Dog Rolling!

Josh Smith · 08-23-2010, 04:56 AM

Hello,

So I saw dog rolling mentioned recently in a thread about dominance etc - actually the rest of the board trying to help me get in step with them as I'm self-taught for the most part and use my own vocabulary as dictated by wolf study.

Anyway, I decided to role my dog Nikki. You know, just to see what would happen, and because she puts up with so much from me

So she laid down on her side. I rolled her over to her other side. She gave me a funny look. I rolled her back. She got an ornery look in her eyes, like she does when we're playing. Rolled her back, and I could practically hear her saying "Oh BOY! Master's playing! My favorite thing! OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY!" Then, of course, she lightly chomped one of my hands, jumped up, and assumed the butt-up-head down-paws-spread "OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY PLAYTIME!" stance.

Figured maybe I did it wrong, so I used a bit of Aikido and flipped her when she ran at me.

She rolled right out of it and came at me again, stopping to do a half-bark/half-growl/half-howl thing she does (I know, too many halves, but she has too many dogs in her!) to let me know how vicious she is, before springing at me again and getting drool all over my other arm by play biting. Then, as I was sitting down, she looked at me, cocked her head, and just started licking my face.

I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I thought rolling a dog was supposed to instill fear. Maybe Nikki's just too dumb to know she's supposed to be afraid of me?

Josh

**alfi** · 08-23-2010, 05:02 AM

TBH from my little experience I think that the "roll-over" doesn't teach much to a dog...especially "who's the boss"-thing.

Josh Smith · 08-23-2010, 07:40 AM

My satire writing skills have grown weak, I guess.

Josh

**TonkaTruckJK** · 08-23-2010, 07:53 AM

I got it, man...you'd have to be caught-up in the other 'dominance' thread to put 2 & 2 together though...

My dogs do the same, they'll charge, I'll shoulder-check them into a roll, they bounce off a wall and come back twice as fast...

From the folks I've seen use this method, it's truly a forceful 'roll' - in that, the dog does NOT want to be in that position right now, rather than listen, the human decides to PUT them there...when, likely 9 times out of 10, a good conversation could have ended with the dog there, but instead, they don't ask, just assert physical force.

Good to hear that your dogs are responding to the 'Alpha roll' so beautifully...

Mischief · 08-23-2010, 08:41 AM

I found it comical.

I think we should have a satirical sound-off thread. lol
There are many here who keep me entertained with their writings.
Perhaps you were not holding your mouth just right, as to allow the camera
to pick up the luminescent glow of your pearly white teeff

I hear that is key where Alpha Rolling is concerned.