“Play Dead and Roll Over” is a party trick that is easy to teach your Chihuahua, who will be happy to show off in front of your friends. Its purpose is simply for him to do what you want him to do, in exchange for treats and praise, naturally.
Tricks or exercises that you teach in stages encourage your dog to concentrate just a little harder and to focus more on you, too, which makes them good for bonding.
Teach your Chihuahua first to lie still on his side, and then to roll right over until he’s standing upright again. Teach it on a soft surface, such as carpet. Your dog needs to know the “Down” cue, before you start teaching him “Play Dead”.
Play Dead
- Kneel down facing your Chihuahua and ask him to go into the “Down” position. When he is lying down in front of you, hold a treat in front of his nose and bring it slightly over his shoulder, back toward his tail. He’ll follow the treat with his eyes and, as he does so, will turn on his side. (If he scranbles up to make a mouth-on assault on the treat, simply say “No”, withdraw your hand, and start again.)
- The second that his head hits the floor, say “Play Dead” and give him the treat.
- Repeat “Play Dead” trick several times over several play sessions across a week or two until he’s got it, and he will happily play dead on request. You can gradually reduce the treats and make “Play Dead” the cue for your dog.
Roll Over
- To convert “Play Dead” to a full roll over, get your Chihuahua into the “Play Dead” position, then take another treat and carry it over your pet with your hand, holding it so that he can see it and taking it toward the back of his head. He’ll follow it and, in doing so, will bring his body up and over into a roll-over. As he does so, say “Roll Over”, and as he completes it, give him the treat.
- Practice both stages regularly, both separately and as a sequence, until your dog can do them on request without being lured or guided by the treat.
What He Learns
To lie still, then go into a full body roll over – a trick that has two stages but is still easy for a dog to learn.
Why It’s Useful
As well as being a great trick to show off your dog, it is a useful exercise to reduce the stress of veterinarian visits – you can ask your Chihuahua to lie on one side to be examined without having to push or coerce him into position.
Don’t ever force a dog into a position when you’re teaching him; if he’s resisting, back up and think about another way to get the results you want. Coercion can make your dog nervous of engaging with you – the opposite result from the one you want.
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