# Is the dog walk and teeter safe?



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

WD (Czech working lines) and I are enjoying our agility class for beginners. But I wonder how safe the dog walk and the teeter are for him. He is nearing 90 lbs and these surfaces are so narrow that I am afraid he will get injured (falling off, straddling) if I start him on this equipment. He works nice, calm and steady.
What are your experiences?


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

It's amazing how good of body control dogs have. I wouldn't worry about those things unless your dog shows fear moving over them. If they're even a little hesitant they can have a mis-step or if the noise from the teeter scares them then they could possibly have some fear towards that, but otherwise its not a problem.

Make sure to go really slow...try some sound deadening materials (a towel under the teeter) and also start low as to not freak the dog out too much. For me, and most of the dogs in our agility class it took a few classes for the dogs to get really comfortable with it.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

I trial in agility with my 90lb boy. 

Working on the perch (rear end awareness) is the only reason he will safely take teeters and dog walks. They need to know where their hind end is or they WILL fall. Frag has taken a few spills, but none have harmed him in any way. He refused a dog walk after committing at a recent trial and just hopped off the side and kept going.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Yes they are safe as long as the dog knows how to do them. I start my dogs on a lower dog walk, I train contacts separately, do wobble board exercises for teeter, show them how to control a teeter....this is all before they start doing these obstacles on full size/height equipment at a run.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

martemchik said:


> It's amazing how good of body control dogs have. I wouldn't worry about those things unless your dog shows fear moving over them. If they're even a little hesitant they can have a mis-step or if the noise from the teeter scares them then they could possibly have some fear towards that, but otherwise its not a problem.


See- I think exactly the opposite. And all of the "big name" trainers I've purchased training material would likely agree (at least that's what their training material indicates). YES- as a beginner, I do think you are in the right to question the safety of the contact equipment.

Train your dog how to use his body through body awareness and conditioning exercises way far away from the contact equipment. Then, start to bring in props that emulate the equipment. Then start bringing in the lowered equipment, and finally start raising the equipment to competition height. 

What's amazing to me is how people will lure or beg their dog over a teeter or dogwalk and just expect the dog to get it. Sorry- not buying it. And I don't want to make it easier by putting a towel under the teeter. Rather- I'd prefer to work on counter conditioning the sound of the teeter slamming down way before I ever ask my dog to get on the teeter in the first place.

Check out some Silvia Trkman DVDs (or her website) for lists of great body awareness tricks. Susan Garrett has excellent body awareness work (though you're going to have to buy into her contacts course or puppy peaks to get it). Daisy Peel offers a K9 Fitness & Conditioning class that has excellent strengthening tricks and drills.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

wildo said:


> What's amazing to me is how people will lure or beg their dog over a teeter or dogwalk and just expect the dog to get it. Sorry- not buying it. And I don't want to make it easier by putting a towel under the teeter. Rather- I'd prefer to work on counter conditioning the sound of the teeter slamming down way before I ever ask my dog to get on the teeter in the first place.


Yes. This is what we did last week at class. Up until this point, all of the dogs had been on a teeter as a board between two tables so there was no movement. We had all of the dogs sit with their handlers and the instructor ran her own dog over the teeter half height to emulate the bang so that we could reward our dogs for the sound. We did about 10 repetitions, then we tried. Recon had no reservations at all as a result.  He gladly went flying across it.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Took my dog about 3 days of going on a teeter at 6 inches to get comfortable. The others in my class a little longer because their owners aren't as confident so I think it freaks the dog out. I guess I'm looking at it from what worked for me, and I have a 2.5 year old dog who has a CD and is working towards a CDX at this point. There's a lot of trust and a lot of understanding built between the two of us so he was able to get through it. I also have a dog that isn't phased by much so a couple of freak outs on a teeter didn't ruin him and now he flies over it happily.

We did start on a 6 inch teeter though and then moved it up after a few days of him being very comfortable with it. Most of the dogs have also been on a flat wooden plank before so that might be why they're more comfortable with it.

I want to add...I'm just beginning agility and I don't yet know what body awareness or any of that stuff is. I don't have to worry about it with this dog, hopefully the next one will be fine too, but I will start looking into training DVDs and information to see what people do to help dogs get over certain fears of obstacles.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

It doesn't specifically have to do with getting them over fears, it has to do with teaching them right the first time.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

DJEtzel said:


> It doesn't specifically have to do with getting them over fears, it has to do with teaching them right the first time.


OP, disregard my post as its clearly the "wrong" way of teaching things.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

DJEtzel said:


> It doesn't specifically have to do with getting them over fears, it has to do with teaching them right the first time.


:thumbup: Completely agree.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Where I used to do agility, we never had a full height teeter, dog walk, or a-frame. Both Kenya and Nikon saw those obstacles at full height for the very first time in their first agility trial run and neither hesitated or missed any contacts. I even with a dog that is fearless (or should I say ESPECIALLY with a dog that is fearless) I don't like teaching these on full height equipment from the beginning because it is so tall. I can't control the dog if there's a mishap, I can't enforce the contacts, etc. Once the dog has the body awareness, the contacts, knows how to push down a teeter and not run off into the air like a Road Runner cartoon, then the dog can easily work on full height equipment without worrying about fear or messing up.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

DJEtzel said:


> It doesn't specifically have to do with getting them over fears, it has to do with teaching them right the first time.


That's exactly right.

And I have to add, IF your dog is fit and lean in good health.

And IF you've trained them so they aren't afraid of the equipment.

They can fall off and be fine.

Bretta in particular charges into stuff without paying attention to her 'job' all the time. I have an awesome photo of her (I think) charging up a dog walk (to her) that suddenly fell out from under her because it was actually a teeter. So she's completely in midair past the normal tipping point that she'd ride down. But the photo is great because you can see she's looking straight down and when she landed, right after the teeter landed she stuck her contact with a FABULOUS 2on/2off and we just ran on (think we had an NQ for the run though  ) and it never bothered her.

Another time the dogwalk was along the side of the ring and when she got up and along the cross piece she happened to catch a handler/dog just walking along the side of the ring going where ever. Well the dog was a Golden and she has lots of Golden friends. And apparently Bretta is not able to think 'hm is that my friend' when also tearing at top speed along the dog walk and came off the side onto the ground. I heard rather than saw because I'm headed to the down side of the contact. The crowd gasped and freaked out.... but Bretta just ran up to me and we went on with me just really watching her to make sure she wasn't limping and hurt (I may have kind of yelled at the judge to do the same). 

So that's 2 times that my dog came off AND WAS FINE. Not that I'm recommending this as equipment training, just that it can happen and our dogs can be fine as long as they react appropriately and aren't freaked out.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

I'd LOVE to see that photo, MRL!


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

wildo said:


> I'd LOVE to see that photo, MRL!


Here ya go :wild: WHOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

HAHAHA!! That's awesome! "Hey- who took the floor out from under me??"


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