Our training school is holding the next KCGC exams a week on Sunday. Both my boys have passed silver but I wasn't going to enter either of them for gold this time as I didn't think they were ready. The last few classes Benson has been really focused and in last night's class did every exercise bar one to the required standard. The one he failed was "send to bed" or as my school calls it "send away". Benson just doesn't get what I am asking him to do. Our trainer says to teach it without treat as if you use treats they will never settle as they will always be looking for the treat.
The actual test requirement as per the KC website is to send your dog to bed but nobody uses a bed, they use a small blanket or even a handkerchief! I know if I took his bed he would do it no problem but it is a big plastic Perla bed and I know I would be the laughing stock of the school
What do others use for this exercise? Has anyone ever turned up on test night wih a big bed? Any advice on teaching this command?
After seeing what he was capable of last night I really want to give the test a go.
Last edited by Jojo185 on Sun Sep 25, 2011 5:10 pm; edited 2 times in total
I used my own dog bed, as did everyone else in my class and we all used treats to teach the command too.
What I did, having a VERY eager for the treats type dog, was to first of all lure her with the treat, then give her the treat once she was in the bed, then give her the treat once she was settled in the bed, then no treat until I released her. So gradually building up the time between the command and the treat. On the test day, she flew to her bed, scooting it a few yards along the slippery floor in the process, spun round and threw herself down and didn't move a muscle until I walked over to her and released her to give her the treat. Job Jobbed .
Does everybody take their own blanket or hankie (I reckon a Lab would have a hard time getting comfy on a hankie ), if so can you take whatever Benson has in his Perla bed?
Personally if the KC website says "send to bed" then it should be the dogs own bed as thats what it is used to, I wouldn`t be bothered about being a laughing stock if it meant my dog knew what I was asking of him and he was happy to do it
When we practice this we use a square of carpet that we managed to get free from the carpet shop. It's just a sample. We use the command "away" and the theory is we say away to your bed, or away to ..... And keep using it for different scenarios everyday and they understand that away means to go to somewhere, usually where we are pointing.
The beauty with the carpet square is it's pretty mobile so we can move it about to practise in different places, different distractions.
I do find this test tricky, and it takes a lot of consistent practise, and enthusiasm.
Could u try a bit of carpet or blanket in the bed to start with and then maybe remove the bed, or move the carpet to nearby for the exercise.
Not use the word bed in ur command, to try and maintain the command for when you want him in his bed.
I took Luna's big fluffy bed in for training and test!
Take Benson's huge bed - it's the one you need to train him to go to and the one he sees as bed! Put up with being the laughing stock!
I think with Luna I started very close to the bed and lured her with treat saying 'go to bed'. I then stepped further and further away. I always returned to her to reward her.
Tucker is already learning 'go to bed' and is doing it at mealtimes. I get both of their food bowls ready then tell them both to 'go to bed' which means go sit on the large mat type bed in the kitchen <and GET OUT FROM UNDER MY FEET!!! Darn drooling labs!> Tucker has cottoned on VERY quickly what I am asking him to do and is already able to do it when I am about 3 paces away with nothing more than a verbal command and gesture!
Once they are on the bed I can place their bowls down and then tell them to 'go on' to head to their bowl and eat!
I have to say that I felt Bronze to Silver was quite a big step in what the dogs were asked to do but Silver to Gold wasn't as big a jump. SO go for it with Benson!!!!!
Does everybody take their own blanket or hankie (I reckon a Lab would have a hard time getting comfy on a hankie ), if so can you take whatever Benson has in his Perla bed?
Personally if the KC website says "send to bed" then it should be the dogs own bed as thats what it is used to, I wouldn`t be bothered about being a laughing stock if it meant my dog knew what I was asking of him and he was happy to do it
I did exactly that Mary, I took his mattress with me last night but he still won't do it. Its one of those exercises that I wasn't bothered about him doing in a field as I know he will go to bed at home when I tell him but now he can do everything else it seems a shame to not do the test because of it. Maybe I will take the bed to the next class and see what gets said
I used my perla bed for Daisy, when she did her gold. In fact I took it every week.....and when we started training for the go to bed we lined the dog beds of whatever variety one side of the area and had the dogs lined up the other side of the area. When it was her turn, Daisy always rushed straight to her bed - and all the other dogs rushed to her bed as well, so they must have thought it looked cosy!!!
Its made me feel loads better knowing other people take their actual beds. I think tomorrow I will take it but leave in the car and go and have a word with the trainer. I'll take my print out of the test requirements too in case she says no
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), if so can you take whatever Benson has in his Perla bed?
