Jill- do you use just arm signals or use the word as well (have trouble with knowing my left from right so that should be amusing!)
When first teaching a dog the exercise I use a command and arm signal. I don't use left and right though. Firstly because I don't know my left from my right and secondly because if you are in a competition and you say left the judge knows which direction you are asking the dog to go in and if he doesn't you will get docked marks. People use all sorts of different commands - round here get on and out seem to be quite popular.
Ahhh cunning, so basically find a phrase and stick to it. I never know whether its my left or their left and get too confused so another word would be better
.... Although some do use 'left and right' quite sucessfully for when they need to direct the dog and it can't see you. To be honest if you throw out your left arm and say 'out' and the dog goes right, the judge will knock you the same as if you'd said right and the dog gone left if you see what i mean... Its patently blanking you whatever word you;ve used...
I use 'out' too must admit, never got my head around different verbal cues for left and right. Some use 'get on' and 'get out' for left and right.... but I reckon they hear 'get' and make their own mind up on what arm is used, myself.
Like Jill I teach 'back' a long time before left and right. Back from my side on a memory and also 'back' with the dog sat up facing me and being pushed back. I teach it so that it will go 'back' when pushed 'back' with either arm, left or right (don't fall into the habit of only using one continuously....) and also so it will go 'back' on just the word with my hands in my pockets, standing facing it. When thats reliable, I will progress to lefts and rights.
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
If Luna is looking at me face on I JUST use an arm signal. If Luna is dashing alongside or away in front of me I shout my left and right - as a result of agility! Have that sorted now! Some people on agility circuit say that left and right sound too similar so use other words - I can't cope with that!
And 'back' for Luna means walk backwards - literally! So we use 'go on' with a high hand push signal to mean 'go back' for gundog stuff!
Back to multiple dummies! I forgot to block the 2nd dummy this morning so had the wrong one delivered Don't train too early in the morning!
Laura, tip for you, never give a directional signal with the dog on the move. Its usually flailing in the dark. Stop the dog, (which is why till anyone has a solid stop whistle at a distance, directional stuff is a bridge too far to try and even start teaching) and with it standing square facing you give whichever of the three directional signals you are going to use (or the hunt command which is the fourth thing that you might ask after a stop whistle is blown).
Don't try and give a directional with the dog moving, with the sole exception of : If the dog happens to be going out on exactly the right course and you see it start to lose pace and confidence somewhere along the way before reaching the 'destination', sometimes a 'driving' Back! will push it on without it turning to look at you first.
Very different to agility I know where a lot of commands are giving with the dog running away from you.
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
No with you on that Di! The right and left is when we are doing agility not retrieving! Sorry it's not clear in the post above!
Stop whistle training ongoing - only easily found dummies being retrieved! And set up directional stuff as you describe alongside stop peep conditioning.
We've ended up doing everything in the wrong order because when playing fetch in the past few years she's lost the ball/toy and I've directed her with arm signals to find it - she naturally looks up for directions a lot which is helping to back train the stop whistle the wrong way at the moment eg: at a path junction she naturally stops and turns around for a hand indication, I peep, she stays I walk to her and reward then release. Conditioning the behaviour to the peep. I can say her name at increasing distances, peep when she looks up, she sits, I go to her, reward and release her. Eventually I'll remove the name bit. We're also doing lots of sit to the peep practise when she's heel walking or in the house/garden near by.
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and secondly because if you are in a competition and you say left the judge knows which direction you are asking the dog to go in and if he doesn't you will get docked marks. People use all sorts of different commands - round here get on and out seem to be quite popular.
Don't train too early in the morning!
