Roll Over

Dogs will naturally roll over to clean themselves or satisfy an itch. Teaching your dog to roll over on command is a simple task any dog can learn. Is it really necessary though? Does it have any practical benefit to your dog or to you, except to amuse your family and friends? Is entertainment a good enough reason? I confess I used to teach my dogs to roll over. One dog had an unusual way of doing the trick though. He would run around in a feverish circle about five times before flopping on the floor and doing the roll, all the while with fussy howls. I guess he did it for the praise, but obviously didn’t enjoy it. Everyone found it very amusing. He seemed particularly uncomfortable on hard surfaces. This experience contributed to my decision to abandon stupid tricks in favor of being a better companion and focusing on my dogs’ happiness.