The Roll Over is one of the most difficult Chihuahua Tricks to teach. Because rolling over involves the extremely submissive gesture of exposing their tummies, many dogs are uncomfortable learning this trick. But, with a positive attitude and a whole lot of patience, you can train your little friend this fun Chihuahua trick!

Prerequisites

It is also important that your Chihuahua be comfortable with exposing her tummy to you. In the dog world, this is the ultimate show of trust and submission and, especially for a tiny dog, makes them feel very vulnerable. Spend lots of time rubbing her belly and praising her before attempting to train the Roll Over Chihuahua trick.

Also required before you can teach the Roll Over, are several simpler Chihuahua tricks that your pup will need to have mastered. Take your time and slowly teach your Chi how to Sit, then how to Lie Down, and when that is perfected, how to Play Dead. The Play Dead is one of the cutest Chihuahua tricks your pooch can learn and is the last trick she will need to master before moving on to Roll Over.

You’ll want to find a juicy, yummy smelling treat that your Chihuahua can’t resist and have it on hand to train her how to Roll Over.

The Roll Over, Step-By-Step

1. Ask your baby-dog to do the Chihuahua trick Play Dead and give her a bit of treat while she is still in the flat on her side “dead” position.
2. Hold another treat in front of her nose and, when she notices it, give the command “Roll Over!” in a calm, clear voice.
3. The next step to teaching your dog this adorable Chihuahua trick is to use the trick to lure her into a roll. Do this by slowly moving the treat toward her chest, then over her shoulder. Your Chi should try to follow the treat with her little nose by rolling over.
4. As soon as she flops on to her other side, give her the treat and LOTS of praise by saying “Good Roll Over!”
5. Repeat steps 1-4 several times, two or three times a day and this Chihuahua trick will get easier and easier for your favorite little dog!
   

   For the Ultimate Guide to Housetraining Your Puppy click HERE!

Alternative Method

While some dogs will learn this Chihuahua trick using the above “luring” method, others might not care enough about treats to bother rolling over to get it. For these dogs, this manual method of training this Chihuahua trick might work better. Be sure to be very gentle when teaching this method so that your precious pup doesn’t get frightened.

1. Have your Chi Play Dead.
2. While she is still laying flat on her side, gently put one hand on each shoulder. She may need you to talk softly to her to help her stay calm as you do this.
3. Say “Roll Over” and roll her onto her back.
4. Once on her back, your dog will squirm to finish rolling over on her own. Allow her to do this and repeat the command so that she associates the movement with the words.
5. As soon as she makes it over to the other side, give her a treat and lots of praise!
6. Keeping it fun and light, repeat these steps only a couple of times a day. Believe it or not, this Chihuahua trick actually takes a lot of strength. Your pup will need to build up her abdominal muscles as she learns to Roll Over.
7. After your little dog has an understanding of what the “Roll Over” command means, you can give her the command without using your hands on her shoulders. Always give her her reward as soon as she flops to the other side.

Every dog learns at his or her own pace, so don’t get discouraged if this Chihuahua trick seems to take a while to perfect. If you take the time to lay the foundation by practicing and mastering the Lay Down and Play Dead tricks, your little friend will eventually learn to Roll Over as well.

Remember to keep training sessions short and fun. Training your Chihuahua tricks will lead to a closer bond between you and your best buddy!