Teaching your dog tricksPart of · Teaching your dog tricks

Teaching "shake it off" and head nods

Q: How do I teach my dog to shake off on command?

You can't lure it: you capture it. Spot the moments when he already shakes off (waking up, taking off the harness, after rain), keep treats on you, and say your marker word ("yes!") during the movement, then reward. When he starts offering it on his own, add the word "shake".

Q: What is capturing in dog training?

It's marking a behaviour the dog does spontaneously (shaking off, yawning, stretching) instead of provoking it. You watch, you mark right at the perfect moment with a marker word, you reward, then you name it once it's become predictable. It's the ideal route for reflexes you can neither guide nor force.

Q: My dog shakes his head all the time, is that normal?

If he shakes his head over and over on his own, scratches his ear or keeps it tilted, it isn't play: he may have a sore ear (an infection, or a grass seed in summer). Pause the trick and have the ear checked, especially if it's red, hot or smells bad.

Q: Do you need a clicker to teach the shake?

No. A simple short marker word ("yes!", "that's it") tells the dog just as well "that's the movement that pays", and it lets you put your voice and emotion into it. What matters isn't the tool but the timing : marking during the shake-off, not after.

6 min read

Why "shake" is captured, never lured

A shake-off can't be guided with the nose and can't be shaped: all you can do is spot it and mark it at the right instant. That's exactly what makes it the school of timing, the most instructive way to learn for the owner (positive-reinforcement framework, AVSAB 2021). For the dog, zero physical effort: you're simply putting a reflex he already produces spontaneously under a cue.

Three things to have ready, and nothing else.

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Capturing "shake" in five steps

You watch, you mark, you name it once it's predictable.

2 à 3 jours

Spot the predictable contexts

For two or three 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.

une dizaine de captures sur plusieurs jours

Capture during the movement

Marker ready, treats on you. As soon as the shake-off starts, say your marker word while the shoulders are still turning, then give a big jackpot (several treats in a row).

Wait for him to offer it

Most dogs then start to hint at a shake-off while looking at you, especially in the usual contexts. Mark these offers, even the incomplete ones at first.

Add the word

Say "shake" just once, calmly, right before a predictable moment (taking off the harness, waking up) or an offer you can see coming. Never during, never after.

Step out of the context

Ask for "shake" in the living room, dry dog, harness on, with no trigger at all. The first successes still deserve a jackpot.

The variation: "yes" and "no" with the head

Keep this for when your dog already follows a target stick (the "touch" trick). Without that base, don't start.

Sweep the target

Hold the target stick near his nose and move it quickly, from left to right then back, over a small range. The dog follows with his head: mark the head movement, definitely not the touch.

Fade the target

Reduce the range, then replace the stick with the same tiny gesture of the empty hand, and finally with a discreet finger signal paired with your word ("no?").

Add the "yes" later

Same build with a vertical sweep (up and down), several days apart and with a clearly distinct signal, otherwise the two nods get mixed up.

Spontaneous, repeated shaking isn't the trick: it's a signal to read.

Keep an eye on

Repeated head-shaking with no obvious reason
Scratching the ear, rubbing the head on the floor or against furniture

Have it checked

Ear that's red, hot or smells bad
Discharge, heavy brown wax
Yelps or pulls away the moment the ear is touched

Without delay

Head strongly and constantly tilted to one side
Loss of balance, unsteady, staggering gait
Eyes flicking in a jerky, involuntary way

AVSAB — Position statement on humane dog training (2021)
Demant et al. — Effet de la fréquence et de l'espacement des séances sur l'acquisition chez le chien (2011)
Consensus sur l'otite externe du chien (cadre PSPP), World Association for Veterinary Dermatology (WAVD)
Otitis externa in dogs, Merck Veterinary Manual

To go further

guideTeaching "touch": the targetThe essential base for the yes/no head nods.Read the guide parcoursTeaching your dog tricksThe full path: marker word, short sessions, safety.View the path

Frequently asked questions

How do I teach my dog to shake off on command?

You can't lure it: you capture it. Spot the moments when he already shakes off (waking up, taking off the harness, after rain), keep treats on you, and say your marker word ("yes!") during the movement, then reward. When he starts offering it on his own, add the word "shake".

What is capturing in dog training?

It's marking a behaviour the dog does spontaneously (shaking off, yawning, stretching) instead of provoking it. You watch, you mark right at the perfect moment with a marker word, you reward, then you name it once it's become predictable. It's the ideal route for reflexes you can neither guide nor force.

How do I teach my dog to say yes and no with his head?

First he needs to follow a target stick (the "touch" trick). Then you sweep the target near his nose, left to right for the "no", up and down for the "yes", and you mark the head movement, not the touch. Teach the two several days apart so you don't mix them up.

At what age can you teach the shake-off trick?

At any age. The shake-off is a natural movement with no strain on the joints, so it suits both a puppy and a senior dog. It even makes an excellent first trick, with no prerequisites at all.

My dog shakes his head all the time, is that normal?

If he shakes his head over and over on his own, scratches his ear or keeps it tilted, it isn't play: he may have a sore ear (an infection, or a grass seed in summer). Pause the trick and have the ear checked, especially if it's red, hot or smells bad.

Do you need a clicker to teach the shake?

No. A simple short marker word ("yes!", "that's it") tells the dog just as well "that's the movement that pays", and it lets you put your voice and emotion into it. What matters isn't the tool but the timing: marking during the shake-off, not after.

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