Folk often ask me how they can train their dog to do a range of tricks. Some of the easier ones to begin with is shake a paw, high five and roll over. From my personal experience, I have found that you can learn how to teach a dog to roll over in 3 straightforward steps.
- The first thing you want to have is some delicious dog treats to coach your dog. It is best to utilize a unusual treat that your dog does not routinely get to eat so that he's enthused about the training. I suggest using turkey sausages because they are inexpensive and simple to cut into small pieces for coaching.
- Start your coaching by putting your dog in a sit position, and then you need to bring the treat next to his nose and down to the ground, and steadily move your hand toward his neck. Give your dog a treat for following your hand and going onto his back. Next, you need to move you hand farther away from him so that he rolls over. Make sure that you praise your dog frequently throughout the training. The most excited you are during your training programme, the more your dog is going to like training with you.
- Once your dog can roll over, you are going to need to say the command “Roll Over!” at the same time that you “lure” him with the treat. Remember to always give him a treat after he rolls over so that he learns what's predicted of him.
- Practice these exercises each day for a week. After that, you will want to withdraw the treats so that your dog can roll over without having to use treats. I also recommend that you train in different environments; train in your backyard, your local park or at your friend’s house “that way your dog will be able to perform his new trick everywhere he is going.
Tips:
Always reward your dog and give him a treat anytime that he is successful. You want to build on success in place of getting irritated if your dog isn't completely understanding what you want him to do.
Always remember to teach this trick incementally. Which means to get the dog to first turn his head, then move his body onto his side, and eventually to roll over. You want to reward each stage of the rolling over.
And always keep your training sessions short! Your dog will learn more in a short five minutes session than he will with an hour of boring drilling.
Jean Cote is a Pro Dog Tutor who believes in teaching tricks as a way to develop a loving relationship with dogs. He enjoys making online dog tricks tutorials on his website and his dog blog.
