Trouble with the teeter.

[Roxy's CD]

Ok, so I just got back from Roxy's first private. My trainer is having us start with the teeter with the board on the ground and getting her to walk on it with all fours on the board at all times!

She won't do it!!!. She keeps side stepping off!!! She tried to nip my trainer when she was moving her foot back onto the board. Just to see what would happen we put the teeter on up. And she ran right up it (waaay too fast) but she did do it without scaring herself.

Any other ideas with how to teach the teeter. OH and the teeter we're using is only about 10 inches off the ground to start, in case she falls off.

 

[JennSLK]

Keep doing what you are doing.

We trained on a full teeter but someone held one end so it would go down VERY slowly.

Whatever you do NOT let her run up it. You will eventually get a fly off and the dog will be VERY nervous around the teeter after.

What you are doing is good. Some dogs take longer.

 

[Roxy's CD]

How do I slow her down? We're doing all the agility training off-leash. I have a treat in my hand and I lead her to it with the treat, but she's figured out what "TEETER" means, so she'll be sitting maybe 5 feet in front of the teeter, and i'll say "Teeter!" and she just takes off for it, even if I have a treat in my hand.

 

[Jynx]

so your using the board flat on the ground? First off, I'd have her onleash, so you can direct her, OR, take that board and make a "wall" on either side,,lay your board on the ground, against a building,using that for one "wall" and use something to block off the other side so she has to walk on the board..It would look like a "chute"..or hallway..

Personally, I'd start with a ladder,,a "runged" ladder, lay it flat on the ground and have her walking back & forth thru it, it's a good way to start teaching "foot" placement, so the dog is aware of where it's feet are.

You can also take your "table" obstacle (or something like it), and lay a plank like a ramp going off the table. Get the dog ON the table and going "down" the ramp,,this is "backchaining",

Are you using a target of any kind? I'd target the lower end of the "ramp" if you go the route above, once she gets going down it easily, have her go "up" it,,,you can then put that plank on say, a brick, just enough so it pivots, and work that..

You should NEVER put a green dog on a seesaw at full height or even a lowered height, UNTIL they get their feet placement down..Result, as Roxy did, ran right up it, probably slammed the sucker down, (even tho it didn't affect her) it's just not a good way to start training an obstacle such as the teeter (or dogwalk) ..

Just a couple of ideas, good luck
diane

 

[JennSLK]

Teach her the word "easy" or whatever you want to say for her to slow down.

Use targets, and train on leash when they are first learning an obsticle.

 

[Roxy's CD]

Roxy did, ran right up it, probably slammed the sucker down

Yep. Exactly, just took off, although she did stay on the board! lol

What exactly do you mean by target?????

My trainer was trying to hold the thing up, but she's a big dog and was moving quick, we weren't expecting her to take off like that so before my coach knew it she was jumping on the thing, so she had to drop it save her fingers.

 

[Jynx]

Just my personal preference, but I wouldn't use the word "easy", only because you don't want to slow them down, you don't want to loose speed. however you do want good /safe obstacle performance as well.

Targeting is just that, I'll try to be brief,,Have you tried using a clicker? To teach targeting, I use a clicker,,take a plastic lid, (small size will do like off cool whip container?) First get your clicker, click/treat click / treat, get the dog associating the click with a reward (treat). (I also use only REALLY HIGH VALUE, extra special treats when training)

as the dog sees you, put the treat ON the lid, as soon as he goes for the treat, click/he gets the treat. You have be pretty good with your timing on clicking just prior to him getting the treat,,the treat is the reward/clicking is marking the behavior thus the reward.

I then start teaching the dog to "touch" the target(lid) either with a foot(preferably) or with the nose. I'll use my pointer finger, and keep touching the lid, using the word "touch",,I'll tap the lid,,you can even hide the "reward" in your closed fist, and touch the lid, as soon as the dog touches the lid with nose/foot whatever, CLICK/treat..Dogs aren't stupid, if you practice, and use the clicker they pick up "touching" (which is targeting) pretty darn fast.

You can then use your "lid" for targeting,,place it at the bottom of your contact obstacles, with a treat,,they do get the treat when performing the obstacle correctly, you can use the word TOUCH/TARGET, whatever,

I think teaching "touch it" can carry over onto soooooo many things, once they start "touching" that target(your lid), you will end up with a touching fool..LOL..ALWAYS ALWAYS , reward for "touching" correctly, the clicker really helps speed things up in training for your contact obstacles as well.

Ok I got lengthy and probably haven't explained it very well, but hopefully you got the gist of what I'm saying..
A good book is Clicking with your Dog by Peggy Tillman, very basic, has hundreds of behaviors you can teach with a clicker.

I'm actually very surprised your agility trainer hasn't mentioned teaching with targets..
Diane

 

[Roxy's CD]

She did show me the clicker training, and I didn't really like it,(personally). Instead I use "touch". I can use my hand or anything, I say "touch", she touches and gets a treat. Same idea I just don't use the clicker.

So, if I want her to touch an object I just tap it. So, I tell her to wait before the obstacle. Go to the other side of the teeter and tap it, so that end of the teeter is her target? How will this slow her down though? She's just going to rush to the target now?

 

[Jynx]

so you want to slow her down? If she's crashing over the teeter, than she hasn't got the 'concept' of doing a teeter safely..I'd start by using a really low teeter (plank) set on a brick, or even go back a step and work the runged ladder idea I gave above, so she can get her foot placement.

Ok, nix the clicker if you've got a good "touch"..Don't wait on the obstacle, go with her, stay along side her, you can use "easy" as Jenn suggested if you want her to slow down some, even stick your hand in front of her face/open hand to get her to focus on that at the same time your saying "easy"..when she is pivoting the seesaw, (or approaching the end),,point to your "contact" zone, and tell her to touch it, IF you don't want to use a target, don't, since she knows what 'touch it' means, you don't necessarily have to use one.

Are you teaching her a 2o2o type contact, running contact, want her to stop on the down contact ?

ANother thing you can try, if you use a reg height (preferably a little lower tho) teeter, set your table obstacle under the down ramp,,in other words, the teeter will pivot and the ramp going down will hit/stop ON the table. The dog can't really do a "fly off" this way, as the table stops the plank, it might be easier to do this, keep your speed, but give her the idea you can't just FLY off a teeter..

It's harder to explain when you(me) can't really "see it" what the dog is/isnot doing..
Diane

 

[JennSLK]

but I wouldn't use the word "easy", only because you don't want to slow them down, you don't want to loose speed

A dog having a fly off vs safe, personaly I would want the dog to be safe.


A dog should slow down for the teeter anyways.

 

[Roxy's CD]

Ahh, the table/teeter sounds like a great idea!!! This way she'll get the concept of keeping all fours on the board and I don't have to worry about the teeter dropping fast and hurting her. She's just starting with the teeter so I want her to learn to STAY on the plank, and then we'll moveon to how fast/slow she has to go to do it safely.

Thanks. I'll let you know how it goes next Thursday.

 

[Mordy]

She did show me the clicker training, and I didn't really like it,(personally). Instead I use "touch". I can use my hand or anything, I say "touch", she touches and gets a treat. Same idea I just don't use the clicker.

Those two things don't have anything to do with each other. You can use targetting and the clicker at the same time, which makes everything more precise because you can click the dog for correct behaviors (e.g walking straight) at the exact moment it happens, which is a great communication tool.

Also, the clicker in clicker training also doesn't mean you will be using it "forever", once the behavior is shaped in the exact way you want to see it, you fade out the clicker entirely.

 

[Roxy's CD]

She did awesome!

So I just got back from her private agility lesson and she did sooo well! I'm soo happy! She's getting the hang of me running with her and directing her, as opposed to both of us being still and only her moving.

Her spread jumps and tire jumps went perfect. She went on the dog walk for the first time and in the middle of it I got her to stand, which slowed her down and showed her that I wanted all 4 feet on it at all times. That worked very well, so I tried it with the teeter, I used the word "easy", and right at the joint I told her to stand, than "easy" off. She did it perfect. After she got the hang of letting the teeter drop slowly, I ran her off the end. I"M SOO HAPPY! LOL (both the teeter and the dog walk are only about a foot off the ground)

She's also getting the hang of me "sending" her to obstacles which is great for only her second lesson. Her weave poles are getting much better too. We're still using the "v" tactic, but she's got the hang of actually weaving as opposed to jumping the poles, which she did last lesson.

The word "easy" really seemed to help, I know that in agility you don't want your dog to go too slow, but seeing as we're just starting out, I want her to know how to do all the obstacles properly and safely 100%, than we'll start to speed her up!!!

AHHH!! I'm soo impressed with her

 

[Jynx]

GOOD JOB! Keep in mind, and you can practice this at home, dogs really really work off your body language.

Example, you can be heading straight for the aframe and yell TEETER, and if you head for that aframe, you can pretty much guarantee, you could call that Aframe THE MOON, and the dog will take it.

I do alot of hand signaling, (as well as verbal), working my dogs off both sides. You can do this anywhere, have the dog following you around, and use your hands/arms to send the dog in front of you, from side to side, "go out", "come in"..that type of stuff, it really helps in the end. Another thing I notice with my dogs, if I stop moving, my dogs will for the most part, stop dead, so I am ALWAYS moving, even if I'm taking baby steps , they are always working off YOUR body movements, language,,your feet should also always be pointing in the direction you want the dog to go..

Ok done with my little agility tips for the day!, GOOD job, sounds like she's getting it!
Diane