# Commands



## Dinahmyte (Sep 26, 2004)

Does anyone use any creative commands? A friend of mine says "Bang-it" for the teeter, which I thought was cute..... I might steal that idea! She thought having so many T words- Teeter, tire, tunnel, table was too much. Wondering if anyone has anything else??


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Dinahmyte said:


> Does anyone use any creative commands? A friend of mine says "Bang-it" for the teeter, which I thought was cute..... I might steal that idea! She thought having so many T words- Teeter, tire, tunnel, table was too much. Wondering if anyone has anything else??


Too funny, there ARE a ton of the 't' words that can become confusing. Will say, in general, when we get better and it's all going so fast the course is a blur, our dogs tend to be cuing WAY more off our bodies and where we are heading then the word. Added to the fact we generally say 'the word' as they are taking the obstacle. So whether it was the right word or not, if they thought 'we' were going this way, then that's where they go. Usually it's a big save for us!

Whatever you will remember is perfect though. I also know others that say 'bang it' and it works fine. Just remember a year or so from now when you are facing the tunnel, want your dog to take the tunnel, are headed to the tunnel, but say 'bang it'................ I bet your dog takes the tunnel!


----------



## Dinahmyte (Sep 26, 2004)

Wow you are quick!! lol, very true. We talked a bit about body cues and I know you are right. I'll worry more about body language than my commands then. =P


----------



## mygsds (Jan 7, 2007)

A lot of people up here use Through for tunnel and park it is becoming popular for contacts. My English friends use seesaw for teeter. Some people say climb or scramble (never figured that one out) for the a frame. Trying to remember what one lady uses for her tunnel command - its different. Oh yeah she says "drive".


I started with the actual names and have stuck with them - less for me to learn. But I agree with Jen - I have said hup (my word for jump) and pointed to a tunnel and the dog took the tunnel (saved the Q).

Whatever works but watch the body language

Pat


----------



## lylol (Feb 18, 2009)

I have gone to "poles" instead of weave ... I also used "stick it or stick" for the 2O2O for one dog. I used to use "break" as my release cue until my current dog whose name sorta rhymes and we decided it might be too confusing. Over time I try and use less and less verbal. I have watched Greg Derritt run his dog using a barely audible "dogs name"... and I thought well they have trained for years together, then I watched him run someone elses dog at their request (had not really worked the dog before) with the same quiet whispered name ... and they did pretty darn good... its pretty awesome when you realize what the dog is really paying attention to and how critical body position and timing really is. Of course thats the hard part for US humans!! I cringe sometimes at the volume and tone you hear at some trials... but I have been known to save an off course that way too. Its just something I want to change as we get better as a team


----------



## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

i think you should use easy words so you can blurt them out in a hurry "see saw" wouldn't work for me..........i like short and sweet...........words i use are simple "tire" "tunnel" "over" "walk" "A" etc.........we used "bang it" inside on the wobble board when we first started agility getting them used to something moving under their feet.....

yes, i think the biggest thing is where your lined up, our instructor always says to check where our belly button is pointing at the time, sounds weird but its true.......that and the hand signals are the biggest..........when first starting agility alot of dogs don't know what you want them to do, or we screw them up by stopping when we should have kept moving and lured them through..........


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Watch how Marisa runs Tang, I think she says NOTHING or just uses Tang's name on the course. Then also watch her shoulders/arms and how she'll turn into her dog or pull up the opposite arm to cue a directional. She's had contact issues in the past, so think she's using 2on/2off or running contacts?


----------



## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

They have to slow down when they come down the "Schraegwand?" and I've learned that the table is the last point. 

Wow... very different, even the hurdles look SO much better than what we have over here. :wild::help:


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Mrs.K said:


> They have to slow down when they come down the "Schraegwand?" and I've learned that the table is the last point.
> 
> Wow... very different, even the hurdles look SO much better than what we have over here. :wild::help:


When our dogs come down the 'contact' obstacles (dogwalk is the long narrow plank thing, teeter, or aframe (wide 'A' shaped tall obstacle) can you see the yellow paint? Our dogs must have at least on toe in the yellow before coming off. Problem is we don't train just one foot cause too hard for the judge to see and too easy for the dog to jump off. So many of us teach the dog tears down to the bottom and has 2 front feet on the ground while 2 rear feet are still in the yellow. 

This also allows us to catch up and direct to the next obstacle because it's not always what is in front of the dog.

The Table isn't the last obstacle. When our dogs get to it, they have to either 'sit' or 'down' (we find out when we get to the trial what the judge wants that day) for 5 seconds that the judge counts off.


----------



## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Yes, we have the "there has to be a foot in the color" too but we've never learned to slow them down. As for the table, it was always on the end and the dog had to do "down". It didn't matter if you reached the table with him or not as long as he did the down you were good to go.

Maybe we just had a trainer that didn't understand the rules... :help:


----------



## mygsds (Jan 7, 2007)

I stopped using commands for jumps when I realized I was causing Kahlua to knock bars - right command bad timing. She is much better when I just use my arm to signal her to go on or use a Go if I am sending her. Will use a get out if I need distance on a corner jump and want to cut corner for myself. Funny the judge at last trial worked Kahlua after the trial on the Master Standard course - he used Spot for her contacts (I use "touch) and she had perfect 2o2o on every one - blazing speed over them too. Of course I get that in class too )
But I used spot in class the next week and she also responded to that so I relaly dont think it makes much difference what I actually say )
Pat


----------



## lylol (Feb 18, 2009)

Each agility venue is a little different with the table. In some games in CPE for example, the dog must jump on the table as the last item to end the run. But in AKC, it is always a part of the Standard course with either a sit or a down. In USDAA, it is always a down. 

Unfortunately I dont INTEND to slow my dog down going to the contact but thats how some dogs react... some dogs fly to the end and some are less confident about the end behavior so they tend to slow down.


----------

