One of the most common tricks that dog owners want to teach their pets is how to roll over, and how to play dead. They are easy to teach, and the entertainment value is high.

Before a dog can learn advanced tricks like playing dead or rolling over, they should already be familiar with common commands like "come", "lay down" and "stay"...especially the latter.

To start, you should teach the dog to play dead, since rolling over starts from the "play dead" position. To train a dog to play dead, you use what is called "lure training". Lure training is when you use a reward like a toy or a treat to motivate the dog to get into a certain position. It depends on whether your specific animal likes to play more, or eat more, as to which reward you use.

Have your dog lay down, and bring the treat or toy close to the dog's face, but out of reach. Bring the lure (the toy or treat) up over the dog's head and around so that the only way for the dog to follow the lure and grasp it is to lay on its side. As soon as it gets on its side, with good eye contact and a firm voice, issue the "stay" command. As the dog obeys and stays in that position, issue the new command, "play dead". When the dog does what you want, give it whatever standard praise word you use, like "good boy" or, if you are using a clicker, the click reward. Make sure that you are tying the new phrase "play dead" to the praise only when the dog has done what you want.

Remember to be patient. Training doesn't always happen in one or two sessions. Dogs like to play and establish the connection with you.

Once the dog has learned the "play dead" trick, you can help it make the transition to a "roll over". Have the dog assume the play dead position, again, using the lure that works best. Continue to bring the lure around the dog just out of reach so that is has to roll in order to see the lure. When the dog rolls over, issue the command "roll over" in a loud, firm voice, and immediately give the dog praise.

It will take much practice, and many attempts. However, keep in mind that to the dog, this is all play. They are enjoying the practice sessions, so be sure that you don't become too frustrated or intense if they don't get it right away. That frustration will be detected by your pet, and it will confuse them and hinder their ability to learn.

If your dog has trouble with barking too much, there are dog barking control devices which you can use to help train them. They need to know when to bark and when they should not. You can check out various devices at http://dogbarkingcontrol.net.

Linda - http://how.best-free-information.com - The "How" Blog