Shake off, and nodding yes and no
“Shake” is taught by capturing it, not by luring
A body shake can’t be guided with a treat under the nose, and you can’t build it up little movement by little movement either: all you can do is spot it and mark it at the right instant. You wait for him to do it on his own, you mark, then you reward: this is the method veterinary behaviourists recommend for that kind of spontaneous movement.
Four things to check before you start, and nothing else.
0 / 4Teaching “shake” in five stages
You watch for it, you mark it, then you name it once it has become predictable.
Spot the predictable contexts
For a few days, simply note when your dog shakes off: on waking, after rain or a bath, when the harness or coat comes off. You’re not stepping in yet, you’re observing.
Mark and reward during the movement
Marker word ready, treats on you. You’ll recognise the start of the movement by the ears flapping and the head swinging from side to side: say your marker word at that precise instant, while the movement is still going, then give several treats in a row. If the moment doesn’t come up on a given day, don’t force anything: don’t wet him and don’t tickle him to trigger it, just wait until tomorrow.
Wait for him to try the movement
After several marked repetitions, most dogs start offering a hint of a shake while looking at you, even a tiny version (just the head rubbing to one side). Keep watching at the natural moments you spotted in step 1, not all day long. Move on to the next step when he offers you the movement of his own accord several times in a row over a few days, looking at you, without you having waited for him to be wet or to come out of a nap.
Add the word
Once he offers you the movement on his own at every opportunity, you can add the word. “Shake” is not your marker word (“that’s it”, which you say during the movement): it’s a different word, a cue, which announces the movement and is said before the action, never during or after. Say “shake” once, calmly, just before a predictable moment: on waking, or when the harness comes off, the same contexts you spotted in step 1.
Ask for it with no trigger
Ask for “shake” in the living room, dog dry, harness on, with no natural trigger anywhere around. The first times he responds to the word alone, even with a tiny head movement, still deserve several treats in a row. Count it as learned when he responds to the word alone, out of context, five or six times in a row. If he isn’t responding out of context yet, go back to asking just before a natural trigger for a few more days, then try again without one.
Teaching the “yes” and “no” head nods in three stages
Save this for when your dog already follows a target stick with the tip of his nose (the “touch” trick). Without that base, don’t start.
Move the stick in front of his nose
With your dog sitting or standing facing you, hold the stick a centimetre from his nose, without touching it, and move it in a small horizontal sweep, left to right and back. The dog follows with his eyes and turns his head: mark that head movement with your marker word (“that’s it”, definitely not “yes”, which is going to be the name of the nod next door), never the contact with the stick. Since he already knows “touch”, he’ll probably try to touch the stick with his nose: don’t reward that contact, mark a little earlier, at the instant the head turns but before the nose lands, even if it means easing the stick back just before contact. If he steps forward instead of moving only his head, the movement is too wide or too far from his nose: make it smaller, keep the stick right up close, and work with him sitting or with his back to a wall so he hasn’t got room to move forward. Do it in short sets: three or four passes of the stick, then a break, five minutes of play in total, no more, and you stop while he’s still getting it right.
Fade the stick out
Gradually reduce the size of the movement, then replace the stick with the same small gesture using an empty hand, at the height of his nose. Once he turns his head every time on that reduced gesture, move to a discreet signal: a small movement of the index finger, still left to right. The word “no” only goes on at that point, once the movement is reliable: like “shake”, it’s a cue said before the movement to announce it, not a marker word you drop during it. You carry on marking the head movement with “that’s it” when he does it.
Add the “yes” later
Same method, several days apart from the “no” (stick, then hand, then finger), but on a vertical sweep (top to bottom) instead of a horizontal one. So the finger signal changes axis (up and down instead of left and right): that’s what makes it distinct. If the two nods get muddled, go back to the “no” on its own for a few more days before asking for the “yes” again.
Outside the moments when you’re working on this trick, a spontaneous, repeated head shake is no longer a game: it’s a signal to read, and the darker the list gets, the sooner you call the vet.
Keep an eye on it
- Repeated head shaking outside training, for no obvious reason
- Scratching the ear, rubbing the head on the floor or against furniture
Get it looked at
- Ear red, hot or smelling bad
- Discharge, large amounts of brown wax
- Yelps or pulls away as soon as you touch the ear
Straight away
- Head strongly tilted to one side all the time
- Loss of balance, unsteady walking
- Eyes moving on their own, very fast, beyond his control
- AVSAB — Position statement on humane dog training (2021)
- Otitis externa in dogs, Merck Veterinary Manual
Going further
Frequently asked questions
How do I teach my dog to shake off on cue?
You can’t show him the movement with a treat that guides him: you wait for him to do it on his own, and you reward him at that moment. Spot the moments when he already shakes off (waking up, harness coming off, after rain), keep treats on you, and say your marker word (“that’s it”) during the movement, then reward. When he starts doing it on his own while looking at you, add the word “shake” just before he does it.
What is capturing in dog training?
You watch for the moment he spontaneously does a movement, you mark right at that instant with your marker word, then you reward. Once it has become predictable, you add the word just before. It’s the best method for the reflexes you can neither guide with a treat nor build up movement by movement.
How do I teach my dog to nod yes and no?
First, your dog needs to already follow a target stick with the tip of his nose (the “touch” trick). Then hold the stick a centimetre from his nose and move it in a small horizontal sweep for the “no”, a vertical one for the “yes”. Mark the head movement, never the contact with the stick, and teach the two several days apart so they don’t get muddled. If he steps forward instead of moving his head, make the movement smaller and work with him sitting or with his back to a wall.
At what age can you teach the shake trick?
At any age. Shaking off is a natural movement, with no effort or strain on the joints: it suits a puppy just as well as an older dog, and it even makes a good first trick, with no prerequisites at all.
My dog shakes his head all the time, is that normal?
A shake now and then, on waking or after rain, is perfectly normal. What should raise a flag is when he shakes his head non-stop, scratches his ear or holds it tilted: at that point it’s no longer a game, the ear may be bothering him (an ear infection, a grass awn in summer). Put the trick on hold and get it checked, especially if it’s red, hot or gives off a bad smell.
Do you need a clicker to teach the shake?
No. A simple short marker word (“that’s it”, “top”) tells the dog just as well that this particular movement triggers the reward, and it lets you put your voice and your warmth into it. Just avoid “yes” if you also plan to teach the head nod, which goes by that name. What matters isn’t the tool but the timing: marking during the shake, never after.
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