Games: Roll Over, Fido!

Objective: To teach the dog to roll over in a complete circle.

1.     Using a lure, have your dog lie down.  Treat. 

2.     When he is in the down position, move the lure slightly to the left or right 
(depending on which hip he favors lying on) and toward the shoulder area.  If he follows the lure, treat. If he is not following the lure, you may be moving it too far or too fast.

3.     Very gradually, increase the distance of the lure before you and treat. Eventually 
he will have to shift his body weight to follow the lure.  Be sure to give several treats at this stage before going further. Rolling onto the back is not a comfortable position for all dogs so it is important to give him confidence in this position before moving on.

4.     Continue moving the lure in one direction in small increments until he
has completed the roll over.

5.     You will need to practice this many times until the dog is fluent and
reliable before adding the cue.  

6.     Once the behavior is established, the movement of your luring
hand becomes a hand signal so you can easily fade the treat you
are using for a lure. You will still want to treat now and then 
but now the treat can come from elsewhere (i.e. your pocket, a bowl, etc).

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