How to Teach Your Dog to “Roll Over”

“Roll over” is a cute and basic trick that is fairly simple to teach your dog. If your dog is food motivated and willing to learn, they should catch on in no time. Today, I’m sharing how to teach your dog to roll over in 5 easy steps.

1. Teach them to “Lie Down”

In order for your dog to learn how to roll over, it’s important they know the cue “lie down” beforehand. If you have not yet taught them the “lie down” cue, you’re likely going to have a more difficult time teaching “roll over”. 

Assuming your dog knows the “lie down” command, start by asking them to lie down in front of you and then kneel down beside them. 

2. Use High Value Treats

Many dogs are highly food motivated, so using a high value treat such as cheese, chicken, or an extra yummy dog treat, is key to teaching the trick.

Once you have a high value treat on hand, place it next to their nose while they’re in the “down” position. Then, lure the treat back slowly towards their shoulder. This should encourage them to lay flat on their side. 

3. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

When your dog is consistently following the treat to lay on their side, repeat this step multiple times, praising heavily and rewarding with their treat. 

As soon as you’re confident your dog understands to roll from his stomach, to his side, bring the treat even further back towards his backside. They should follow the treat to roll from their side, to their back. 

Now, bring the treat all the way to the opposite side of their body, encouraging them to roll all the way over back to their stomach.

Be sure to repeat each of these steps multiple times, praising heavily each time to ensure your pup is fully understanding and catching on. 

4. Add in the Command

Now that your dog is completing a full “roll over” by following the treat, it’s time to add the command. Every time your dog does a full roll, say “roll over”, praise, and give the treat.

Repeat this until they associate the action with the command “roll over”. 

5. Gradually Reduce the Treats

When you’re confident that your dog understands how to perform the trick, gradually remove both the treat and any hand motions you were using until they will do a full roll just at the command “roll over”. 

Don’t be discouraged if your does not catch on right away. The action of rolling over isn’t natural, so it might be difficult for them to understand at first. Be patient, keep rewarding, and soon they’ll be rolling over with ease!