At a recent training class we did a lot of Stay exercises; dogs around the edge of the hall while the owners walked around the hall, dogs together in a group in the centre of the hall while owners walked around the hall, standing at the side of your dog, standing behind your dog, and finally straddling your dog (standing with one foot either side of your dog's body while it was in a Down Stay). It's the last one that I'm curious about. The trainer forewarned us that not all of our dogs would accept this if they hadn't done it before. I have two questions: 1. Is this exercise something that a dog may perceive as intimidating? 2. If not, what is the best way to approach teaching it? (I'm thinking of a gradual approach but keep getting an image of me balanced on one foot swaying over Harv before collapsing in a heap!)
I had this problem with Charlie - I was teaching a blind retrieve cue, which was to be him in a sit, and my feet either side of him with my arm extended over his head to the retrieve. I have a strong "left" cue - a heel position cue. Each time I moved with him on my left to put my foot on the other side of him he jumped up and realigned himself in the "left" position. I don't think he found it intimidating, just strange! What ON EARTH was I doing? I did a lot of circles behind him, standing behind him, and approached it gradually, he got it in the end without tooooo much trouble.
I'm guessing the dog could find it intimidating. There's a chap called Nando Brown on Facebook, he has a Malinois called Fizz. I've seen video of them walking along with Fizz between his legs. I don't know if he has any instructional videos of how to train it. It might be worth asking him, he's pretty chatty on Facebook. Kikopup might have trained something like it too as she does plenty of tricks. A weave could be a good place to start to get Harv used to being between your legs......
You can start by having your dog in a down but just stepping over them - starting at the tail end. Step over and keep walking a step or two so you don't remain over the dog. You can move up to the head end gradually, and also start pausing as you step over, leading up to stopping in the 'straddle' position for longer. I've done this (the walking over thing) to proof my stay. It doesn't seem to bother Obi.
I was at a training class with Hattie a few years ago and an owner was doing this to his dog and the Trainer asked him politely not to do it as it was a sign of dominance to the dog. I don't really understand why this needs to be trained x
Hi Helen It doesn't 'need' to be trained. It's just an additional way of proofing the Stay. As part of our current Stay training I will sometimes throw Harv's toys in front of him as a distraction. Again, there is no 'need' for this to be done, it's done to help strengthen the Stay.
I guess it depends on the dog. Both my boys, past and present, have not given a hoot. Obi lies down in doorways so he gets walked over a lot (though I did use a training approach as described above to get him used to it). Some dogs find the unfamiliar uncomfortable. That doesn't mean it's because they are feeling dominated. Still, if your dog is bothered by it, then best not to do this exercise.
Charlie is stepped and stood over most of the day since "his" place is at the junction of 4 rooms so no-one can move in the house without his supervision - I can't say it bothers him at all. Indeed, since he is constantly in the way, I'd much rather he moved, but no way... There are lots of things that involve humans stepping over dogs - most heelwork to music routines, for example. I'd say that a lot of it is about context and how the dog interacts with the handler - like a dog can tell the difference between non threatening play moves, and threatening fight moves. Or the cue "on your back for a tummy rub!" and an alpha roll....similar moves, but a world of difference.
I think it does depend on the dog, too. Poppy doesn't even like me putting my hand over her head when showing her which way to go for a blind retrieve - she kind of pulls her head away to the side, so I've given up trying to force the issue and just let her sit where she likes! She definitely doesn't like me stepping over her - though rolling around on her back and having us bending over her for tummy rubs seems to be a different kettle of fish!
Hi Jen, It's a potential distraction for the dog, another way of proofing the Stay. Can't remember where I read it now but the theory is that you strengthen the Stay by working on the 3 'D's - duration, distance, and distractions. Harv will comfortably Stay for 10 minutes and Stay at the length of a (smallish) football pitch. I'm therefore focussing on the distraction element at the moment and was interested in the straddle suggestion by a trainer.
Thank you. . Now I really want to ask why is it a distraction but I suppose maybe the dog is wondering what on earth are you doing and considers moving.
I think that is it exactly. Similar to standing behind your dog, walking around your dog, even sitting on the floor facing away from your dog - it's doing things that your dog may not be used to.
Charlie finds me moving a big distraction - I think because all sorts of body language becomes part of cues. Eg I have a sort of hand sweep alongside my release cue, left over from when I threw a treat to get him to move, and similar movements cause him to break his sit/wait. So I've been getting rid of that. I pray I never find a vid of me on youtube doing a Ministry of Funny Walks round the field.... And I absolutely could not move behind him to have my blind retrieve cue over his head, along his nose - at first. He just kept realigning himself with my left leg, at heel. Because I hadn't taught him sometimes I want him to ignore what my left leg is doing...
