Hey, just wanted to mention that VS described the alpha roll in the same way as posted above in her last eppy, ie, that it is usually an "omega roll" initiated by the submissive wolf.
One thing I wonder about is if it simply serves as a negative reinforcer for dogs. It's a vulnerable position and very uncomfortable if not taken voluntarily. That would explain why it works sometimes.
I agree that as a technique, it "ups the ante" and if you misunderstand the cause of your dog's undesired behavior, this can actually make it worse. I've seen people post here that they tried the alpha roll and it did not have the intended effect.
When I first started walking Thor, I tried alpha rolling him a few times to discourage bad behavior. It was so unsettling for him that he didn't want to walk with me again, and this was a dog that did back flips at the thought of going outside. I'm not sure if this was why, or it Thor was very sensitive about his stomach in general, but it was really hard for me to teach him Roll Over and Bang! because he hated exposing his stomach. He would do it for belly rubs or while playing, but he hateHateHATED it if I did it, even if it was in teaching a trick. We did overcome it and I can put him on his back now, but it's only for belly rubs and tooth brushing.
