How to Train Your Chihuahua Dog to Roll Over

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How to Train Your Chihuahua Dog to Roll Over

Medium

4-6 Weeks

Fun

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Introduction

Teaching a Chihuahua to roll over isn't much different than training any other dog to roll over. It is not an extremely easy trick for most dogs because they don't enjoy having their bellies exposed. But once your Chihuahua knows how to roll over, you can add this to the pile of fun and cute tricks to show others and to use when you are socializing your Chihuahua.

With strong personalities and close attachments with their owners, Chihuahuas often have a reputation for being stubborn. But in reality, their personalities are sweet and fun. They are protective of their owners and have a big bark for little dogs. When you train your Chihuahua to do fun tricks like roll over, it will help keep the hierarchy alive in your house and give you tools to help your Chihuahua grow social around other people as well.

Defining Tasks

Training your Chihuahua the 'roll over' trick puts him in a position where he is submissive to you and to anyone who asks him to roll over. This submissive gesture also teaches your Chihuahua who is the leader of your pack. The first step of getting your Chihuahua to learn how to roll over is getting him to expose his tummy to you. So practice this first before you move on to the actual trick. Have your Chihuahua show his tummy. Be sure to give him a treat each time you can get him to show his tummy. Then move on to more fun and have your Chihuahua show his tummy and give him a tickle. Next, have your pup show his tummy and give him a nice rub. Turn tummy exposure into a game before you begin practicing this trick. Once he can show you his tummy without anxiety, begin training your Chihuahua to roll over.

Getting Started

To get started teaching your Chihuahua to roll over, you're going to need lots of tasty treats. These treats should be high-value treats that aren't used for basic obedience commands. Give them in very small cuts. Your Chihuahua will enjoy cheese or hot dogs or even dried liver. Be sure to have a lot of these treats on hand for your Chihuahua to earn. Learning more advanced tricks such as 'roll over' will be easier for your Chihuahua if he knows the basic obedience commands first.

The From 'Play Dead' Method

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Step

Obedience commands

Start with basic obedience commands such as 'sit' and 'down' first. Once your Chihuahua has learned how to sit and how to lie down from the sit position, train the 'play dead' command.

Step

From' down'

Once your dog has 'sit' and 'down' mastered, leave him in a down position.

Step

Treat to nose

Hold a treat up to your dog’s nose and move it to the side encouraging him to move to the side with you as he follows the treat.

Step

Reward

Practice this several times, giving him the reward each time he makes it to his side. Give this action a name as your dog is practicing, such as 'play dead.'

Step

Roll over

From the 'dead' position, train your dog to roll over by using another treat in front of your Chihuahua's nose. Just as you did when teaching him to play dead, move the treat over to his opposite side very slowly, expecting the dog to roll with you.

Step

Treat

As soon as your Chihuahua follows the treat from one side to the other, give him lots of verbal praise and, of course, the treat he earned.

Step

Repeat

Repeat these steps, practicing the roll over position. As soon as your dog is comfortable rolling from one side to the other, start from the beginning in the 'sit' position and have him lie down to play dead and then roll over all as one command.

The Lure Rolling Method

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Step

Basic commands

Always begin with teaching your Chihuahua to sit and lie down before teaching him to roll over.

Step

From 'sit'

Have your Chihuahua sit and give a treat once he does so.

Step

Side

Use treats to lure your Chihuahua to his side. To do this while he's in the sitting position, put a treat next to his nose and move it over down to his front paws and then over to the side. Your little guy should follow the treat, ending up in a position where he is lying on his side.

Step

Repeat

Repeat these steps until your Chihuahua rolls to his side by following the treat.

Step

Roll over

Once your dog is comfortable on his side, get him to roll over by using the lure of a treat the same way you got him to get to his side. Place your Chihuahua in a sit position and the use the treat to lure him down and to his side and then all the way over by holding the treat over his head and moving it over his back and down to the floor on his other side.

Step

Reward

As soon as your Chihuahua gets to the other side, be sure to give him a treat. If your pup is only making it to one side, keep treating and practicing.

Step

Name it

As you and your Chihuahua practice this after the first try, begin to name the trick. Each time you lift the treat up over his shoulder encouraging him to roll him over, say the command "roll over." Always give him a treat as soon as he flips to the other side.

Step

Practice

Continue to practice the 'roll over' command until your dog can do it on his own without the lure of a treat.

The Pointer Finger Method

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Step

Sit together

Sit in front of your Chihuahua and hold a treat so you have his attention. If your Chihuahua knows the 'watch me' command, you can use this command to ensure he is giving you his attention.

Step

Treat

Once your Chihuahua gives you his attention, give him the treat. Make sure he knows he can earn more. You can show him another treat to keep his attention.

Step

'Down'

Ask your Chihuahua to lie down. Before teaching more advanced or fun tricks, be sure your Chihuahua knows all the basic obedience commands first.

Step

Pointer finger

Use your pointer finger to have your Chihuahua roll over. With a treat in your hand that your Chihuahua can see and smell, make a slow and small circle in the air. Your dog will want to follow the treat, rolling over. This won’t happen right away, but the drawn circle will become your command to get your Chihuahua to roll over once he is used to doing so.

Step

Assist

Because your Chihuahua won't roll over immediately simply because you drew a circle in the air with your finger, you may need to gently lift his front paws and shoulder to roll him over. Be sure this is a slow and methodical move and be gentle so he doesn't have his head on the floor or become frightened.

Step

Reward

Even if you assisted your pooch, give him the treat he watched move through the air while you drew a circle encouraging him to roll.

Step

Practice

Repeat the steps above until your Chihuahua can roll from the 'down' position without you using his paws and shoulders to roll him over. As he learns the command, he should be able roll over on his own by watching your hand signal. Be consistent with the hand signal and always treat him to a reward every time he rolls over.

How to Train Your Chihuahua Dog to Roll Over

Introduction

Defining Tasks

Getting Started

Success Stories and Training Questions