Agility - Left and Right - Best way?

Wildforestpony18

Wildforestpony18

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I'm planning to start teaching Blaze left and right commands for agility and i was wondering what the best way and most effective way to train it for a 19month old border collie? Thanks :)
 
I trained it the same as directional training with a ball. When I had him on my left side I threw the ball right (with my left hand) and said right and then vice versa. He caught on really quickly :)

I have also seen people do it with treats and a clicker by just getting the to spin/follow the treat.
 
galaxy said:
I trained it the same as directional training with a ball. When I had him on my left side I threw the ball right (with my left hand) and said right and then vice versa. He caught on really quickly :)

I have also seen people do it with treats and a clicker by just getting the to spin/follow the treat.
Click to expand...

Thank you :) I've been struggling to find a simple and easy method to train it and this has helped :) I take it you also send them left on your left side and right on your right side?
 
Generally you always pull the dog around your outside with your outside hand. So if you want your dog to go left you have him on your right and have him follow your outside hand (right) as you pull him round you. Then if he goes right he is on your left side and you drag him round with you left hand.

It is quite difficult and advanced to have them on your left and send them left and on a course you would never ideally do that. You would try and put in a turn or a cross somewhere to get them on your correct side. Until he can do a simple course with left and rights guided by your hand and body I would not try it.
 
galaxy said:
Generally you always pull the dog around your outside with your outside hand. So if you want your dog to go left you have him on your right and have him follow your outside hand (right) as you pull him round you. Then if he goes right he is on your left side and you drag him round with you left hand.

It is quite difficult and advanced to have them on your left and send them left and on a course you would never ideally do that. You would try and put in a turn or a cross somewhere to get them on your correct side. Until he can do a simple course with left and rights guided by your hand and body I would not try it.
Click to expand...

Ok thank you :)
 
I taught my girls by teaching them to spin in each direction, as in Greg Derrett's video Agility Foundation Training. are all good at directions, like in a course last weekend, it started jump, tunnel, jump, right jump, left jump, right tunnel, I was so far behind I had to just use direction commands and it worked really well.

Here's some vids showing you.
Teagan showing the spins without the agility equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JZSCdZTMpI

Star training at home
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54c-YaGuq-I

And Skye showing directions in competition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbroG8id8Wk
 
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I taught nala lefts and rights using treats and getting her to follow the treat. But dont do as i did, left, right, left, right, as then when i asked for 2x rights i still got left, then a right!! I then practised only lefts for a while to break the routine, then re-introduced the rights, she is now spot on with them!!
Good luck :)
 
Depends what kind of turn you want to make - this site/ has some really useful videos of the standard turns and crosses. :)

As above it's almost like the dog is attached to you with a bit of elastic and you swing them round on your outside hand. Or, as I did last night, fudge a blind cross and trip over the dog. :rolleyes:
 
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