Had A Go At Rear End Awareness

[Anneke]

Pfff this is proving to be much more difficult then I thought...
I taped my first sessions with Cooper and Jinx.
Well, actually, stricktly speaking it was the second, because I had set up my camera, pressed the button, did a session with Jinx, then with Cooper, only to find out I had set it to the wrong settings... So when I pushed the button, it took a picture, instead of filming
This should have told me, not to do the trainingsessions, because I felt it didn't go well. Looking back at the vids, I see that I am impatient, not letting the dogs think for themselves and my timing was a little off..
Trying to figure out how to lure them to move their backlegs wasn't easy either. Since Cooper is a bit lazy and would move back instead of stepping to the side.
So take a look at my first attempt Sorry about the sound...Tv was on a little louder than I thought...
First Jinx

And then Cooper

 

[sara]

Looking at that, you should lower your criteria. Cooper IS moving one back foot, so click for that. It should only take a couple of clicks before they figure out it's their back feet that are what you're looking for.

 

[tx_cowgirl]

Lol, Jinx reminds me of Mud in this video too. Always trying to be the center of attention!! Look what I can do, Mom! xD
Everytime I try to take a group picture I usually have a toy so everyone is alert and paying attention to me. Z will be sitting or standing or whatever and just looking at me waiting for direction, Gypsy will be flinging her head around to look at a spec of something she thought she saw(but staying still for the most part, lol), and Mud will be waving or standing on her hind legs or something trying to steal the show. Silly girl.
Ditto Sara's advice. Click for even tiny movement of the back feet at first. Even if they just lift one paw and sit it back down, don't expect them to actually even move much laterally just yet.

 

[fly30]

Jinx makes me laugh lovely dog !
Are you trying to teach them the elephant trick ? If yes, maybe you could have them move the other way around, in the other direction. Here they can't move around because you are behind them and they won't step on you. I taught this trick to Fly by keeping the treat under her nose and walking towards her so she had no other option than move and it went quicker.

 

[Jean Cote]

Great Videos! You are an awesome trainer.

 

[charmedwolf]

I would personally move to the other side of the dog if you want to lure that way. It's quite a bit easier. Like Fly said the dogs don't want to step on you. Cooper is the one that definitely doesn't want to invade your space so he steps back to get out of your space, Jinx doesn't seem to have such a problem. So you'll want to be on the other side of the dog while luring the treat to your hip (the farther or inner hip is dependent on the dog's size, Kratos, my mastiff, has to be on the farther hip and Isis. my boxer, on the inner hip). If you shift your weight towards their hind end and sort of lean in their space, they'll move their back legs away from you in an attempt to get to the treat around you.

 

[Anneke]

Yes, I have tried this with Cooper and it seems to be easier for him.
With Jinx I am doing it the way i did on the vid, because I want her to find my leg with her hip. This is because I want to do some sideway heelwork, where she stays next to me and steps sideways with me. I did another session just now and she is taking one step confidently now. I think I will be able to ask for 2 steps, next session.

 

[tigerlily46514]

GREAT videos, so glad to have found these, as i am going to attempt this trick, too.
i LOVE LOVE LOVE it, when ppl post "HOW TO" videos, showing how their dogs came to learn the trick, just love those kind of videos.

Lolz, that Jinx is too too funny, coming in to do HIS elephant trick. <--a lil show off, ha ha!! too too cute!!

 

[southerngirl]

So in teaching this trick your suppose to stand next to the dog and you and the dog turn around in circles, but the dog only uses it's back legs to move? Is this right? Cause I'm wanting to teach this to Missy in the near future.

 

[JazzyandVeronica]

I think you had a very decent 2nd session. My first session is so embarrassing I want to take it off youtube. I envision people watching it with tilted heads and calling their friends over, laughing and exclaiming "What is she doing"???

Anyway, I eventually opted for a hand to nose target and that got Veronica moving, along with the command "heel" b/c she got from that "follow my hand and put your body here". Here is a video of me using the method. Eventually it got much more fluid and she moved with me and I got rid of the hand and also added in the cue "right". (I have done some body part targeting; right & left paws, shoulders, hips...so I was hopeful that the word "right" would ring a bell somewhere. )

Then to teach her to go the other way I used a hand target plus stepping into her and the cue word left.

Hopefully these videos will post. I was using B&T (so you don't think I'm a weirdo with the "xxxxxx" I have the videos b/c we had a trick contest on another forum that involved perch work.

Hand target:

More polished:

 

[Pawtential Unleashed]

This is my all time favorite vid for this behavior and how it applies to working it into a heel: