Teaching your dog to roll over is a fun trick which can be enjoyable for both the owner and the field spaniel performing it. While it appears to be a complicated trick when viewed as a whole, the job of teaching your spaniel to roll over can be made simple by breaking the roll over into smaller tricks, which constitute the various parts of the roll over, then slowly stringing them together until your dog has mastered the roll.
Things You'll Need
- Rewards
Instructions
Reward your field spaniel at the completion of any attempt at a trick throughout the training process. You can reward with a treat, a favorite toy, or simply with affirmation through petting and assertions of "good boy" or "good girl." Continue teaching each trick until it is completed without physical contact from you, and without the need for a reward beyond a verbal affirmation.
Teach your field spaniel to sit. Give the sit command, then press gently on the back of your spaniel's rear legs while pressing down gently on their backside, which will encourage them to take a seated position.
Teach your field spaniel to lay down. Give your desired lay-down command while the spaniel is in a seated position, then gently take your spaniel's two front paws and pull them in front of it, forcing the spaniel to lay down.
Give your field spaniel the lay down command.
Hold a favored toy or treat near the spaniel's head on the side opposite the direction you want your spaniel to roll.
Pass the reward up over your field spaniel's head, and to its opposing side, being sure that it continues to follow with its head. The movement should naturally cause the spaniel to begin rolling in this direction. You can help it along by gently rolling it from beneath the stomach, until the spaniel learns to roll onto its back on its own.
Continue passing the reward in the new direction, causing the dog to complete its revolution. Reward upon completion of the roll.