Problems With Spin

[Bundyburger]

My boy is getting confused with spin.. I hold the treat in line with his nose, and move it to the side and as soon as I shift it past his shoulders, so he'd have to turn to follow the treat, he just sits instead? He has no trouble moving in a small circle when he wants a bum scratch, but to try and get him to spin is near on impossible. Even when I try and make the circle bigger, same deal. How can I remedy this?

[aussielover]

Do you clicker train? or at least use a marker word?

Show him the treat and move it to the side, click or mark and reward just for the head movement only to begin with (if he is reluctant to move the whole body). You can literally increase the distance he follows the food by millimeters untill he moves his paw or gets up etc. Then reward for that behaviour only, and so on, until he is turning fully.

[Bundyburger]

Yes I do clicker train, I guess I just have to do this one a loooot slower than we normally do He's so funny, he gets confused so he just sits and offers his other tricks instead. I think this will be one that'll take us a while to get

[wuffles]

I've never been able to teach my older boy to spin for the same reason. Once he thinks there is going to be too much effort involved, he just sits

Maybe try moving a little bit more while luring him, so he has to walk forwards to get the treat rather than "on the spot". You can refine it later. Try getting him hyped up with a toy beforehand, mine are more likely to "try harder" if they are excited about what we are doing. Spin can be a really exciting trick. I also find they work really well if the other dog in the family is nearby, or they have watched the other dog be trained before them. Sometimes simply training in a different place or on a different surface helps (for example, mine are less likely to sit on tiles than carpet or grass, so if I want them standing I teach on tiles).

Good luck!

[pipsqueak]

Random thought here, so not sure how much it will help. Sometimes when you teach a dog to walk backwards, by luring with a treat, the will sit - I think it is partly it is what they are used to being lured into, and partly positioning of the treat/lure.

When I was shown how to lure a dog to walk backwards, it was to place the lure in front of the dog, but towards the chest - they have to look down to see the lure (less chance of sitting) and for walking backwards, often they will step backwards to try to see the lure.

My suggestion is, instead of having the treat "in line with the nose", to move the treat forward, but slightly downward (but not enough to prompt a drop!!!) - just a thought that it might be useful to play with the positioning of the lure to see if it makes any difference.

[luvsdogs]

Random thought here, so not sure how much it will help. Sometimes when you teach a dog to walk backwards, by luring with a treat, the will sit - I think it is partly it is what they are used to being lured into, and partly positioning of the treat/lure.

When I was shown how to lure a dog to walk backwards, it was to place the lure in front of the dog, but towards the chest - they have to look down to see the lure (less chance of sitting) and for walking backwards, often they will step backwards to try to see the lure.

My suggestion is, instead of having the treat "in line with the nose", to move the treat forward, but slightly downward (but not enough to prompt a drop!!!) - just a thought that it might be useful to play with the positioning of the lure to see if it makes any difference.

I also find this to be true. e.g. when ppl reward with a treat for stand above the nose the dog sits. I you reward a stand below the nose they stay standing.

[Nekhbet]

can you loop a leash around his belly, and when he goes to sit give it a little wiggle? I'd also start getting him to learn to just follow the treat hand, looks like some old training is coming in first. Do you give him any commands before starting?

[sheena]

I tried lots of ways to get Bindi to walk backwards....until I went to a dancing seminar & the way they showed me, well, she picked it up in 60seconds. You stand facing the dog with your legs apart, place a treat between your legs & slightly behind. The dog goes in for the treat & then backs out to look at you. Important to click as soon as she gives backward movement, then treat by throwing the treat between your legs again...she goes in for the treat & you click as she is backing out, & keep repeating. When you are sure that she knows what she is getting clicked for then put a name to it as she backs out. To get distance, place a target like a folded towel on the floor, close at first & slowly move it away. The dog backs up & you click & treat as soon as the backlegs touch the towel.

To teach dog to spin first get her to tug, then while tugging gently spin her around. This is the method Greg Derret uses to teach right & left turns.

Spin one way a few times then the other. Then as you spin to the left, give a name to it (I use back) as you spin to the right put a name to it (I use close), soon you will be able to just give the command & maybe an arm movement & the dog will spin either to the left or to the right. This comes in handy on the agility course when working at a distance & you want the dog to turn left or right. (I'm still working on that one )

[petmezz]

Hi

Why not capture the beginning of the spin when your dog turns in a tight circle for a pat??? Your dog is already doing the behavior you just need to put word association to it and then withhold reinforcement to get the spin faster. (Reward the dog on any improvement and use your clicker)

[ozjen]

My boy is getting confused with spin.. I hold the treat in line with his nose, and move it to the side and as soon as I shift it past his shoulders, so he'd have to turn to follow the treat, he just sits instead? He has no trouble moving in a small circle when he wants a bum scratch, but to try and get him to spin is near on impossible. Even when I try and make the circle bigger, same deal. How can I remedy this?

Try making a larger arc and keep it lower.Start from in front of the nose and do like a large C around to the rear remaining level with or slightly lower than his nose. As he gets the hang of it you can then tighten the circle to a spin. by decreacing the size of the C.

[yap]

Another way to teach spin is to ist get her to follow the treat in hand in a small circle following you. treat on the walk, when she's going ok make the circle tighter eventually going round on the spot. you might get a little dizzy but it's a good method. When she's got the hang of it following you in a tight spin, remembering to treat on the walk when she's paying attention to you & following your hand then you stand still & move your hand in a circle for just her to spin & whala!!!! Reward multiple times quickly when she does the Spin.

[B-Q]

You could lower the treat as/before he tries to sit. I'm teaching Buster now that Quinn knows it and I move it back next to his tailbaseso he's just following his tail back around. I can see it taking a while because he's slow with luring.

Edited November 3, 2010 by busterlove