Double Trouble!

I thought this was a silly trick to teach until I saw a collie do it, then I changed my mind because he looked so sweet!

To teach a dog to shake his head (as in to say 'no' when he's asked a question) you need to start with a basic target command. Have your dog target a bright piece of paper when you give the target command and treat him every time he hits the mark. Put the treat behind the paper initially until he gets that you want him to touch the paper with his nose. Once has has that down, move on to stage two.

For the second part of the training, introduce a second piece of paper. Clip a piece of paper onto something each side of him at head height, and treat him as you ask him to target each piece of paper in turn. Once he has that learned, ask him to target both pieces of paper one after the other, but only treat as he touches the second piece. Keep this going into he has the motion understood. Then you can add a hand movement to the command so he understands that when you gesture with your hand in a particular way, you want him to shake his head.

This trick is all about taking your time on each stage until your dog has it. Have fun!