How to Teach a Dog to Roll Over? 7 Easy Steps to Teach a Dog Roll Over Command

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Scott is a professional blogger with 12+ years of experience in writing, and holds an MA in anthropology. He has two cats as housemates. Also, Scott is passionate to research on pet-related topics such as dog training, puppy feeding, and cat health.

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Updated on: 03/23/2022

Teaching your dog to roll over can be one of the cutest tricks that you can work on with a pet outside of regular sitting, staying, or coming to you when their name is called. Rolling over can be an extension of the “Down” or “Sit” command, and it is often a very popular command that pet owners go to as an extra trick for their dog to try out.

This cue can be great for pet owners as a cute trick their pet can do for guests or as an essential cue that is better for checking their stomach for ticks or cleaning them after being out in the mud. Roll over can be a command that can focus your pet when they need some commands and directions after being incredibly hyperactive too.

If you are interested in teaching your dog to roll over, consider gathering together some of this top equipment and getting to work with the process of training your pet.

What you need to get started with Dog training

It is always a good idea to train your canine friend with the proper sense of patience and dedicate time to the process. It is unlikely your pup will pick up this behavior overnight, and if you are ready to take on the training, you need to be focused and patient so that you can give off that energy to your pooch.

As well as a focused attitude, you will also need a proper reinforcer for your dog. A small reinforcer could be a pet toy, it could be food for your pet, or it could be their favorite treat. For 99% of all dogs, the best reinforcement item is often a treat, to begin with. It can be a small piece of cheese or a piece of a milk bone. Still, when you can see them demonstrating the positive behavior of rolling over, these positive reinforcement items will seal the behavior as positive. ^[1]

Markers can also be very effective. A marker is usually a clicker or a sound that happens when good behavior occurs. Even saying “Good” or “Yes” when your dog performs the task can be an effective marker.

You will also need a space where your dog feels safe to perform a new behavior or take on further training. Choosing an area of your home with a softer floor or going out into your backyard where they can roll easily can be an essential step. An area where your dog can roll softly and not be distracted is most important. Doing it around your pup’s bed could be a great place to get a full roll. If you are trying to teach your pup how to roll over at the dog park or attempting to teach them how to roll over with your other dog or young child nearby, they may find themselves feeling distracted.

Steps to teach your Dog to roll over

This step-by-step guide will help you how to start training your dogs a new trick with the proper process. It may take several training sessions, but most pups can pick up the new trick with a treat and some consistency.

1. Start by teaching your dog the down command

To teach your dog how to roll over, it is best, to begin with, the down position. If your dog does not know the down command, be sure to teach them this. Asking your pooch to sit and then lie down or lie down in front of you as a starting point is an excellent way to begin the behavior. Once your dog is lying down in front of you, get down beside them and hold a treat in front of their nose.

Photo by Destiny Wiens on Unsplash

2. Lure with the treat

Use the luring treat to get your dog to follow it. By holding the treat in front of your dog’s nose in the down position, move your hand from the nose over to their shoulder. When your pup has their head over to the shoulder, give them the treat for moving into position. Eventually, they can start moving their body a little more and exposing their belly.

3. Move them further

Once you get your dog to consistently move its head down towards the shoulder, move your hand further from the shoulder using a treat. Use the treat in front of your dog’s nose as a lure. Move your hand towards their backbone and encourage them to roll on their side. If they roll onto their back, give them the treat.

4. Get them all the way over

When your dog is consistently lying on its side and getting a treat, move your hand in a curving motion over its backbone. Roll them onto their back and to the side. If you can get your pup to roll over and back into the lying position, give the treat.

Photo from Freepik

5. Repeat the motion many times

Repeat these lure motions a little faster until your dog starts to roll over automatically.

6. Use the consistency and remove the lure

Once the dog starts to roll over consistently, you can remove the lure and use only your hand without the treat. As your dog starts to see this hand motion, they will take it as a signal to roll over. Using a verbal command with your hand signal and saying “Roll Over” will consistently perform the behavior when you make the signal. Eventually, the verbal cue will be enough to get most pups to complete the action.

7. Training your dogs to do tricks without treats

Once your dog has started to roll over when you issue your hand signal or just a verbal cue, you may be able to take treats out of the training process. If you see that your dog has rolled over by simply hearing the command, give the command and wait a few seconds. If they complete the command, you can praise them with some pets or introduce a reward system such as a clicker to confirm they have completed the tr.

Decrease the number of treats you give for proven behaviors, and eventually, your pet will not require a treat lure or some form of food reward to feel like they have completed a job well done.

The best types of treats to use with your Dog

In the earliest stages of training a new behavior like rolling over, you will likely need to use a treat that your dog loves, even if it is higher in calories. Using this treat in front of your dog’s face will help you slowly lure them into new tricks. But it is not often to increase their intake too much just for training, so you can always take their favorite treats and divide them up into smaller pieces for the training. Many dog trainers like to use sections of cheese, dried meats, or cut up the treats. You could also opt for a low-calorie treat or pieces of their dry food if you are interested in a reward that will not cause them to gain weight over the process of training.

FAQ

How hard is it to teach a dog to roll over?

Training your dog to roll over is one of the more difficult starting commands that you can take on. It is often easier to start with “Sit” “Stay” “Down” and “Come” before taking on roll over. You need to establish trust with your dog and make sure they are taking on their training in an environment that isn’t too distracting.

If your dog is struggling with the process of learning these commands, you back a step or two as you are luring them. Take them through the command in a step-by-step process and make sure they get every part of it before you move on. They don’t have to get the full command for one training session either. If your dog consistently moves their head to dog’s shoulder at the end of the time you have to work with them, and it’s a good place to begin for your next session. Training sessions can be 10 min or 30 min; just make sure to keep it a fun and relaxed environment, so it’s a time to bond with your pup.

Some dogs can be very resistant to showing their bellies, and in this case, you will just need to make sure they are rewarded with lots of praise, and the process of training feels like another fun game for your dog.

What is the hardest command to teach a dog?

Almost any command can be learned with the proper positive reinforcement and a dedication to regular training sessions. The most difficult tricks to teach your dog are often commands that have many parts like rolling over, learning to wait in a game of fetch, standing on hind legs or moves like spinning. With more complicated behaviors, it is vital to work with your dog and let them understand the commands by breaking down every element of the behavior associated with that command.

How do you teach a dog the 7 basic commands?

Positive reinforcement is the best way to teach your dog the basic commands needed to stop negative behavior and make sure they can come when you call them. Using lots of treats, plenty of praise and working on behaviors in a relaxed and un-distracting environment will help your dog master these tricks.

There will always be situations where your dog may not perform well with the commands they have learned or forget their training. Don’t be afraid to take time and retrain so your dog can feel good about their behaviors and commands and obey accordingly while they are in situations with distractions or overly stimulated.

What is the first trick to teach a dog?

The first trick that every puppy should know apart from bathroom training is learning their name. Capturing the attention of your dog is essential to any training and forming a bond with your pet. When you say your pup’s name in a happy tone of voice and they turn to you, make sure that there is a reward. With a bit of practice, after your dog learns their name, they may eventually come to you as well and know the early commands like “Come”.

Keep some of these top ideas in mind about training your pet and having great success in reinforcing positive commands with your dog.

Article Sources:

Hall, Nathaniel. “Efficacy of Dog Training With and Without Remote Electronic Collars vs. a Focus on Positive Reinforcement.” Frontiers, 31 Mar. 2020, frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00508/full.