Videos are great if you’re a visual learner! Most people learn dog training drills best by first watching a video tutorial, and then having the written steps available during the training session, so they don’t get confused (Hey, if you want to completely avoid confusion, you might like to get your paws on my Dog Training Planner).
To make this blog post a more visual experience for you, I’ve snuck in some dog art (and cartoon) that I created, in Quentin Blake’s style (if you’re curious, you can take a look at all my dog art here).
Part 1: Start At The End Position
It is important to start with the END POSITION (lying on their side) so that your dog can understand the trick as a whole.
Start with your dog in the lying down position (see panel 4 above).
Have a treat in your hand (see panel 5 above).
Put your hand in front of their nose so they can smell the treat (see panel 6 above).
Put your hand behind their ear to lure their head so they lie on their side (see panel 7 above).
Use the clicker and give a treat when they get it right (see panel 8 above).
Repeat this step multiple times until they understand the movement.
At this point, you don’t need a command word or a hand signal. That’s because you want your dog to understand the entire movement before adding in anything extra, such as words and hand signals.
If you find that your dog isn’t motivated to do the END POSITION move, then it might be a good idea to get some treats that are more appealing to your dog.
Part 2: Lure From A Sit Position
Get your dog in a sit position.
Use the food to lure them into a down position (see panel 4 above), and repeat the ‘hand behind ear’ movement (see panel 7 above) to lure the head into the final position.
Use the clicker and give a treat when they get it right (see panel 8 above).
Repeat multiple times.
Part 3: Hand And Voice Commands
When your dog fully understands the END POSITION (see panel 3), you can start to incorporate hand and voice commands.
Start with the dog in a sitting position.
Make the hand signal (a gun) and give the voice command, “Bang“, then use the food to lure your dog down (just as you did in parts 1 and 2).
Use the clicker and give a treat when they get it right (see panel 8 above).
Repeat multiple times.
NOTE: Make sure you’re not doing the hand signal and saying the words and luring at the same time because your dog will ignore the hand signal and voice and will follow the food. So, you want to say, “Bang” first and then lure your dog down.
Part 4: Reduce The Lure
This step is really tricky, so make sure you follow it perfectly.
Repeat part 3, but with an empty hand (pretending that you have food in your hand).
Only reward your dog with food at the end of the movement.
If your dog does it right, give them a ‘jackpot’ (lots of treats at once).
Keep practising until your dog responds to the hand signal and verbal command.
Part 5: Remove The Luring Hand
Eventually, remove the luring hand (remove the ‘luring hand’ intermittently at first in order to test your dog, so they can connect the dots themselves).
Final Thoughts
This trick can take time, so be patient with your dog. If you feel they are getting confused, go back a few steps. This trick will probably turn out to be your dog’s favourite trick because it’s a crowd-pleasing, party trick that all kids and adults find adorable.
Before you go, read on to discover the secret sauce to dog training success...
Loving Leadership
Have a philosophy of loving leadership when training your dog.
As a loving leader, you should be constantly working on the communication pathways with your dog. At the bare minimum, your dog should also have some basic commands such as the lie-down command, sit command, and stay command.
When your dog knows a few basic dog obedience commands he or she will feel loved because they know what you want and have no anxiety or fear about what they should be doing and when.
Once your dog has a few commands under his or her belt (I mean, collar), practice behaviour dog training, command dog training and tricks dog training regularly to ensure your dog is physically and mentally healthy. As you are probably acutely aware, untrained dogs have a way of taking over the control of a home if not taught otherwise (which can be a nightmare). A trained dog, however, will bring years of doggie love to your household.
Pssst. Don't tell anyone, but you can become a loving leader by getting your paws on my Dog Training Planner. You can get my Dog Training Planner for a limited time at a 70% discount.
