PART 2C(i) - 2O2O as a discrete exercise (away from contacts)

Objective

Teaching the stop as a separate exercise concentrating on motivation and body positioning

How?

Building on rear end awareness work, using equipment such as a step and contact trainer, moving from shaped front paws to all 4 paws on to just rear end (back 2 paws).

The advantage of using small and portable equipment is ability to practice regularly and in different places. Eventually the rear end position (2O2O) position is transferred to contact equipment.

Gym step make a lightweight portable trainer for teaching 2O2O

Total Time

1 months

Stages

Shaping the front paws on

The goal is to have the dog putting both feet on the step with a high degree of motivation. Start introducing the step and without luring allow the dog to interact with it. Gradually they will move from a passing interest, to nose investigation to one paw and finally both paws. It’s important not to lure or label this behaviour (with a command), but rely on dogs natural inquisitiveness and desire to earn reward.

When they are consistently hitting 8 / 10 two paws on in desired times (see article from 10^th November 2011), move on to shaping all 4 paws.

All four paws on

Now the criteria is raised to shaping all 4 paws on, rewarding for speed and remaining in the stand position. Again don’t label the position with a command as this is an intermediate behaviour towards a final objective. Shaping achieves the higher motivation and the dog is ‘learning’.

Rear end position

The final part of this part of the exercise is to shape movement from all 4 paws on, to the 2O2O position, i.e. 2 front paws on floor, back 2 on step. Again shape this behaviour (you might find this the most difficult stage). When the dog has achieved this, now label the end result with a command. Personally I use ‘there’ but any command which is unique to the requirement for 2O2O is fine. Eventually you will find that the command signals to the dog ‘go and find a contact and put back legs on’ which is easier than lifting them on every time in the long run!

Jaidi demonstrates position on the step

Discussion

Why not just teach this position to start? Well of course one can, but in my experience a higher motivation is achieved by going through the stages as we are more concerned (with the earlier sections) of motivation and speed rather then perfecting the final position (which comes later).

Transferring to contact

Now the dog is exposed to the end of the contact. This can either be achieved with the help of a small contact trainer, or by simply using a lower height dog walk. If the previous exercises have been taught, we will find that the dog loves to put rear legs on the contact, i.e. transferring the work done at home to our dog walk (or AF if desired).

  A contact trainer is an excellent way to transfer position 

between a step and full contact equipment

Without even putting the dog across a piece of contact equipment, the ‘hardest part’ i.e. getting the contact is mostly now taught in a motivating way and at limited risk of falling and putting the dog off.

Reinforcing body position

Once we have worked through the position exercises, we can start to perfect the position which should be forward focused (builds drive and focus for next obstacle). The posts from 10 to 19^th November described using nose touches. This discipline allows us to join the 2O2O position to forward focus at distance.

 Jaidi transferring 2O2O position 

from step to contact trainer

The next posts will discuss this forward focus, reinforcing the 2O2O position and eventually fading the NT in readiness for putting the whole contact exercise together.