Where are My Feet?

Someone wanted to know what to do about a dog ( it usually is males and not females) who has not a clue where his rear legs are in relation to his front end. This is not uncommon in larger breeds - particularly in males who tend to stand *wide* with their rear feet spread further apart then their front feet or with puppies who haven't a clue (since everything is different then it was yesterday) where anything is to begin with.

The first step in teaching the dogs where what is, is to do ladder work. Using a straight ladder, not the kind that is freestanding but the kind that you lean against something for support. Place it flat on the ground, and have your dog walk slowly through the rungs. Don't worry if their legs go everywhere and the feet end up outside the ladder frame itself - give your dog a treat at the end for having made the effort, even if the performance was less than what you wanted. Turn around and walk back again, verbally rewarding the dog each time he corrects himself and moves his foot inside the ladder frame. Always give treats and celebrate at the end. Just keep going back and forth until your dog's feet stay inside the ladder from one end to the other. This is a self-correcting exercise so there is no need to do a lot of correcting, just stand or move forward SLOWLY until the dog realizes where the inside of the ladder's sides and rungs is located. Keep in mind that self discovery is the key to this exercise.

OK, now your dog can walk through the ladder without stepping on or overstepping the rungs or sides, and he can do this at a pretty good pace. NOTE: For this exercise and with all agility work let your dog set the pace. They all speed up with confidence and cannot be driven or in anyway forced to go faster then they are ready to go. Also, and this is very important, this is not a one-shot deal! This first part of ladder work should be done over several sessions so your dog has a chance to think about what he is doing, and continued for several more sessions after he clearly knows what he is doing.

So you've done phase one of ladder work (in short burst sessions) and your dog's speed has increased along with his confidence, so now it's time to up the stakes. Using bricks (the small kind not the big concrete blocks), raise the ladder off the ground, making sure it is stable. Now walk your dog through the ladder. He will probably have to slow the pace a bit and may knock the ladder off the bricks but don't worry about it. Reward the effort and repeat the process until your dog can move freely (don't ask him to run!) through the raised ladder.

Congratulations! Your dog now knows where its back legs are in relation to the front legs, and not only that, he can move all of them together. This exercise is particularly good for developing puppies, repeating it periodically as they continue to grow and develop. Just keep that ladder low to the ground and make it a game. You could even put a target at the end to reinforce *get it*, *touch*, *find*, *your own words* for pre-contact work.

Next get a board that is about 12" wide and 10' to 12' long and lay it on the ground. Walk your dog over the board. Don't worry if his feet slip off, reward the effort. If his feet slipped off, go return to the ladder then move back to the board. Always remember to verbally praise each self-correction and reward the effort. When your dog can negotiate the board easily, raise the stakes by raising the board using enough bricks to make it stable - again this is not about height. Once your dog can walk the board with confidence you are ready to start agility training on a real dog walk.

For dogs with Teeter issues, and a really fun game for puppies, make a *Tippy Board* for them on which to get used to movement. Using heavy plywood, cut a square sized to the dog you are working with so that they can take a step or two in each direction. On what will be the underside make a frame-square with 2" x 2"s big enough to secure one of the hard plastic *indestructible* balls directly in the center keeping in mind the you will work your way up in ball diameter. Using the same 2" x2"s as the inner frame, reinforce the edges of the board with an outer frame. The framing on my own tippy board is glued and nailed. Paint the board first with primer then with non-skid garage floor paint mixed with sand for good traction. Get the plastic balls in various sizes, start with small ball placed under the board inside the center *frame*. Walk the dog over the board, which will tip in any direction. Reward the effort with lots of praise and treats - this is especially true if your dog has problems with movement. Do not use force of any kind.

If you have to use treats to urge your dog over in the beginning (it's OK to do this) try placing the treat near the edge (or several leading up to the edge) and another treat placed on a target just beyond the tipping edge. (For an extra special confidence-building treat, I use whipped cream - dogs love it!) This serves to focus the dog, keeps their head down and also reinforces the *get it* command. Remember to start small and work up in size as confidence increases. Don't rush the process and keep the training periods short, fun and positive. Once your dog realizes that it is in control of the movement, the Teeter/Totter will not be such a scary place to be. Tippy Board work goes well with clicker training since you can click/treat to reinforce the tipping of the board. For puppies this is a wonderful game because it helps their body awareness, concentration and confidence.

Bonnie Goodfriend - March 2002