# Running Teeter



## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

I'm surprised I'm having such a hard time finding info about this online. Does anyone have any real info about what it means to have a running teeter? What are the dog's responsibilities? In a "true" running a-frame or dogwalk, the dog has a responsibility to adjust stride in order to hit the contact- all while not slowing down. But this isn't possible with the teeter, as fast dogs fly off the end before it hits the ground all the time. So is _any_ non-2o2o teeter performance essentially a running teeter? Is it even possible to have a running teeter?

I still fail to see the need for stopped contacts for AF and DW, but I can't figure out how a running teeter would even work... There must be some literature out there somewhere!


----------



## TwoBigEars (May 11, 2013)

I suppose Solstice has a running teeter now. I started her with a 2o2o but rarely make her do it anymore. I just require her to stay on the board until it hits the ground and she strides off hitting the contact. When switching her from the 2o2o to the running, I just began tossing the reward straight and low just off the end to discourage any jumping from too high. I still do this occasionally for maintenance.

When initially training the teeter (working with a 2o2o), I also spent a lot of time holding the board up while she ran to the end for a reward, then I let it drop (slowly at first and faster as she gained confidence). This encouraged her to go through the end of the board and has carried over to the running contact.

I don't think every non-2o2o is a running teeter. A lot of people (especially for small dogs) teach a 4-on where the dog drives to the end and waits with all four paws on the board for a release.

Jen Pinder has the "Pre-Bang Game" to teach dogs not to touch the ground with their paws before the teeter touches the ground. I've seen lots of fast crazy dogs who could benefit from it.  Some fast dogs slide off the end of the teeter and their front paws hit the ground before the teeter does, which could potentially be called as a fly-off or unsafe, and sometimes is faulted.


----------



## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

TwoBigEars said:


> I don't think every non-2o2o is a running teeter. A lot of people (especially for small dogs) teach a 4-on where the dog drives to the end and waits with all four paws on the board for a release.


Oh, I definitely agree. I guess what I _meant_ was that every non-stopped AND untrained teeter would have to be considered a running teeter. See, the thing is that a running dogwalk (or a-frame) is one in which the dog is trained to adjust stride without slowing down in order to hit the contact. So we have "fake" running contacts (like Pimg's dogwalk) where the handler just gets there and manages the contact zone, or "real" running contacts (like Pimg's A-frame) in which the dog has been trained how to managed their feet in order to hit the contact zone without slowing down.

But in a "running teeter" the dog would have to slow down in order to wait for the teeter to hit the ground. How does one teach a dog to not slow down (the "running" part) while still waiting for the equipment to hit the ground? Conceptually, it makes no sense to me. I'm skeptical if it's even possible.



TwoBigEars said:


> Some fast dogs slide off the end of the teeter and their front paws hit the ground before the teeter does, which could potentially be called as a fly-off or unsafe, and sometimes is faulted.


Yep! A mutual trainer of ours told me Mist had a sliding teeter. I asked her if she trained it and she said no... And she had plenty of slide-offs because of it. Ha!!


----------



## TwoBigEars (May 11, 2013)

wildo said:


> But in a "running teeter" the dog would have to slow down in order to wait for the teeter to hit the ground. How does one teach a dog to not slow down (the "running" part) while still waiting for the equipment to hit the ground? Conceptually, it makes no sense to me. I'm skeptical if it's even possible.


Perhaps change the terminology in your mind? Instead of calling it a "running" teeter, call it a "non-stopped" teeter. I don't think there is any dog who could perform the teeter at a constant speed since they have to pause to wait for it to hit the ground, whether they are at the pivot point or driving to the end of the board.


----------

