Dog Roll Over Training

Training dogs to roll over is a fun way of interacting and communicating with your dog. This popular doggy trick can take a lot of time and patience though. Some dogs pick it up right away, and some dogs take a bit longer to understand what 'roll over' means. Gather up plenty of treats and patience, follow these simple steps, and your dog will be playing the roll over game with you in no time.

Step 1:

The roll over command should never be taught to a dog until the dog learns the 'lay down' command. Make sure your dog knows 'lay down' first, and then progress to the next steps.

Step 2:

Get down on the floor with your dog and give your dog the lay down command. Once your dog performs this command, gently roll your dog over yourself while you say the words 'roll over.' After you do this, give your dog a reward through praise and plenty of petting. No doubt your dog will be confused at first, but stick with the routine until your dog starts getting comfortable with the game.

Step 3:

Once your dog is comfortable with being rolled over, give your dog the 'roll over' command and wait for your dog to perform the command by itself. If your dog does not pick the command up, keep repeating Step 2 a few times a day, every day, and eventually your dog will roll over without your help.

Step 4:

Once your dog rolls over by itself, give your dog a treat reward and oodles of praise. Try to keep repeating the command, and don't forget an immediate reward, once your dog completes a successful roll over.

Step 5:

Continually reinforce the roll over command by using it at least once a day. Always give some type of reward when your dog performs this command. Use treats at first, and then slowly phase out the treats while you increase praise and affection rewards.