Rear End Awareness:
Making the behavior stick
Dogs are not great about understanding where their back ends are. By using a target we can help them figure it out.
Prerequisite
Make sure your dog has had time to get comfortable putting his/her paws on the platform.
Tools:
- Platform or other surface that your dog can distinguish from the floor.
- Treats
- Treat pouch
- Clicker
Part 1:
- Lure your dog until he/she has both back feet on the platform.
- Click and jackpot (jackpot means give several treats rapid fire one right after another).
- Use click and treat to continue the behavior for several seconds.
- Use touch or a release word to get your dog off the platform for a break.
- Repeat this four or five times.
- At the end of this step, your dog should be eager to have his/her rear feet on the platform. Don’t move on to the next part until your dog is “glued” to the platform.
Part 2:
- Start with your dog’s back feet on the platform.
- Take a treat and lure just a few inches in front and slightly downward in front of your dog’s nose until his/her weight shifts forward, but the back legs don’t move off the platform.
- Click and treat for success. If your dog moves his/her feet off the platform, go back to the previous part and work a little more on it.
- Lure a little farther making your dog shift a little more. Remember, out and down, not straight in front of your dog.
- If your dog’s feet stay on the platform, click and treat. If not, try again but don’t pull the treat quite so far from your dog.
- Repeat this four or five times.
- At the end of this step, your dog should be stretching forward to get the treat with his/her feet on the platform.