Play Dead

On “Bang!” your dog flops onto their side and holds still — the theatrical hit of every family gathering.

🐾🐾🐾 · ~10 days · 5 min/session

Learn first: Down

Step-by-step

1. Down on a soft spot

   Ask your dog to lie down on a rug or mat. Kneel beside them with a smelly treat at their nose. A calm setting matters — this is a relaxation trick.

2. Lure onto the side

   Move the treat from the nose towards the shoulder, then gently down towards the floor. The head follows, the weight shifts, and the dog relaxes onto their side. Reward the instant the head and body settle sideways.

   💡 If your dog already knows “Roll over”, this is simply its first half — stop the lure halfway.

3. Extend the stillness

   Start delaying the reward: one second of stillness, then two, then five. Deliver treats down at floor level so the head stays down. A slow, drawn-out voice — “goooood” — helps the dog stay melted.

4. Add the “Bang!” cue

   Pick your cue — the classic is “Bang!” with a finger gun. Say it just before the lure, repeat plenty, then try the cue alone. Only reward the full flop onto the side.

   💡 Train a release word too — the resurrection on cue is half the show.

5. Make it theatrical

   Gradually ask for the trick from a stand, not just from a down — the flop from standing is more dramatic. Build the stillness to ten or fifteen seconds with a reward at the end. Take the show to friends once it’s solid at home.

Common mistakes

• Laughing and rewarding while the dog wiggles — you’re training a “half-dead” dog with a wagging tail.
• Demanding long stillness too early — the seconds have to build up slowly.
• Confusing it with “Roll over” — use clearly different cues and gestures for the two tricks.

Problems & solutions

My dog rolls all the way over instead of staying on their side.

They know “Roll over” and are guessing that’s what you want. Reward earlier — the moment the side touches down — and hold the lure low and still once the shoulder lands.

The head keeps popping up to watch what I’m doing.

Deliver treats directly on the floor between the front paws and use a quiet, flat voice. Several treats in a row while the head is down teach the dog that’s where the goodies live.

Reward ideas

Soft treats delivered at floor level and quiet praise during the trick; save the big celebration for after the release.