# Roll - Over and Changing the "release" word



## TrentL (May 10, 2011)

So two things i'm having major issues with Draven (8months on the 26th) is Roll-Over and retraining a word.

So I'll start with Roll-over, so I never really thought this one would be handy at all just a pet gimmick and I've taught him other gimmicks like weaving through my legs, playing dead, shaking paws, giving high 5's etc. 

But I brush and trim his nails when he's "Playing Dead" as its the easiest for me to do , but he only plays dead on one side... he's 80+ pounds... he's a freak'n moose to get him on his other side... thats when I realize I failed to teach him rollover early... 

So I put him in the "Play Dead" position, and I try and "Lure" him over his shoulder to force him on his back and over but he normally follows the lure to a certain point and gets confused and goes into a play dead hoping for the treat.

Othertimes he sits up / goes into a down position and switches sides (But won't lay flat on a play dead) I haven't found any good videos on youtube that help mostly people showing their dog rolling over... which doesn't help 

Second thing:

The release word... I don't know why but I used the word "Okay" which apparently a lot of people do... but it was a HUGE mistake... that word is said so much that its confusing.

For instance I would drop a treat and then say "leave it" and then let him have it saying "Okay" but then he through "Oh I can get up"

I've changed it so that he's allowed to take the treat when I say "Take it" but that doesn't help the whole "Okay" release word.

Anyway hope to hear some good suggestions!


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## LoveEcho (Mar 4, 2011)

My experience with the "Roll over" is that it can be hard for some dogs to do physically. My guy is very long and lanky and I think he has a really hard time with it, so then he gets kind of anxious that he can't do it and does exactly what you describe. If you have a small hill anywhere, try it there-- have gravity give him a hand  That was how I taught him initially, so I think struggling to do it on flat ground was hard for him.


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## LeoRose (Jan 10, 2013)

My release word for most things is "farewell". I do use "okay", but only for certain things, like going through a door or releasing them to eat their food.


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## TrentL (May 10, 2011)

Yeay problem is that I need to break the okay word and train a new word...

New word is easy how to you break the old one??


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## AngelaA6 (Jan 20, 2013)

My dog can kinda roll over but it's really hard for him to do physically so I don't ask him to. He's just an awkward gangly thing that doesn't like to roll over.


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