Teaching a dog to roll over can be difficult. You may need to hold the dog’s paws, to make sure they do not fall over when they are flipped onto their back.
The best way is through positive reinforcement, where you give the dog treats when it rolls over. While this can be difficult, it is also rewarding.
Here is an example of how to teach your dog to roll over:
Teach the dog that rolling over gets him a reward. The best reward for an adult dog is food, and the best way to teach this trick is through positive reinforcement. When your dog does something you like, especially something you like but don’t expect, give the dog a treat.
Praise your dog if he moves to flip over by himself on his own volition. Don’t move him and roll him yourself; let the dog do it on his own or he’ll lose interest. Encourage or praise him as he does it though; it is important that he sees you are happy about his accomplishment.
Start with the dog in a sitting position. Hold the treat in front of its face and move it over one side of its paw, so that when it moves forward to grab the treat, it will roll over on its opposite side.
It’s okay if your dog falls down when he tries to get the treat. Hold it above his head and lure him over, so that when he falls onto its side he will roll onto his back. Do this a few times every day, only giving your dog a treat after it rolls over in succession on demand or on its own volition.
Repeat this step for a few days until the dog is used to the idea, but not so much that it’s no longer fun and interesting for him. Remember: this needs to be a game!
If your dog has gotten used to rolling over on command after several days of this, you can start to give the verbal cue “roll over”. It may take time before he understands what you want, so keep practicing.
Once he starts to do it on his own accord, you can give the command and reward him as well. If your dog does not catch on after several days of this, or if he does not enjoy this trick for some reason, try again later. Some dogs simply don’t like doing tricks for food rewards.
Remember, this is fun for your dog. It gives him an activity to do with you, and it gets him some exercise. This can be tiring if he does not enjoy it though; some dogs may only want the treat or they may get tired of rolling over several times a day so make sure to switch up how often you do this and what you do before doing it.
So this is how to Teach a Dog to Roll Over.