Footwork

[Henrietta]

We starting obedience next week and I attended orientation the other day.

I am new to formal obedience training and I was really impressed to hear that dogs will eventually know that if you move off with your left leg you mean for them to follow and if you move off with your right you mean for them to stay!

Now, it's not that I don't think dogs are intelligent and highly trainable - I do. I think I was impressed because I sometimes have trouble with my left and rights. I then figured out that it isn't the concept of left and right they learn, but the body language. Isn't it the same principle involved in learning a hand signal?

I'm sure that most of you don't have trouble with your left and rights, it's just that I happen to be a little uncoordinated and unobservant myself. I will be practising my footwork so it becomes second nature and when I take her for walks I am being consistant with this as well.

Having said all that, I'm still impressed because I feel that it is a very subtle distinction in movement. The instructor seemed to say that dogs seem to pick this up rather quickly whereas I would have thought it might have taken quite a while to master this. What are all your experiences?

Yes, this is a very newbie-type question!

Edited April 15, 2008 by Emm

[shoemonster]

Fantastic that you are goign to concentrate on your footwork now, I wish I had done more at the start, instead of getting so far then having to relook at everythign! lol

Dogs pick up on the smallest changes, they are really quite amazing

As long as we are clear and consistent they will have no trouble understanding what we want

[Henrietta]

Fantastic that you are goign to concentrate on your footwork now, I wish I had done more at the start, instead of getting so far then having to relook at everythign! lol

Dogs pick up on the smallest changes, they are really quite amazing

As long as we are clear and consistent they will have no trouble understanding what we want

Thanks Shoey! It would have been a disaster if I had have gone in blind not realising the importance of footwork. I'm bad enough as it is without being clueless!

Yeah they are pretty amazing, I was so excited and impressed when I heard this I told anyone who would listen

Edited April 15, 2008 by Emm

[shoemonster]

thats great that you are so enthiusiastic about it, just make sure you keep that enthusiasm even when things don't seem to be working as well and you will get far!

I am so unco with my lefts and right, but I do always take off on the correct foot at least! lol

[Allerzeit]

I'm sure that most of you don't have trouble with your left and rights, it's just that I happen to be a little uncoordinated and unobservant myself.

Don't you believe it! I always have to think twice when asked to do left / right turns or about turns I've been known to lead entire classes astray by turning in the wrong direction (mind you, serves em right for following my lead )

[shoemonster]

To make it even worse one of our instructors plays Simon says, and that really really confuses me!

[Henrietta]

To make it even worse one of our instructors plays Simon says, and that really really confuses me!

Oh no! I hope they don't try that one on me.

Allerzeit, that makes me feel better! I always thought I was just very odd

The worst thing I can do is just lead the whole class astray...

[pawsaroundoz]

I was so bad at left/right that I actually painted a L / R on my runners!

Great you are so enthusiatic, hold onto that and keep the fun in it all, don't get caught up in being too serious, that is when it has all fallen in a heap for me, at least.

Enjoy!

Annie and her boyz

[bloss344]

I think we all become a bit dyslexic when we start doing left and right turns.

Dog's learn primarily by body language not voice cue. Test your dog, turn your back on them and cue them to sit verbally and see what happens.

[Vehs]

I was so bad at left/right that I actually painted a L / R on my runners!

Left is the side your dog is on

I also do different foot positions for when D is in a stay, or if he's just in a wait (for a recall) and different hand positions if he's going to be changing positions.

If he's in a stay I'll notice he'll relax and look around, if he knows that position changes are coming he's very focused on me.

[Rom]

I actually joined an obedience club so that I could learn the difference btn left and right (just joiking)

Interestingly enough, you can also cue which way you're about to turn by pointing your toes in that direction....funny thing about this is that when I do a right turn and I point the toes on my right foot out, a tendon on the inside of my thigh clicks, so my girl also gets an audio cue as well

[Henrietta]

I actually joined an obedience club so that I could learn the difference btn left and right (just joiking)

Interestingly enough, you can also cue which way you're about to turn by pointing your toes in that direction....funny thing about this is that when I do a right turn and I point the toes on my right foot out, a tendon on the inside of my thigh clicks, so my girl also gets an audio cue as well

Wow that is pretty amazing! Such subtle movements, yet they can pick it up so well.

I knew that they picked up on body language, but not to that degree!

Vehs - it sound like things might get even more complicated

[Vehs]

in the end you don't even bother talking to them

just be consistent in whatever signals you start to adopt

[BC]

I have found another one is shoulders. I was constantly pushing my dog away from me when I would push my left shoulder back for a stand or down command, and even a right about turn. I would get frustrated and wonder why he would lag a bit or be too far away from me in certain commands.

Once this was pointed out and I corrected it he is now brilliantly heeling. You will learn to push you dog away and pull him back into you with body language aswell.......its fun to learn, especially when you see results in your dog.

Footwork is a big one, confusing to learn, but once learnt it is like second nature and your dog responds to you 100%

Good luck and have fun with it.

You could be one up on most in the classes :rolleyes:

[dogdude]

Hi Emmala

Just like to highlight that heel is used as a tool to gain 100% undivided attention from your dog, when it is required on a walk.

Dont confuse heeling with general walking. You need to gain that "on/off switch", so that the dog is free to think about whatever he wants to, in order to enjoy his walk. The dog will sub conciously walk without pulling the lead once heel is learnt.

An example of when to use heel is say, when you are out walking, and you can see an approaching dog being walked towards you. The dog will respond to you like you are the only other thing in existence if it is correctly taught, and will totally ignore the unwanted distraction.

Dont confuse the dog by using the command for a lesurely walk. Particularly while trying to teach it. You will never teach the dog to heel properly if you do this.

Foot work is an important component of heeling, but to a much lesser extent compared to focus. I believe that the dog dos'nt realy respond to the foot that you move of on, rather your body's posture as a whole, when you do change feet. (does that make sense?)

Dogs dont generally focus on your feet, if they did, they would miss your hand signals.

Footwork is more important for trialling purposes, in order for the dog to remain in balance during the heeling exercise. It takes a dog quite some time to remain balanced while keeping in the ideal heel position, especially if he is focusing higher than waist height.

Good luck! :rolleyes:

[Henrietta]

Thank BC and Dogdude!!

Hehe, DD my dog doesn't actually know heel yet When I take her out for her daily walks it's for her enjoyment, especially at the moment because I am still trying to get her confidence up. She is doing really well though now, which is great.

The only thing I get her to do is sit and wait at the curb until I say ok. I am now trying to leave with my left foot. It is probably more for my benefit then hers I'm justing trying to get the basic footwork under control for me, so it is second nature (hopefully :p )

Yes it does make sense about the whole body posture as a package rather than just concentrating on the footwork for sure!

Thanks very much for the imput Dogdude and everyone else, I really do appreciate it :rolleyes:

Hehe, sounds like I'll be having to do a fair bit of work on my coordination right across the board!

Edited April 15, 2008 by Emm

[kamuzz]

We use "lets go" for general walking. Haven't actually taught any of my current lot to heel, but my previous GSD definitely knew that heel meant pay attention along with a position; whereas lets go was for ambling along.

[Monah]

I'm sure that most of you don't have trouble with your left and rights, it's just that I happen to be a little uncoordinated and unobservant myself.

Don't you believe it! I always have to think twice when asked to do left / right turns or about turns :D I've been known to lead entire classes astray by turning in the wrong direction (mind you, serves em right for following my lead )

Oh, thank God! I think we belong in the same class!!!