4 .úkoly

Time for the next lesson!

1. Start moving the jump after which the dog is getting his toy a little in different directions: left and right, rotating it somewhat etc. If it makes the dog fail, set it back to help the dog succeed and then move it again by really VERY little tiny bit. It’s better to move it a little every two tries as to move it a lot every two sessions! Keep rewarding by throwing a toy after the contact is done, over the jump. Try to sometimes use a tunnel instead of a jump too. Go through all the possible positions of the jump that still allow the dog to get the jump without collection on a dog-walk. When the dog is fine with that, try adding more jumps around so that there are more possible options. Try running into nothing (no obstacles ahead) too. You want to address all possible course situations other than real turns eventually – we’ll get there in the next lesson.

2. Time to start with an A-frame too! – For all who are already doing the whole DW close to full height.

Put the A-frame somewhat lower (to half-height maybe) and try running the dog over. Make sure to use no speed approach first (starting close to the base of an A-frame) as dogs who were trained to RUN over planks tend to run up so fast they then fly over the top so much that it’s not unusual they only land on the ground… So only add more&more speed to the approach as you make it steeper&steeper – I usually go to full height in one session, IF the dog is showing nice separation.

On AF, anything clearly in is o.k. You do NOT want them to generalize DW style too good as you do NOT want them too deep, it’s physically too hard on them and they might prefer to not do it if you ask them to come too deep – remember, the easier behavior is for them, the easier it is for you to maintain it. You are again looking for hind feet separation and you don’t want it any deeper as that:

3. Tricks: let’s do some pivoting again, this time so that you position yourself next to the target and only click for coming all the way to your leg, touching it. Then either move away and have them follow you or have them pivot back to the other leg. Once they understand the leg is their new object to target, switch to a flat target and then fade it. We need them to know to come to both legs without the target for the next trick.

The other trick we need till next time, for being able to introduce turns, is going tightly around a pole, cik&cap. Shape the dog to wrap the pole/table leg/whatever tightly and put it on a verbal cue.