Reverse Around

[becks]

How have you taught your dog to reverse around you?

I have read one way of getting the dog to walk back while you are stood in a corner, so the dog will follow the wall and also turn the back end BUT last time I tried this with my old dog, she just revered into the corner and stayed there.

So I am looking for new ideas to try this with my mini (now the giant isn't so good on her back legs anymore, it isn't one to try again with her).

[corvus]

The first time I did it I made a U-shaped channel using boxes and furniture to guide him. Then just as I had it on cue something odd happened and he refused to do it. He avoided the whole thing and acted as though he had never been taught it.

About a year later I taught him again using a back up command and a nose target to steer him. I've just started teaching him to weave backwards the same way. It was much easier, but the steering thing takes practise, both from me and him. It's easy for both of us to get confused or off track. Takes a bit of shaping to tighten it all up, so probably not the most efficient method.

ETA I got the stall in the corner the first time as well. I used food in my hand and pushed it towards him until he had to move back in order to get to it.

Edited October 26, 2011 by corvus

[becks]

I've been doing some rear end awareness training with her tonight, so i am hoping this will help (it isn't something I ever did with the giant)

[BC4ME]

Your dog must have a definate understanding of how to find the "heel" position and also how to walk backwards I use "backup" as my backwards command some people use reverse.

Once your dog has these you start with the dog slightly forward across the front of you and ask in him to "backup, heel" he should move slightly backwards to the "heel' position. Increase this slowly until your dog right across the front of you.

Once you have your dog reversing to "heel" from across the front, you move so the dog is in a reverse "heel" position on your right ie dogs head by your hip, dogs butt out in front. Now tell him to "backup, heel" and he should move backwards to the "heel" position.

Keep doing this all the way around your body ie start dog across the back of you then "backup, heel" (just make sure you have the dog facing the right way to reverse around your body) and he should reverse around you to the heel position.

Now ask the dog to "backup, heel" from the "heel" position.

These steps need to be taken in very small increments so your dog understands what is expected of him, reward each small step.

Hopefully you understand what I'm trying to so and this helps you. ;)

[B-Q]

I started in a corner and just shaped her slowly, at first it was any movement backwards, then any small movement to turn behind me, then I got that solid so I could use the corner differently. Then I danother turn and got that solid, then another turn and got that solid and started moving it away fromt he wall.

[corvus]

I actually think that working these things out for yourself is a valuable exercise. I've started behaviours based on how other people have done them and later realised that there is a more efficient way of doing it. I'm at the point now where I am starting to plan behaviours myself based on what my dogs already know how to do and what they are strong with. Nutting it out makes me think about my dogs' skills and gets me breaking the behaviour into small parts and figuring out the prerequisite skills my dogs will need to learn the new behaviour.

[BC4ME]

I actually think that working these things out for yourself is a valuable exercise. I've started behaviours based on how other people have done them and later realised that there is a more efficient way of doing it. I'm at the point now where I am starting to plan behaviours myself based on what my dogs already know how to do and what they are strong with. Nutting it out makes me think about my dogs' skills and gets me breaking the behaviour into small parts and figuring out the prerequisite skills my dogs will need to learn the new behaviour.

I think if Becs wanted to work it out herself she wouldn't have come on here and asked for advise on how to do it :rolleyes:

[DeltaCharlie]

We use an x-pen. Make a circle with the panels (the borders need about 6 initially to keep them tight then we slowly move it out a bit). Stand inside it and lure the dog around you. The circle made from the panels stops them from being able to get stuck in a corner.

[corvus]

I think if Becs wanted to work it out herself she wouldn't have come on here and asked for advise on how to do it :rolleyes:

Well, I DID tell her how I did it. :rolleyes: Just saying it's good fun working it out yourself and good experience. Maybe Becs is interested to know that. If she's not, she could ignore me. Maybe someone else is interested that is not Becs. I wish someone had told me that when I was wanting to know how to train tricks.

[becks]

Thank you all for your help.

Your dog must have a definate understanding of how to find the "heel" position and also how to walk backwards I use "backup" as my backwards command some people use reverse.

Once your dog has these you start with the dog slightly forward across the front of you and ask in him to "backup, heel" he should move slightly backwards to the "heel' position. Increase this slowly until your dog right across the front of you.

Once you have your dog reversing to "heel" from across the front, you move so the dog is in a reverse "heel" position on your right ie dogs head by your hip, dogs butt out in front. Now tell him to "backup, heel" and he should move backwards to the "heel" position.

Keep doing this all the way around your body ie start dog across the back of you then "backup, heel" (just make sure you have the dog facing the right way to reverse around your body) and he should reverse around you to the heel position.

Now ask the dog to "backup, heel" from the "heel" position.

These steps need to be taken in very small increments so your dog understands what is expected of him, reward each small step.

Hopefully you understand what I'm trying to so and this helps you. ;)

Slaps forehead! Of course! I knew there would be a simple way of doing this! Thank you

I actually think that working these things out for yourself is a valuable exercise. I've started behaviours based on how other people have done them and later realised that there is a more efficient way of doing it. I'm at the point now where I am starting to plan behaviours myself based on what my dogs already know how to do and what they are strong with. Nutting it out makes me think about my dogs' skills and gets me breaking the behaviour into small parts and figuring out the prerequisite skills my dogs will need to learn the new behaviour.

Yes, that is what I normally do, but occasionally I like to hear the different ways others have chosen to train a particular trick and work out what will then work best with the particular dog I am training at the time. If we all just worked it out for ourselves, we'd never bother with classes, seminars or getting in a trainer/behaviourist or even ask on a forum! ;)

While it is nice to train to a dogs strengths, I think it is also good to sometimes stretch their abilities by doing somethings they aren't so good at

[BC4ME]

Slaps forehead! Of course! I knew there would be a simple way of doing this! Thank you

Glad I could help and that you understood what I was trying to say