"front" As A Command

[paddles]

I have recently been trying to teach my dogs to come in straighter, and it has been suggested that I teach "front" as a formal command.. I've missed something here.. who teaches "front" as a formal command, and what "criteria"? do you have for it??

[ness]

I use front as my formal recall command. Criteria is sit square close in front of me (eg perfect recall position).

[huski]

When I teach the formal recall I start it by teaching the front position, then I add time and distance. So my formal recall command is the same word I use to teach the front position.

[The Spotted Devil]

I use it. "Front" is sitting straight and square, looking up (preferably adoringly :laugh:). The rest is proofing using angles, distance, distractions etc. The actual sit/wait is taught quite separately.

[paddles]

hmmm.... I'm not explaining correctly.... so, I ask a dog to sit in front of me, if he's not straight? I back up? and ask him to reposition? or use blocks?? at what point do you put a command on it/?

[Kavik]

Put a cue on it when you love the behaviour :)

[Nekhbet]

Why don't you make a 3 sided 'place' box. Makes life really easy, just take some 100-150mm wide timber and screw 3 pieces together into an open box, put some angle brackets or little blocks of wood on the inside corners. You can easily get the dog used to the box, just lure it in and ask it to sit straight inside, reward, repeat. Great for creating kick back/fold up drops in dogs that still do the sit-drop behavior too as they cant push their front legs forward.

Place it on the ground and you stand in front of the closed end. The open end will face the dog. If the dog already knows sit/stay it makes it easy. Get the dog to sit, walk around to the closed end and recall the dog with a lovely piece of food in your hand where the dog can see it. Get the dog to come to the food into the box, slide your hand up your body towards your chest slowly to lure the dog in closer. Get the dog to sit, if it tries to sit crooked it will sit on the sides of the box.

You can make a few of these, make sure the timber is nice and smooth. My friend made me one out of left over merbau decking he had so nooooo splinters! Make it wide enough for the dog to easily sit in there without being squeezed, it's a guide not a constraint. We've tried it with dogs of quite a few ages and a lot of people have found it so helpful to get things right quickly :)

[paddles]

I'm currently trying with 2 ?blocks? one big enough for him to stand/sit/drop on, but he has to be relatively straight, and one at heel position (front legs only) but he's inclined to swing into heel at the least provocation, we're slowly getting the front sorted (I guess) on the block (for one days work) but i know from past experiance that once I remove the block it can all go to heck with him. at the moment, I"m actually having issues with him, when not getting rewarded for swinging into heel (as an offered behaviour) he swings further round behind me, rather than accepting the lure to shift forward... I have to say, I'm starting with him away a bit, standing at the end of the platform, and trying to get him to come onto the platform, but if he doesn't come on straight, he's resisting straightening up.. I think I'll have to take a video.. I'm pretty certain I'm signalling wrong?? (like when he was crossing in front of me) but I just can't see it.

[The Spotted Devil]

Try shaping it sitting down in a chair with your legs apart - so much easier :) You can start by sitting on the ground (your legs bent and apart) and rewarding high up near your chest for snappy recalls. Builds lots of enthusiasm for getting close before you start working on the front.

[Nekhbet]

Try shaping it sitting down in a chair with your legs apart - so much easier

warning ... this tecnhinque and an over enthusiastic dog means you walk funny for a while

[JulesP]

I'm currently trying with 2 ?blocks? one big enough for him to stand/sit/drop on, but he has to be relatively straight, and one at heel position (front legs only) but he's inclined to swing into heel at the least provocation, we're slowly getting the front sorted (I guess) on the block (for one days work) but i know from past experiance that once I remove the block it can all go to heck with him. at the moment, I"m actually having issues with him, when not getting rewarded for swinging into heel (as an offered behaviour) he swings further round behind me, rather than accepting the lure to shift forward... I have to say, I'm starting with him away a bit, standing at the end of the platform, and trying to get him to come onto the platform, but if he doesn't come on straight, he's resisting straightening up.. I think I'll have to take a video.. I'm pretty certain I'm signalling wrong?? (like when he was crossing in front of me) but I just can't see it.

Sounds like he is crooked because he is anticipating the heel command. He probably has a lot of value for being in the heel position. So you need to reward the front/come position heavily and don't ask for a return to heel for a while.

[dragonwoman]

hmmm.... I'm not explaining correctly.... so, I ask a dog to sit in front of me, if he's not straight? I back up? and ask him to reposition? or use blocks?? at what point do you put a command on it/?

You teach what you want from the get go and reward when you get it and start adding a word. Front or anything else is not a word, it is a human noise which to the dog means a certain position or action. That's all they understand. If you are not getting any position you want, you re-teach and change your command.......eg. Heel seems to mean wander along in your approximate vicinity, you go back to basics, teach what you want and put a new word on it.

I always remember someone who used Straight to mean three different things in training the Broad Jump...........they had a lesson in "Commands and what they mean to the dog 101" One confused dog!!