Going Left, Right, Etc?

Pawbla

Experienced Member
Hey! I was wondering, how do you teach a dog to go left/right or basic directions on command? Like for example we're walking in a park and I want to turn. Most dogs walk with you as soon as they see you turning, but is there any way you can teach this as a formal command? I was thinking capturing, but it'd take so long, lol.
Any ideas?
 

Mutt

Experienced Member
Do you mean at a distance? So the dog walks forward (away from you) and than turns left/right/back to you?
If so than I would teach this by targetting and use 2 cues: one for going forward and one for turning back/left/right.
 

xena98

Experienced Member
Hi I actually do this for agility.
I shall try and explain and hopefully you can understand lol
normally I will lure and click but I will have a piece of food in front of there nose and move it around them either clockwise or anticlockwise when they start to get the hang of it will give it a name that was how I orginally done it but now I call it twirl and twist lol
Another way was jumping on low jump and throw it too the right so dog jumps and run too right for food give name I than add the second jump that is the right tell dog over and right throw reward.
It's alot of repition

So for agility as I cant run fast and I am way behind her I just yell left right and go on which means ignore everything but jump in front.
Have other commands as well
Hopefully you could understand that lol
cheers
Danni
 

MaryK

Honored Member
I did it the same way Southerngirl did with Missy. On our walks I say 'right' or 'left' do give the occasional treat but usually just good boy. Am now working on getting Ra Kismet to learn the same thing but when he's facing me. Am using arm signals for that, along with verbal cues, but we've stalled at present due to the awful heat here and not enough room inside.
 

srdogtrainer

Experienced Member
I teach this similarly to Southerngirl and MaryK. I also like to use pathways that the dog is naturally going to turn one way or the other. For example we have a bike path that is perpendicular to a side walk. If River is just ahead of me and we are closer to the right or I angle myself to the right he will go right...and likewise to the left. If we go left there is another side walk that only goes left. So if I say to River "go left" where to him it seems the best option he will do exactly what I tell him to and I can reward that. I also might tell him to go left reward it and go back to the same spot. If I want him to go right and he goes left I might bring him back to the same spot turn in that direction and repeat to him to go right and then go back and do it again. The reward can be a cookie or continuing on the walk.
I hope this makes sense.
 

MaryK

Honored Member
Seems as if we are all teaching the same way, LOL I too do the same with circle, just shows 'great minds think alike":D
 

barnhill

Experienced Member
I use Left and Right with Sagira for Agility. Its a bit tricky caus eyou have to remember that its dogs left and dogs right so if I am facing her and I want her to go to her left (my right) its left and not right. LOL

I tought her by sending her over a jump and the rear crossing so she would turn left or right. Saying left or right and then rewarding. I gradually faded out the cross until I could just send her and tell her which was which.
 
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