Teach Dog to Roll Over

Dogs who are as comfortable on their backs as they are on their paws really
groove with these rolling tricks. How will you know whether your dog qualifies?
She’ll roll anywhere, anytime, and often of her own volition. She’ll sleep
on her back. She’ll scratch her back by rolling on the carpet. She’ll come in
with a grass-stained coat from rolling in the yard.
The good news? “Roll over” isn’t just a one-time trick. Once your dog learns
to roll, you’ve got lots of trick training in store, from impersonations to pupin-
a-blanket. Pup-in-a-blanket, you ask? Read on!

“Roll over”

“Roll over” always brings a smile to my face. Although teaching it requires
some patience, it demonstrates the importance of sequencing — breaking the
sum of a trick into parts and then linking the parts to perform the trick.
Before you begin, bring your dog into a quiet room and place treats on a
nearby table. Find your clicker if you’re using one (see Chapter 2 for more on
clickers). Here are the three training sequences:

1. First sequence: Call your dog to you and put her in a “Down–Stay.” Kneel
next to your dog and scratch her belly until she lies on one side. As she
does so, say “Roll”; then reward and praise her. Repeat this sequence 10
to 20 times until your dog responds comfortably to this direction.

2. Second sequence: Repeat the preceding steps. Then take a treat and
circle it from under your dog’s chin to just behind her ear (see Figure
6-2). As her head twists to follow the treat, her body will rock to the
side. Say “Roll,” offer a treat, and praise her. Repeat this sequence 10 to
20 times until your dog responds quickly.

3. Final sequence: Repeat the preceding steps. Now circle the treat slowly

backward over the back of your dog’s head as you say “Roll over.”

When your dog is first learning to roll over, she may need some help.

Guide her over by gently pushing her top front leg to the other side as

you say the command.

Click (or say “Yes!”) and give your dog a treat whenever she does a full

roll, whether you helped your dog or not.

As soon as your dog gets the full roll sequence, practice a few times, and then

quit on a high note.

Rolling over with a hand signal

Once your dog is comfortable rolling over, you can teach a simple hand

signal to prompt this trick:

1. Continue to kneel next to her when commanding “Roll over,” but lean

backward in the direction you want her to roll.

2. Hold your index finger parallel to the floor, and draw small circles in

the air as you give your verbal command.

3. Help your dog initially if she seems confused, praising her as you

assist and jumping up with her to end the trick.

4. As soon as she responds to the cue without your help, stand up and

give the command and the hand signal, always accentuating your

hand signal.

Your end goal is to direct your dog from a standing position. Gradually

move up from a kneeling position to a one-kneed bend to eventually

standing up, as you over-accentuate your hand signal.

After your dog seems to be able to follow the command, you can teach her

to keep on rolling or to jump up after the first roll. Using enthusiastic body

language, you can easily communicate when you want your dog to jump up.

Toss your arms in the air and jump like a bunny when you’re encouraging

your dog to leap up.

If you want your dog to continue rolling, lean in the direction she’s rolling

and exaggerate your signal initially.

Pump your clenched fist in an enthusiastic hooray to signal your finishing

Rolling over from a distance

When your dog knows the hand signal — drawing circles in the air with your

index finger — you’re ready for control at a distance. Here’s how to cue your

dog to roll from farther away:

1. Place your dog in a “Down–Stay” and stand back 3 feet.

2. Use your hand signal, leaning your body in the direction you’re sending

your dog, as you command “Roll over.”

If your dog looks confused, go to her calmly and help out, getting back

into your starting position as she finishes the trick.

When she performs on her own, give her a jackpot — a whole fistful —

of treats and end with a fun game.

3. Back up 2 feet at a time during your subsequent practice sessions,

until your dog will roll over at a reasonable distance from you.

Visualization helps you teach a trick, so create a picture in your mind of your

dog performing the trick flawlessly. Can dogs read minds? I think so!

roll!