How to Teach a Dog to Roll Over

There are unified algorithms and widely known tools to train dogs to execute almost all existing commands. It means clear commands by voice, expressive semantic hand movements, and a mandatory reward upon successful completion of each command.

Dog training involves the creation of conditioned reflexes. Creation proceeds through a balanced use of positive and negative incentives. The most powerful positive stimulants for the formation and consolidation of conditioned canine reflexes are food, toys, and play stimulants.

Training success is based on positive reinforcement of canine correct behavior. It may be initiated by different stimulants. Find the exact type of reward that best motivates your dog to learn. Some pups will do whatever you desire to just play a little

4 Tips to Teach Your Dog to Roll Over

1Don’t speculate about what dogs shouldn’t do. Formulate for yourself clear criteria for their obedience during training. Plan positions and movements that dogs must learn to execute on command.

2When dogs accept the required behavior that you determined, it is necessary to stimulate positive results with treats, tasty toys, or plays until the pup is confident in immediately following commands.

3Reinforce the obedience you have developed with valuable stimulants after dogs execute commands. Your four-legged friends will always and willingly follow your instructions.

4At the final stage of training, practice is mainly reduced to the development and consolidation of acquired skills and conditioned reflexes. It is the time to practice tricks gradually complicating conditions and circumstances in which dogs undergo training.

Preparing Dogs for Training

We recommend you start with taking the newly acquired dogs to the vet, sanitize them and vaccinate. Then you can proceed with teachings basic commands like Fetch me my slippers or Fetch the leash and a whole host of other tricks.

The Full 360 Method

It is the best if dogs are capable to reliably execute basic tricks. It is supposed that the dog must initially be in a prone position. Of course, rewards with his favorite treats help greatly. This is about those treats that your pet likes a lot but does not receive often. Demand your learning friend to lie down or just wait when he is in a prone position on the floor.

Bring a treat his nose to smell it. You need to very slowly move a treat across the pet’s back. Keep a treat close to dog s nose and don’t let him get up. He should remain in a lying position all the time. He will to reach for the goodies and will eventually fall onto its side.

After he is lying on his side, continue moving the treat even further until the dog rolls over onto his back, and then on the other side. After that the command follows to roll over and a well-deserved reward.

There is another method for dogs to quickly roll to the opposite side. Take his front and hind legs that are down on the floor and gently turn him to the opposite position. If all goes well, reward him. Continue the exercise until a dog realizes that as soon as he rolls over, he is immediately rewarded.

Distinct Short Steps

Your dog does roll over right away. It is great! But most dogs reject doing it on their first try. Pets can jump up, roll on their backs, or lift heads in a completely different direction to try to eat the treat. So try breaking up the training procedure into smaller distinct steps.

Get a treat closer to let a dog smell it and slowly move it to his pup’s shoulder, when a dog is in a lying position and generously encourage him. Repeat it until he will never refuse to turn his head.

Stop giving goodies after each and every head turn. Feed a treat only after a head turns closer to his side. Reward only when he completely lies on his side. Each subsequent move leads to a complete rollover.

It appears easier to turn the body over on another side once you lure a dog into rolling onto his back. It is important at this moment to keep a treat stimulant close to a pup’s nose until the body completes a full 360-degree rollover exercise.

The Toy Treat Method

Let your pup obtain certain toys. But let it only after executing the commands. Then remove the toy so that he cannot see it. That is the method to develop a conditioned reflex of the dog: at the sight of toys, the pet will invariably strive to take possession of them at any cost.

A process of training a dog to roll over with the use of toys practically does not differ from training, where treats serve as stimulants. But in the first case, a trainer rewards with a toy for a completed training element in a shorter time because the concentration of attention on the obedient performance is less effective than in a similar situation with a treat stimulant.

The Rewarding Procedure

A trainer keeps a toy out of sight before training starts. On command — Lie down, a dog obediently fulfills it. A trainer immediately gives a toy, accompanied by his loud approving exclamations. After a few seconds a trainer hides a toy and again commands to lie down.

A dog once again receives the desired toy upon its completion. This is how obedience is worked out. Gradually increase duration of toy ownership to make him enjoyable to exercise tricks. It is quite possible to teach him any actions stimulating with toys!

We wonder what cool and unique tricks or behaviors you’ve trained your four-legged pet. Share it with us in the comments!