Rolling over

My new to me 2 yr old lab does not want to go on his back and will struggle (to his death it seems) not to. I only tried once or twice and I respect that he does not want to do this and will not force him. Does this mean that I will have trouble training him? I notice when he is outside and "rolling" in the snow that he twists his body, but keeps his hind feet firmly planted on the ground. So is he afraid to go on his back or is this a sign of dominate behavior?

Any comments would be appreciated.

It's probably more a sign of insecurity than anything else. He's lost at least one home already, and you don't really know how he was treated. You're doing right not to force the issue of rolling him over, just work on other things and make sure he's having fun when you're having a training session.

Give him time to learn to trust you completely. Patience, consistency and steady affection should let him leave his baggage behind.

Renee's exactly right. If it makes him uncomfortable don't push the issue. A lot of dugs just don't like to be on their backs. It's a position of vulnerability, and he may not yet feel comfortable letting his guard down completely.