Post by Aussienot on Jul 2, 2004 21:04:52 GMT -5
This is Sailor’s favorite trick to perform. This is as close as a clumsy Labrador will ever get to a summersault.
Uses: Impressive looking trick that your dog might enjoy doing
Equipment: A large carpeted room helps, or outside, a grassy lawn. Treats.
My command is 'Roll' and the arm signal is a clockwise half circle in the air with my left hand.
First teach the Roll:
Preliminary step: Determine if your dog has a favorite side. Wait till the dog is lying down, give a good tummy rub, then back up quickly and call dog to you. Whichever way the dog turns to get back on her feet is the way you should teach the roll over.
Teaching the Roll:
Put Dog in a down, using the drop arm signal, but use the command Roll rather than drop or down – (you don’t want the dog to roll over on every drop).
Gently push Dog to one side. Don't manhandle, just nudge.
Guide the dog over by pushing the top legs in the direction of the roll.
Encourage the dog up to her feet with a treat, and praise and reward. The roll isn’t finished until Dog is standing up.
Repeat four times a couple of times a day.
Gradually fade the amount of help you give until the dog is completing the roll on her own. With Sailor, who is a willing student, but sadly a very slow learner, this took several weeks.
Teaching the Run out of the Roll:
Once Dog is rolling reliably, as soon as the dog commits to the roll, back up a few steps and call the dog. Jackpot the treats the first time Dog comes to you out of the roll. You need to time your call carefully to make sure the dog doesn’t pull out of the roll.
After about 300 times of doing this over several days, your dog should begin to anticipate the move forward. When you see this happening, start running away, and make Dog catch up to you. Work on rewarding speed. Be as happy and animated as you can in commanding the roll and in encouraging getting on her feet quickly.
Teach the Run into the Roll:
By now, Dog is dropping, rolling and running out reliably. Now you start exciting and encourage the dog before the roll. Use tug games, squeaky toys or whatever works to spring-load your dog.
Put Dog in a sit, and Wait. It’s helpful at this step to have an Assistant hold the dog while you wind her up with voice encouragement.
Move ten so feet away, call the dog, then immediately give the roll command. Be prepared to move in closer and re-command the Roll the first few times.
Always back away and run off so the dog runs to you upon completing the roll.
Gradually increase the distance you move from the dog, giving more time to gain speed before starting the roll.
That’s it. Keep practicing for speed and fluidity, and make a game of it.
Beware of trick confusion: While training the Running Roll Over I also put her in straight Down often to make sure she understood the difference. I also had her Play Dead quite a bit more than usual as the tricks both start in the same way.
Uses: Impressive looking trick that your dog might enjoy doing
Equipment: A large carpeted room helps, or outside, a grassy lawn. Treats.
My command is 'Roll' and the arm signal is a clockwise half circle in the air with my left hand.
First teach the Roll:
Preliminary step: Determine if your dog has a favorite side. Wait till the dog is lying down, give a good tummy rub, then back up quickly and call dog to you. Whichever way the dog turns to get back on her feet is the way you should teach the roll over.
Teaching the Roll:
Put Dog in a down, using the drop arm signal, but use the command Roll rather than drop or down – (you don’t want the dog to roll over on every drop).
Gently push Dog to one side. Don't manhandle, just nudge.
Guide the dog over by pushing the top legs in the direction of the roll.
Encourage the dog up to her feet with a treat, and praise and reward. The roll isn’t finished until Dog is standing up.
Repeat four times a couple of times a day.
Gradually fade the amount of help you give until the dog is completing the roll on her own. With Sailor, who is a willing student, but sadly a very slow learner, this took several weeks.
Teaching the Run out of the Roll:
Once Dog is rolling reliably, as soon as the dog commits to the roll, back up a few steps and call the dog. Jackpot the treats the first time Dog comes to you out of the roll. You need to time your call carefully to make sure the dog doesn’t pull out of the roll.
After about 300 times of doing this over several days, your dog should begin to anticipate the move forward. When you see this happening, start running away, and make Dog catch up to you. Work on rewarding speed. Be as happy and animated as you can in commanding the roll and in encouraging getting on her feet quickly.
Teach the Run into the Roll:
By now, Dog is dropping, rolling and running out reliably. Now you start exciting and encourage the dog before the roll. Use tug games, squeaky toys or whatever works to spring-load your dog.
Put Dog in a sit, and Wait. It’s helpful at this step to have an Assistant hold the dog while you wind her up with voice encouragement.
Move ten so feet away, call the dog, then immediately give the roll command. Be prepared to move in closer and re-command the Roll the first few times.
Always back away and run off so the dog runs to you upon completing the roll.
Gradually increase the distance you move from the dog, giving more time to gain speed before starting the roll.
That’s it. Keep practicing for speed and fluidity, and make a game of it.
Beware of trick confusion: While training the Running Roll Over I also put her in straight Down often to make sure she understood the difference. I also had her Play Dead quite a bit more than usual as the tricks both start in the same way.