How do you teach the sendout command? - Page 1

I want to teach my dog the sendout command.

Could you please give me some help?

Thank You

http://hauspharao.com/trainning/tips.html

Are you asking for something like the sendout where you give a stop or down command or just exactly 10'?

The sendout command.

I don't use any fancy whistles and bells, no costly stands with strings and alligator clips to haul around, anchor, etc. Just the old-fashioned way that's served so many so well for so long. LOL I'm too stupid for new-fangled ideas, too broke to buy the stuff, and might not have room for/remember to load the damned dog in favor of a bunch of junk I don't need.

The basic no-brainer method I learned with my first dog, used for 100 years or so before me and  always MY first choice, goes something like this:

• Place target item (hat, in my case, or jacket) with toy or food 20 or so paces down center-line on training field while dog is at start position, either on a down or being restrained by a friend. ONLY on the center line! No place else!
• Run back to dog making happy noises.
• Heel dog down and around target to get him excited, familiar with location.
• Return to start position and build up dog'd enthusiasm for the target (if necessary)
• Heel dog briskly towards target for at least 10-15 paces, give voraus command pointing to target and TURN 'EM LOOSE!
• PRAISE DOG LIKE CRAZY WHEN HE/SHE REACHES THE TOY.
• As dog develops drive for the target, understands he/she is free to to run to it, is advanced enough in obedience to reliably down at a distance, add platz command and reinforce the message that the dog is expected to wait till you get there and pick up the toy, give the heel command, and heel at least a few paces  before actually being rewarded with the toy.
• Increase distance to target, vary toy being there waiting for the dog and not there, (reward in pocket for afterwards sometimes)

That's not everything I do every time I teach the exercise, and I do add a build up with the dog and I facing the direction opposite the send out while the dog on the long down is picked up, perfectly legal to do and seems to add some zoom to the target... but this should get you started on the right path.

While I'm thinking of it, here's a few things I consider "send-out training no-no's," Hall of FAme idiotic stuff I've witnessed that can and do cost otherwise intelligent, competent trainers  big-time points later, come trial day:

• First Prize: Teaching the send out with a toy on a chair over by the hurdle and the wall instead of on the center line. (Duhhhh, no surprises come trial day there)
• Second Prize: Employing a pipe stand with either s tring or some other method of supprting/suspending the toy at eye level"so the dog can see it." (What did that stupid thing cost you before you realized the dog has to slow way down to pick off the toy rather than slam into the stand? Duhhhhh. Maybe you can use it to hold a sprinkler in your flower bed or something)

Good luck and happy training.

SS

SS, Thank you

You are welcome. Hope it works for you. Always has for me.

SS

Yea, I was just gonna say I use a toy, after the dogs has a down/stay. Throw the toy or walk over and place the toy, I'm, lazy, I throw it. I also practice it standing different places, sometimes next to the dog or behind the dog or half way to the target object. I don't do Sch but my sport  (PSA) requires directional sends for jumps and deploying on decoys so this will come in handy down the road. My dog really loves practicing this though and it has greatly increased his speed to and from. I guess all that waiting in the down builds up inside them.

I don't have a vast array of training tools either or anyone to backhold my dog while I go place a toy so the down had to be solid first. Then I added focus, now I am adding position changes before the send. I get bored easily and don't want my dog to either so I am always trying something new or switching things up. It's best to keep them guessing so they don't anticipate the next move. My dog is very eager to please so he has a habbit of trying to guess what is coming next before I tell him.

"As dog develops drive for the target, understands he/she is free to to run to it, is advanced enough in obedience to reliably down at a distance, add platz command and reinforce the message that the dog is expected to wait till you get there and pick up the toy, give the heel command, and heel at least a few paces  before actually being rewarded with the toy."

Ok, I get stuck on details, so can I ask questions about this part?    And see if I understand?

First,  sending the dog to the toy/food to build drive and running to it,  you allow the dog to take the toy/food to start with.   Practice obedience downs, etc. seperately.    Then, when BOTH of these things have been practiced reliably....

You give the down before the dog gets to the toy/food,  walk to and pick up your dog,  and heel him the rest of the way to the toy/reward before he's allowed to have it, yes?     Am I getting it so far? 

Then do the same,  but sometimes the toy/reward isn't out there at all,  but in your pocket.   So you down,  walk over and pick up your dog,  heel a few steps and then reward from your pocket.

Alternate until it's foolproof?   This makes sense,  if i'm understanding it correctly.   Sorry to be so picky about the details, just want to make sure I understand.

Question..  what about distance?   Are you starting this running to the toy/food from the full distance right from the start, or adding distance to the send out somewhere along the way? 

Heather

Do what's easiest and what you think your dog will understand best first. Once he catches on with a few atta boys, you can try farther away. I started my dog next to me, in a down (his downs were stronger than sits) leash in my hand incase he broke when I threw the toy and I tossed it about 30 feet away. At that point I was really working more for focus than a send out but once my dog looked at my face rather than the toy, I shot my arm out, pointed and said go get it. I worked up to longer and longer periods between sends and longer focus. It's like a 2 4 1. I got focus with some distraction and a send out in the end.

There is no set right or wrong way, you know your dog better than anyone I hope. As far as your questions, I wouldn't bother working the send out until you have a down stay. Your dog won't get as confussed if he is only learning one thing at a time. You wont need to struggle or correct for broken stays if he is solid on them first. It's best to try to teach in a positive manner rather than set the dog up for failure. Once he is down and you can walk around, over and behind him call him with a here or walk back to pick him up, you are ready to move on.

It sounds as if you want to move on to teaching the calloff down on the way to the toy? I just started doing this myself and have been lucky my dog will do it without leash correction. He isn't instantly stopping but takes a few more steps before he stops and downs but he at least knows what is expected. Now I will add the e-collar in to encourage a faster down. I also keep an extra toy on my self, when I call the dog back he gets a instant reward. When working this I never picked up my dog, I let him go all the way to the toy until I worked the call off portion, then when he returned to me (he was in a down between the reward out on the field and the one in my pocket) he got a toy reward and we would walk back down the field to pick up the toy I had thrown for the send. I also always train it with the reward out there but not saying you have to. I just know my dog would get flatter if he started to not see it so I'd rather he only not get the reward when at trial to keep him more upbeat.