See-saw training

I have needed to valuate my training with seesaw before I started to train it with Freya. Pixie does to see-saw ok but she doesn't all to way down. She comes to a contact zone but not the all the way down which makes it little slower than it could be. So here is the way I have started to built Freya's seesaw performance.

1. Bouncing is super cool

At this stage I just but a jump wing under the end that goes down so that the other end stays a little bit of the ground. I use shaping to make a dog to go and hit the contact zone. Just to make is comfortable with the movement and sound.

2. 2on2off position

First I do this with the end of seesaw down. Just shape the 2on2off positions in a new situation. I have done 2on2off position in different object like box and stairs at home so that the dog has already idea what's going on. After the dog has the idea of 2on2off on handled, I change the game by combining the bouncing game. Again I put a jump wing to the other end to make the end of seesaw of the ground. Now the dog has to jump on seesaw to make it to 2on2off position.

3. Go to the end

At this stage I start make the dog run to the end of the seesaw while I hold it up. I reward as soon as the dog reaches the end of seesaw. I lift off the dog from the seesaw for the few first training so that reward come only from running to the end. I do this until the dog is very confident of going all the way till the end.

4. Starting to put it all together

Soon as the dog goes confidently to the end I start lower to seesaw to the ground and wait for the 2on2off position. I still reward the dog of going all the way till end of the board. Gradually I slow the seesaw less and less until it comes down by its own with the dog. At this point I usually start my training with going trough the previous steps just to make sure the dog is tuned to right idea. This helps that the you get forward in every training.

5. Seesaw in distractions and part off course

This is the work I do trough out the dogs life. I start making different distractions like running, turning, putting seesaw after different obstacles etc. This is some thing that has no limits in variation in set ups. Just lots on continuing work.

With this program Freya has pretty confident and fast seesaw. Actually she has made her own sliding style. 2on2off position still need a little patient but we are getting there. Freya is now in stage 4. Hope to move on the stage 5 soon.

That's for now.....

MLPF