Clean Run - October 2015 - 45

Prerequisite: A sit-stay

prop. I hold the dog by the collar at my side so he's standing close to the end of the
board and at a slight angle. Whether I am training a small dog or a big dog, he needs
enough room to be able to jump onto the end of the board and directly into a four-on
position. I do not want the dog to have to move forward at all on the board to get to
the end; he is jumping on and into position in a single action. I progress to having the
board propped up so it's about 20 inches off the ground because I want to teach the
dog to stay in position on the end of the board even when the seesaw is almost level.

Equipment: Tug toy or tugging food
item (such as a chicken wing in a sock,
Tug-It toy, etc.) or a low-profile bowl
with food

For more information: Refer to "Seesaw Training" in CR August 2012 or the
Sizzling Seesaws DVD.
© rachel sanders

© rachel sanders

Bang Game
Purpose: The Bang game is an exercise in which the dog is taught to jump onto the
end of the seesaw board while it is raised slightly above the ground and to reach into
end position. I teach big dogs a two-on/two-off position and small dogs a four-on
position (unless they are heavy enough to have half their body on the ground and still
hold the board down).

© rachel sanders
© clean run

© rachel sanders
© clean run

Description: Using a lawn chair or a jump
standard, I brace the approach or up side
of the seesaw near the pivot point so that
the down side of the board is raised a few
inches off the ground. My seesaw is now
a one way street away from the approach
end of the board, so I only let my dog get
on from the side and jump into his end position. I hold my dog by his collar with his
body parallel to the board. It is important
that he is looking at the end of the board
not toward me. When I see that he is looking in that direction, I cue him to get up on
the board using his "target" cue. The dog
jumps up and moves into either his fouron or two-on/two-off position. Eventually
I increase the amount of tip in the board
by moving the prop under the board away
from the pivot point.

© clean run

Equipment: Seesaw, food or toys

© rachel sanders

Prerequisite: Pre-Bang game and
position work

Description: I put my dog in a sit-stay
in front of me, facing away from me. I
throw a toy a couple feet ahead of him.
Once my dog looks forward in the direction of the toy, I release him to "Go"
and then I run forward and tug with
him. My goal is to build up the duration
of the look to at least 10 seconds so the
next time I set up my dog and throw
the toy, I wait to release him until he is
really looking down and forward at the
toy. Then I start building for duration
of the look. Once my dog is good at
the forward "look," I set him up on my
left or right side and work on the same
behavior from that position. The dog
should look down and forward for the
toy no matter where he is positioned. I
need to make sure that my dog stays in
position while looking forward; I don't
want him to learn to break his sit-stay
once he anticipates where he is going.

For more information: Refer to
"Seesaw Training" in CR August 2012
or the Sizzling Seesaws DVD.
Creating Good Forward Focus
Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to teach the dog how look forward in the
direction of your shoulders. In the end, he should look down and forward rather than
off into the horizon or toward you.
October 15 | Clean Run

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Clean Run - October 2015

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