German Shepherd Training

How To Train A German Shepherd To Roll Over

When you have a dog you are trying to teach to roll over it takes 2 things.  First, patience and second, treats.  And it is really quite fun!  In this article I am going to walk you through step by step how to train a German Shepherd to roll over (or any dog for that matter).

The first thing that you need to do is to have your dog lay down on its stomach.  Make sure that it knows that you have a treat, like a bit of chicken.  Next you tempt the dog with the bit of chicken and hold it in a way that your dog has to crank its head all the way around to get it.  If your dog tries to stand up to get the chicken he does not get any.  Have him lay down and do it again.

The idea is to teach the dog to keep reaching its head around until it rolls over.  When I am teaching a dog this trick, each time the dog progresses a little farther in doing what I am seeking he gets a bit of treat.  Then we start over and do it again.  This is more of a coaxing.  Once you get your dog rolling over you have him repeat it and repeat the behavior as you say the command "roll over".  Each time your dog does it he gets a bit of chicken.

Some people like to convert this into an entertainment trick for visitors.  The teach the dog to lay perfectly still when it rolls over until told to give up.  And instead of using the command "roll over", they say "bang".  Once the dog gets good at it you have something very entertaining for guests.  Your dog is standing their and you point your finger at him and say "bang".  Your dog rolls over on his side and lays perfectly still like he is dead until you tell him to get up.

That is pretty much how to train a German Shepherd to roll over.  It is pretty simple.  To learn how to teach your German Shepherd more things check out the website "How To Train A German Shepherd".  In the above video she uses a clicker but the method is basically the same.  Also her German Shepherd catches on a bit faster than most other dogs.  The main thing is just to be patient and make sure your dog is having fun.  The happier he is and the more fun he is having, the quicker he will learn.  Also remember only reward the behavior you want.

German Shepherd Rescue Efforts

One thing I like about this particular video is her German Shepherd is one that she rescued or adopted from an animal shelter recently.  Let me speak on this subject for just a moment.  In every city their are many more stray dogs without homes than the animal shelters can handle.  Most people don't know this but the average time an animal shelter keeps a dog before putting it to sleep is between 72 hours and maybe 5 days tops.  If someone does not come and claim or adopt the dog within that time period the animals are killed.  It is not that the shelters are cruel or mean people, it is that they have way more dogs coming in than they have room for.  If you have any desire for a dog, don't by one, save a life.  Adopt your German Shepherd today!

General German Shepherd Training

Just a few more dog training tips before I let you go.  Remember above all else to make your training a happy positive experience for your dog.  If you get angry or lose your patience your dog will not only learn slower, but you risk damaging his trust in you.  If you want a happy and fiercely loyal and obedient dog, he needs to trust and respect you.  Don't use physical punishment or things like choke collars to train your dog.  You will get one that obeys you out of fear rather than respect and loyalty.  You can't fully trust a dog that does not trust you.  Plus it is down right mean to use those methods.  It shows a lack of personal self control on the part of the trainer. No matter whether you are training your German Shepherd for protection, basic obedience or to be a show dog, a loyal trusting dog is happier and more obedient than a fearful one.  Abuse is not how to train a person or an animal.