How to Clicker Train Roll Over

Teaching your dog to do tricks reinforces obedience and strengthens your bond with your dog. Clicker training a roll over is fun and easy.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Clicker savvy dog
• Clicker
• Treats

1. On a soft surface such as grass or carpet, cue your dog to "down". Have you a treat in one hand and your clicker in the other.
2. Hold a treat near your dog's nose and lure his head around to his shoulder. this should cause him to relax onto his hip. Click and treat.
3. Repeat step two. This time lure his head a little farther over his shoulder so that he rolls to one side. Click and treat.
4. Lure your dog to his side once more and while keeping a tight grip on the treat, lead him on over to his other side. Click and treat. Practice this 3-5 times.
5. Remove the treat from your hand. Ask your dog to "down" without a treat in your hand, place your finger in front of your dog's nose and lure his head back to his shoulder. When he drops to his side, continue to cue him on over. Click and treat.
6. When your dog is reliably responding to being cued with your hand, add the verbal cue "Roll Over". Wait a few seconds and lead with your hand if he does not roll over. Click and treat.
7. When your dog rolls over using the verbal cue only, click and give him a "jackpot" of multiple treats.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep training sessions short 3-5 minutes is plenty
• Do not say the verbal cue until your dog is doing the behavior.
• Do many short training sessions per day
• Begin fading the use of the clicker as your dog responds to verbal cues reliably
• Train old behaviors like new behaviors in new places, around new people, or in the presence of other animals. Act as if your dog has not learned the behavior, and start at the beginning, until he has generalized the cue.
• Smile at your dog while training. Speak in cheerful tones. Clicker training is fun!
• Do not chat with your dog while training him, it confuses him as to what word he should be listening to.
• Do not repeat cues, if your dog is not responding to a verbal cue change something you are doing or make adjustments to the training environment.