Obedience - Page 1

Topic of the day:

The Send-out

What are some of the different methods you have used and which do you prefer?

What do you like/dislike  about certain methods?

What are some of the problems that have sprung and what did you do to correct them?

After the dog definitely has a grasp on the task, how often do you down the dog?

How often do you work on the send-out?

duplicated deleted.....  oops

Thanks, Animal

I just answered a PM and should probably add my own thoughts here.

I'm not a huge guy on using a visual aid for the dog.  I think that if you do it properly and take the neccessary steps, you don't need to clamp it to a post, etc.  I think that dogs taught with a visual aid are seen in trials searching with their eyes to find the reward.  The sway back and forth as they run down the field, looking for a hanging toy.

I would rather have the dog trust me that it is out there and if you run forward it is there.   Not to steal anything from Ivan, but it is black and white to a dog.    I like to start by placing the dog in a down and let him/her see me drop it on the ground about 50 ft away.  I send the dog out and we play.  Then it progresses to a longer distance, where we drop it and fuss/ heel down the field 100 ft, then 200ft, then 300 ft.  We always line up with the toy and the dog always knows that it is straight ahead.  The worst thing to do is be a moron and not remember where your reward is. 

I just don't like the visual aid.  In a trial it is not there and some dogs get confused.  They slow down to look for it ,  They sway back and forth the width of the field as they run down and they trust nothing more than their eyes. 

 

I like to break the voraus excercise up into it's components.  I teach the send away as one exercise and the platz as a seperate exercise.  I start with a toy, usually a ball on a rope.  I hang the ball from a "tree" that I have made.  Similar to the poles that people hang decorative flags on.  These are available at hardware sores for about $6.  It has an arm that comes off to the side that the flag hangs on and a straight portion that gets pushed into the ground.  I attach a lenght of rope with a clothes pin to the arm of the "hanging post".  I then use the clothes pin to attach to the rope on the ball.  The ball then hangs and can swing.  The ball is hung about 3 feet off the ground.  I bring the dog to the hanging post and show it the ball.  I get the dog excited for the ball and drag the dog straight backwards about 10 - 15 feet while "pumping" the dog up for the ball.  I will "do you want to get it"  when the dog is really excited I point to the ball and say "voraus" releasing the dog.  THe dog will run full speed to the ball and snatch it from the clothes pin. 

I praise and play with the dog briefly and get the toy back and repeat the execrcise.  With the dog at the post, I attach the ball and drag backwards again and pump hte dog up and send him.  When the dog runs qucikly and directly to the ball, I will begin to increase the distance till I am 75 yards or so away. 

I will then vary the exercise by going to a football field and using a longer rope, I will attach the rope with the clothes pin to the goal post.  So the ball hangs in the middle of the goal post about 3 feet off the ground.  Obviously, I will hang it lower for puppies or smaller dogs.  I like using goal posts because many big competitions are held in stadiums with football fields.  The goal post develops "place association" and the dog gets in the habit of running full speed to the middle of the goal post, which is normally straight down the middle of the field.

Ok, on different days I work on the down out of motion.  I may work just the send away for 10 or 12 training sessions and nothing else to teach each it.  Each session having several repetitions.  This is very tiring for the dog as it running sprints the entire time. 

Before I start the down out of motion, I ensure the dog has a solid down stay.  I will put a 30 foot long line on the dog and play with 2 toys. I will throw a toy down field and let the dog chase it and bring it back to me.  When I throw the 2nd toy, I will position myself to be near the long line and will order "platz" just as the dog gets the toy.  I will put slight pressure on the line when the platz command is given.  I find it's initially easier to get the dog to platz just as it gets the toy.  Timing and distance is critical.  Obviously, a driven dog will not want to down before the toy initially.  It is easier to get the dog to down if it has reached the toy.  I will positon myself 29 feet from the dog, so I can give a light correction if necessary.  The exercise than goes to a 100 long line, to enforce the down if necessary.   Later in the training I will down the dog before it reaches the toy.  I will throw the toy about 60 yards and send the dog for the toy.  1/2 way I will command platz and be ready to correct the dog wth an e-collar.  The dog will be rewarded instantly for a fast down.

I rarely put the voraus and paltz together when teaching it.  Even after both are taught, I only add in the platz maybe 1 in 10 times when doing the voraus.  This keeps the speed.  I will train the down seperately again on different days even after the exercise is perfect.  It's good to have a solid