agility question

[YorkshireLady]

So my Young lad (17 months) is loving his agility lessons and so am I. However we have 1 piece of equipment that his is not keen on the see-saw. we had left it for as few weeks and he is ace non dog walk A frame etc but yesterday we went back on the see-saw and it again set back the other equipment.

Instructor is awesome and i went back and just practiced on a wide plank off the floor....she has suggested using mixed surfaces at home such as bubble wrap and just gaining confidence. Wondered if any other tips from people?

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Mine were equally nervous. Our trainer held the end of the plank so she could lower it slowly. Just took time and a lot of patience and reward.

 

[planete]

And make sure it does not right itself with a bang as the dog walks off.

 

[Karran]

I haven't yet introduced my collie to see saw, but i've had her stand on the flat ironing board on the floor and various paws up/sit stands on wobble boards and cushions to try and help her get used to the idea of things moving under her.

Planete is right about the bang - it really frightened my nervous spaniel when she was getting used to the idea!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Yes was going to ask if someone is holding it at the other end? Lowering it slowly? We have both a see saw and a 'wobble board' (pallet on a fence post) and in the beginning it's important to have someone there to make sure it moves slowly rather than bangs up and down.

 

[blackcob]

If you wedge a jump wing under a standard height seesaw it'll give 2-3 inches of travel which is perfect for playing 'bang games' on the tipped end - dog hops on, is heavily rewarded for riding the small wobble and bang, for sticking with your criteria (2 on 2 off or 4 on) and given a release cue. Targets are really helpful here, either the perennial Pringle lid on the floor for food rewards or I use a fabric doughnut thing with an elastic strap so you can fix it on the end of the seesaw and reload it with food each time, or you release to a toy if you use a tuggy.

Flat plank on the floor is great to reinforce your criteria i.e always race to the end and do 2 on 2 off/4 on - a dog that dithers halfway and rides the pivot point is liable to jump off and it's a really tricky habit to break. If there's any doubt in your mind that he might hop off in fright, don't send him over a full seesaw again yet - work on increasing your wobble/bang height on a fixed/held/wedged seesaw first.

 

[YorkshireLady]

Oh i should have said....of course this is with trainer holding it! he has never been on it without that....

never been on it moving down fast or a bang etc

 

[YorkshireLady]

If you wedge a jump wing under a standard height seesaw it'll give 2-3 inches of travel which is perfect for playing 'bang games' on the tipped end - dog hops on, is heavily rewarded for riding the small wobble and bang, for sticking with your criteria (2 on 2 off or 4 on) and given a release cue. Targets are really helpful here, either the perennial Pringle lid on the floor for food rewards or I use a fabric doughnut thing with an elastic strap so you can fix it on the end of the seesaw and reload it with food each time, or you release to a toy if you use a tuggy.

Flat plank on the floor is great to reinforce your criteria i.e always race to the end and do 2 on 2 off/4 on - a dog that dithers halfway and rides the pivot point is liable to jump off and it's a really tricky habit to break. If there's any doubt in your mind that he might hop off in fright, don't send him over a full seesaw again yet - work on increasing your wobble/bang height on a fixed/held/wedged seesaw first.

thank you very helpful! we were rewarding for two on two off. he had got to middle point and jumped off on first go yesterday....no bang at all and it had moved a little ( by trainer) but should add dog walk he did on belly for a while before got happy to run along! A frame yesterday was the first time he wasnt keen. I do feel he had shut off a little at that point....though more than happy to keep jumping etc

 

[blackcob]

If he's generalising to being worried about the other contacts too I would probably consider not running him over any full height contacts for a while. Get the bang game established so that being on the end of that seesaw plank is the most marvellously exciting and rewarding thing ever, gradually establishing the confidence to tackle greater and greater drop distance and starting higher and higher on the plank. If you only go to training once a week it'd be ideal to get even a short plank you can wedge on your sofa at home to do 1-2 minute sessions little and often throughout the week.

It will sound like a huge step back to avoid contacts for a while but it's not at all, promise. I think it was in a Susan Garrett podcast where I heard the stat that 55% of our dog's time on an agility course is spent not completing obstacles, just running on the flat in between them, and yet we don't spend more than half of our time training flatwork. Instead we emphasise the 'sexy' stuff, i.e contacts, and completely overestimate their importance, especially early on in a dog's training. 17 months is no age at all, let him find confidence and enthusiasm for the other bits first.

 

[YorkshireLady]

Brilliant thank you. Really good advice. It was looking for things I can do at home in between - I got him confidence on the weave with a set at home but I wasn't sure what to do re the contacts etc so that is good re plank etc and i can also do one in garden got a raised sleeper bed that not v high etc.

 

[YorkshireLady]

Update for you all, thank you for the help. I am also lucky that my trainer is so good and thinks around things.

So this week a great session...we just rewarded 2 paws on see saw. We had A frame and dog walk all ok. Both - by being quiet at the entry points and not feeding and squeeking! The bit that made me grin so much was how good he was from obstacle to obstacle and will now go and join up easily keep a proper fwd flow and really love it!

Also really kept attention on me - no distraction etc. I think I am prob a bit over proud as first time ever trained any dog!