Ramp Training?

[~JoLu~]

Hi all !!!

Tomorrow I want to start training Lulu (9mth GSD) and Jonty (11mth Ridgie) to use the car ramp that I borrowed from Duncan & Dougal.

Was wondering if anyone had any advice on how I should approach this????

I thought I would start by getting them used to walking over it whilst it was lying flat on the ground and then progress to it being sloped (lots of yummy treats of course ;) ).

I would need them to go up and down it (obviously) as I would prefer that neither jump out the back of our car (X-Trail). Neither do, they wait for us to lift them out which is fine for Lulu but Jonty is just a little to big

Any ideas appreciated

[JulesP]

I just put the ramp on and used a treat to lure them up and down a couple of times. But they had both had walked up and down things in baby agility.

The only issue I have with the ramps is were to put the damn thing once the dogs are in the back of the car!! Would like to know were other people stash theirs. I lift Brock in at the moment but he is getting a bit heavy now so was thinking about the ramp again.

You get lots of laughs btw when you use it!

[~JoLu~]

Thanks for reply JulesP

I didn't even know there was such a thing as baby agility!!! When I got the ramp out, the kids said it looked like the thing the dogs run over - I guess they were right.

I'll give it go after lunch and see how we go....

Rather have people laugh at me than put my back out ;)

I hadn't thought about where to put it - it can go in the back seat when the kids aren't here. Will have to think about that one

[BC]

I would use the same pricipal as teaching the ramp etc in agility.

Place it on the ground first and reward when they place the feet on the ramp, and then when they walk along it etc.

Lift it higher gradually and they should be fine.

You could use a command like "touch" to get them to walk nicely up the ramp from the bottom instead of trying to jump up on it.

Should not take very long at all.

[~JoLu~]

Thanks BC .

I have no experience with agility (I have seen it though), but that was pretty much what I did .

Lulu got it really quickly, a couple of passes and she was going up and down like an old pro (hmmm that doesn't sound quite right ;) ).

Jonty took a little longer to get it on the ground, and then took a little longer when I leant it against their bed to actually climb up it (he was like, "Why do I need to climb up that, I can just hop on myself, see mum??). He did go up eventually, but then stepped on the end and knocked the ramp which scared him, so now he's wary of it. So back to square one.

Maybe I should get one of those car lifts????

We'll get there :D .