You have successfully trained your pet dog to sit, be still, and lie down. Now you want to try teaching the more difficult technique, rolling. This trick looks very impressive and easy to teach. Prepare for the trick by making sure your dog knows the basic steps. Then, learn how to train a dog to roll over using a simple reward technique. Have fun and over time your dog will become adept at rolling over on command.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing Tricks
Step 1. Make sure your dog knows how to lie down
This first step is important in teaching the trick to roll over because the dog has to lie down before it can do it. If your dog doesn't respond to a command to lie down, teach it first.
You can also start by letting the dog lie on its side. This position can help him learn to roll over
Step 2. Have some snacks on hand
Prepare special treats that you don't normally give him, such as low-fat meats (beef, chicken, or turkey), cheese, commercial dog treats, or other foods he likes. Divide the treats into smaller pieces so that they are sufficient during the training session and that the dog does not fill up too quickly. Keeping your dog interested in treats will keep him motivated to learn to roll. Avoid salty or fatty foods.
- If you don't want to use dog treats, offer verbal praise. However, a more effective way is to use a clicker and snack tool. The clicker tool is very useful because you can click exactly when the dog changes its behavior. This method is more accurate than a verbal compliment or a treat. The dog will associate the sound with the treat (which you will give anyway). Train your dog first with a clicker, and once he's associated the clicking sound with a reward, you can start training your dog to roll over.
- Never punish as a way of training a dog. Dogs don't understand negative impulses and as a result tricks will never be learned. Instead, a negative approach or forcing your dog to do tricks will make him associate the trick with fear.
Step 3. Move to the practice room
When training your dog, it's best to start in a comfortable, distraction-free room. Choose a spacious room because the dog will move around a lot. Once your dog has learned how to perform tricks comfortably at home, he will be able to do them outdoors or in public.
Let other people in the house know what you're doing so you don't disturb the dog while it's training
Part 2 of 3: Teaching How to Roll
Step 1. Say the command "lay down"
The dog should start the "roll over" trick from lying on his stomach with his head raised and his legs extended forward. From here, the dog will be able to roll over easily without hurting him.
Step 2. Hold the treat close to the dog's face
Squat down and hold the treat near the dog's face so it can be seen and sniffed. Squeeze your fingers together so the dog can't snatch the treat before doing the trick.
If your dog picks up treats quickly, be sure to watch your fingers so they don't bite
Step 3. Move the snack and say "roll over"
Turn the treat up and around the dog's head so that his nose follows the treat. The dog's head and body usually follow its nose. If you guide your dog's nose with a treat in a direction that will make him roll over, he will follow and roll over. Say “roll” in a clear, friendly voice while moving the treat around his head.
The key to success here is getting the dog to associate verbal commands with rolling over. If you want, you can use a cue by making a rolling motion with your hands. You can also give physical and verbal cues at the same time
Step 4. Help the dog and keep practicing
Use your free hand to help your dog roll over gently if he's still having trouble moving on his own. Do this trick repeatedly because it takes a lot of practice. When practicing, reward your dog with treats for getting it right. This will encourage him to keep trying.
Dogs can get frustrated if you hold off on rewarding them after they've completely rolled over. Don't forget to praise your dog in a gentle, excited voice. Dogs will respond positively to the phrase “good boy” or “smart dog.”
Step 5. Know when it's time to reward
First of all, reward your dog with treats and praise each time your dog successfully rolls over. These repeated rewards will encourage him to learn new tricks. If he already knows what you want, the number of treats given can be reduced.
Reward the dog immediately, within seconds of rolling over. This helps the dog know the correct behavior so he can repeat it
Step 6. Keep practicing until your dog can do the trick unaided
After a few successes, your dog should be able to roll over without your help. You should no longer have to move the treat around his head or roll over the dog. Stand up and tell the dog to roll over, and reward him with treats and petting when he manages to do it himself.
Part 3 of 3: Perfecting the Trick
Step 1. Practice until your dog can roll over without the help of a treat
If your dog already knows what you want when you say “roll”, change the way you reward your dog. Don't always give snacks. Slowly widen the gap between treats and use snacks that are more random and less fancy. This will prevent your dog from expecting a treat every time he rolls over. Keeping the exercise non-monotonic will also keep your dog interested in performing tricks.
Continue to give verbal compliments such as “smart dog” and affectionate petting. Save your special treats to use when teaching the next trick, and for now give more mundane treats, such as dog treats or cheesy treats
Step 2. Practice in a new location with lots of distractions
At this point, you can try practicing in a new location. This keeps the dog challenged and prevents him from associating new tricks with just the practice room. Start exercising outdoors, first with a snack, then without a snack. If you have one, a dog park is also a good place to practice because there are usually a lot of distractions there.
Dogs can be challenged by this new annoyance. Be patient and give him treats until he can roll over consistently in this new location
Step 3. Continue to practice with other people
Practicing in front of other people will get your dog used to the presence of other people. Additional praise from others can also encourage the dog to learn to roll. Try having someone else give him a roll command. Once the dog has fully grasped this trick, it can roll over even if the command comes from someone else.
Tips
- Teaching your dog to roll over can be difficult at first, but in the long run this trick is great for entertaining and impressing guests! Do not give up! Your dog is smarter than you think!
- Never raise your voice or hit your dog. Dogs do not respond to negative impulses; You're not training your dog to roll over, you're teaching it to scare you.
- Don't forget to give orders from various starting positions. Dogs should be able to roll over from a sitting, standing, or supine position.
- Don't hit the dog if it doesn't roll over. Hitting him will make the dog hate the person who tries to practice this command on him.
- If your dog stops doing tricks, return to intermittent, random treats for a while. If you stop giving treats too much, your dog can become frustrated.
- Make sure there are no distractions around the dog, such as balls (if he likes it), other animals, and other people. This helps the dog focus on you, the person who taught him how to roll.
- Be gentle with your dog, and don't force him to roll over if he doesn't like it. Some dogs don't like showing their belly. Try another trick if your dog won't roll over.
- Don't train for more than 5-10 minutes per session. Dogs will get bored and need rest. You can do more than one session per day. Alternating practice and play will keep your dog's brain active, fresh, and ready to learn. Plus, giving your dog too many treats will give your dog the confidence that he'll take it every time he gives a command.
