Rearend Awareness Training

[koalathebear]

We have just started teaching Elbie and Hoover rear-end awareness using

. Elbie in particular is very responsive to voice commands so I am wondering what cue word people use to get the dog to step up onto the phonebook. Step? Up? I want to use a word that's not going to be problematic or confusing so I was wondering what other people have been using.

Also, Hoover has a bad habit of plonking both paws on the book and going into a drop position (both paws still on the book). Should I only click and treat if he is still in a stand? Thanks very much in advance.

Edited March 4, 2011 by koalathebear

[huski]

I've always said 'up'.

I've never had the drop problem before so if you can - I'd only C/T for him being in a stand.

Edited January 15, 2011 by huski

[Red Fox]

I normally just point to it and that's enough but Kei's cue is "hop on" for front feet, "up" for all 4 or "step" for back feet (I started teaching back feet on an actual step, hence the cue - not very original!).

[J...]

I don't use a cue word - I just keep rewarding the behaviour I want. Once it's an established behaviour then I might, but my two have a lot of reward history for putting their front feet or back feet up on steps/books/balance discs/foot pods that they offer it the moment I put it on the floor.

With the rain this week I shaped Zee to put each foot on a foot pod - funny watching her figure out the back feet, even though her rear end awareness is really good.

[OSoSwift]

I use "feet".

I also use it when stacking them to get them to move the front feet slightly forward and more often than not square

[corvus]

I don't use a cue, either. I just shaped it. I signal with my hands for him to swivel this way or that. The phonebook is only half of the behaviour, really, as you fade it out in time. So I put the pivoting on cue rather than hopping up on the phonebook.

With the lying down, try offering the reward beyond his nose so he has to move to get it. He will probably stand up and then you're feeding the position, which tends to work pretty well.

[koalathebear]

Thanks all. We just started today so today all they're being asked to do is put the front two paws on the phone book. Elbie sometimes thinks he's supposed to play bow on it for some reason.

I've managed to stop Hoover dropping now. Problem now is that he doesn't want to get off the phone book to let Elbie have his turn. I think we have a second phonebook lying around somewhere so they can have a book each. As some of you have mentioned, we don't actually seem to need a cue word for it because both of them are very keen to put their paws on the book now.

I'll try moving them up to the side step tomorrow to see how they go... It seems quite tricky which is probably why I've never attempted it before

[huski]

Just to clarify, I only put a cue on the behaviour once I was happy with it. I shaped it to begin with.

[OSoSwift]

Just to clarify, I only put a cue on the behaviour once I was happy with it. I shaped it to begin with.

yep me too

[Kavik]

I don't use a cue.

I certainly wouldn't use "Up" as that is my A-Frame command.

[bordacollies4me]

dont think you really need to cue this, if the dog has enough value for the perch/phonebook, once you walk near it, he should know what to do...

[OSoSwift]

My dogs love it and will do it constantly given the chance. I choose to have a cue so they do it on cue and not randomly. ie I want to be able to heel past a phone book and not have dogs racing to plonk their feet on it.

[koalathebear]

I think I need a cue, too because as soon as I put the phone book down this morning, both dogs were pouncing on it with front paws Hoover seems to do the swivel very naturally whereas Elbie wants to stay put so it's going to be interesting to see how they both progress. Hoover makes me laugh because as I'm trying to put the book away, he keeps trying to put his paws on it and look up at me with his googoo "feed me" eyes.

[huski]

What OsSoSwift said but I also put it on cue because I wanted a cue to say 'stand with your front paws on that random object'.

[ness]

huski I ran into problems were I didn't need a cue because that was what she offered me on all random objects. I remember at training one night they had these little kiddie plastic chairs and Kenz was offering elephant trick on that .

[corvus]

Erik usually puts his front feet on any object similar to a phone book if we're training, but we have shaped a few different things from there, and shaped away from it a few times, so it doesn't seem to pose a problem not having it on cue. He'll try that first, but if it doesn't work he just tries something else. if worse comes to worse, I can gesture and he'll realise which direction he needs to move in. He's a pretty persistent dude, though. He doesn't give up on something if it wasn't rewarded a few times. If he did, I would probably put it on cue.

[Ptolomy]

I have created a rear end awareness monster

When I show him and try and stand in front of him - he takes this as a cue to swing his bum end around into heel position so we spend the entire time in the ring swinging in circles - I step in front and he swings his back end around. I step in front and.....

But his left about turns are BEAUTIFUL

[ness]

Awww how precious Ptolomy - what a clever boy Strauss is he knows he is going to be an obedience dog after all. .

Edited January 16, 2011 by ness

[Tassie]

Ptolomy. Luckily, Mr Rory only does it when there's a paver/phone book or something similar. Or if I put my left hand on my hip. (Note to self - must tell Rory's lovely junior show handler never to put her left hand on her hip .)

[Agility Dogs]

huski I ran into problems were I didn't need a cue because that was what she offered me on all random objects.

4 feet on the kitchen table doesn't count.

Seriously - I have shaped it and all 3 have massive value on their pivot boxes. Even the unfinished ones in the garage.