Rear End Awareness Training

[Pretty Miss Emma]

I thought I'd stick this topic in here for now seeing as though I'm asking the question in terms of follow up exercises after visiting the chiro yesterday.

What rear end awareness exercises have you done with your dog and what equipment have you used to do them?

I need to spend the least amount of money possible on equipment at the moment so am looking for the options that don't cost a fortune. I know that you can do work with fit balls. Can anyone please explain a couple of exercises for me????

I know ladder work will be good. I'm going to see if I can get my hands on a wobble board (I was also told using a mini-tramp can be an ok substitute too!). And I'm going to try to do some work with a box and getting the rear feet moving around that.

What else is there? what other things can I be doing? Any advice welcomed!! We're going back to the chiro in a few weeks, so I will chat to her more about this then but just want a few things to get the ball rolling!!

[Rebanne]

I know I scattered brooms etc in a rough pile (like pick up sticks) and walked the dog over them. As they were random the dog really had to think. Think I got this trick from Morgan Spectors clicker training book.

[megan_]

Ladder on the ground, walk through(not on!) the rungs. Can also free shape or lure having his hind legs on something (mattress is ideal as will work his core too). Make sure it isn't too high though. Pick up sticks like rename described is also good, as is walking on a low wall/plank on 2 bricks - you'd be surprised at how many dogs struggle with it!

[megan_]

Also, in lieu of a wobble board, just get him to do slow, controlled movements on x thick piece of foam. Less about rear end awareness than core strength though.

[Weasels]

I'm currently teaching Chess to stand with all 4 feet in a small laundry basket :) We do have a set of fitpaws paw pods but they are a bit advanced for us at the moment.

[wuffles]

Nearly all of mine was done with a phone book. I used it for perch work (elephant trick) and also targeting the back legs. You can even do a fair bit with no equipment - luring in a D shape to encourage movement of the back legs and for things like walking backwards you can just use walls or fences as barriers (or whatever is lying around like crates and water bottles!).

[Kavik]

Walk backwards

Perchwork

4 feet in a box

Balance discs

[CavsRcute]

We used old broom handles of different lengths and thicknesses and place the in a line , like a ladder, but different widths apart.

I made a wobble board with a square of ply , stuck onto a big knob type handle and covered on the top with that meshy type material to stop slipping,

Also put metal fishing weights in felt and velcroed them around her ankles

[Rebanne]

Also put metal fishing weights in felt and velcroed them around her ankles

oh yeah but I just used vet wrap on the back legs, that was enough for my GSD to notice. I also used the TT body wrap and walked her around in it for a few minutes at a time. Was a long time ago.............. she would have been 20 this month!

[bianca.a]

I use a phone book too for perchwork and getting movement through the hind legs.

[becks]

When you have the vet wrap on the back legs, what else are you doing with the dog?

[RubyBlue]

What is the vet wrap and weights for?

[Pretty Miss Emma]

So, I bought a fit ball & the dogs love it! I still need to fins out more about how to use it, but we're doing basic stuff! I've also been trying to teach Hamish to walk backwards, mixed success! And I found a plank to try and get him walking on that, and then I slightly unbalanced it with little phone books. Oh and still working with the "box" (ie phone books!).

Thanks for suggestions, will keep working my way through them. And any handy tips always welcome!

[Rebanne]

The vet wrap, as I recall, just made their legs feel different so the dog was more aware of them. I assume the weights were for the same reason. I can't remember what I did when the vet wrap was on, just walks around the yard I think, or maybe some cavaletti.

[❤LovesPoodles❤]

Sorry to look completely stupid but what is rear end awareness

Obviously it is making the dog aware of their rear end; but why do you do it and how do you go about doing it?

[Kavik]

Rear end awareness is part of body awareness/proprioception so we want them to learn how to best use their body and to be able to use their body effectively. Sometimes dogs don't think about what their rear legs are doing, they just follow the front legs, so you can do specific exercises to target and help them think about using their rear legs separately.

Eg with people - I played the piano a lot when I was younger. Some of the exercises were designed to help you use each finger individually, as some fingers tend to just follow others and are quite difficult to try to use by themselves without exercises designed to target that specifically - eg your ring finger.

Edited January 2, 2013 by Kavik