How to teach a dog to roll over

Roll over starts from a down, so your dog needs to lie down on cue and stay there for a few seconds. In the AKC Trick Dog program it is an Intermediate trick, and the evaluator guide notes that the handler may ask for a down as the first step. Choose a surface with some give: a rug, a yoga mat or a dry lawn. A slippery floor makes a dog scramble, and cold, wet ground in a Cape Ann winter is no place to ask a dog to lie on its back.

Then think about the body. The AKC's owner manual on tricks says to make sure a dog is in good physical shape before training any new trick, and to consult the vet if you are unsure. Rolling twists the spine, so skip it, or get your vet's clearance, for a dog recovering from surgery, a dog with back or neck pain, or a dog with arthritis. Notice, too, how your dog feels about lying on its back. Some dogs find it uncomfortable, and a trick should never feel like being pinned.

Some dogs carry a higher risk to the spine. VCA's veterinarians list the dachshund, poodle, Pekingese, Lhasa Apso, German shepherd, Doberman, beagle, French bulldog and cocker spaniel among breeds with a high incidence of intervertebral disc disease, most often in middle age, around three to seven years. That does not mean every dachshund must skip roll over, but it does mean a conversation with your vet before teaching a trick that twists the back.

There are good alternatives. The side lie from step three is a trick of its own, and the AKC's list of Novice trick ideas includes a head down: from a down, the dog rests its chin on the floor for five seconds. Both teach stillness and trust on the floor without a flip. Stop any session if your dog yelps, hesitates to lie down, or rolls only one way when it used to roll both, and mention it to the vet, since reluctance to move can be a sign of pain.

Pushing a dog over by the shoulder is the shortcut we see most, and it teaches a dog that floor tricks mean being handled roughly. Rushing the lure comes next: a treat swept quickly over the head makes the dog stand up or spin, not roll. Long sessions on a hard floor, and asking for the trick the moment the dog wakes up stiff, round out the list. Short, slow and soft beats every one of them.

If your dog will not lie on its side, seems worried on its back, or you want help with the lure, private sessions start from $94 with Gabriella Pope's training team. Dogtown Academy days, $89 full or $69 half, include a training session with our trainer and a report card on what to practice at home. Roll over counts toward the AKC Intermediate Trick Dog title, which needs the Novice title first, and an AKC Approved CGC Evaluator does the testing.