# bridges & teeter totter - no like



## NTexFoster (Jul 18, 2013)

We did another drop in agility class last night and had a blast. Kaiser does great with the rings, jumping over the bar and running through the tunnels.

When we first arrived he did the bridge and teeter totter without any trouble, but after that he refused to do them any more. I think the teeter totter scared him when he went up it the first time without me really noticing. 

Is there something I can do so he'll do these again?


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Teeter game (at minute 2:30 and with instructor at 5 min)





 
Hopefully the dog walk is low low low...and you are using a clicker at 4:18 in the same video you can see how I helped get Glory to stay on the dogwalk. I'm clicking any forward movement and treating ON the dogwalk (not from my hand to mouth, but hand to dogwalk surface to mouth).

Once they are startled and flyoff the teeter, they won't trust the dogwalk either, which is why it's important to train them slowly and CLEARLY to the pup.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

You can make a wobble bridge easily and cheaply.


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## BoTaBe (May 2, 2013)

We have used two different ways to teach the teeter:

Tayn learned it by walking up the teeter, a third person was holding the end so the teeter wouldn't come down. In the beginning he ran up, the 3rd person holding the teeter, he got his treat and I picked him up "on top" (worked well when he was younger, it's harder when you got an older [and heavier ] dog). As soon as he ran to the end fast and without hesitation, the 3rd person began to lower the teeter slowly so he got used to the teeter "falling" down and he got the treat in the "2on-2off-position":
(A video whith 15 months, teeter almost falling from the highest point [araound the 30 seconds mark] --> 



 ).

With my puppy I'll try a different technique. First she'll learn to "press" the teeter to the ground so she won't be afraid of the sound it makes when it touches the ground. I have a video of one of our trainers demonstarting it, unfortunately it's in German but I think you can see what I mean... 
[Around the 12:00 minute mark the puppy training with the teeter]
--> Agility-Tipps vom Profi -Tobias Wüst- - YouTube


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## NTexFoster (Jul 18, 2013)

Thanks for the help everyone.

I think this weekend I'll make a trip to Lowes so we can build something so we can work on this in the back yard.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

NTexFoster, do NOT do the full teeter until you work this out, it can freak dogs forever on the dogwalk AND teeter.

Lots of good suggestions/hints/tips to get our dogs used to the world moving under their feet being a GOOD thing, and something THEY are in control of (plus tons of great rewards on the potentially scary thing (NOT FROM YOUR HAND). Only make it hard (higher? louder?) when they are loving the level they are working at.

Good luck! 

May want to search for a better club/class in your area. Drop ins are fine when you just need to brush up on skills, but there really are different levels to progress thru that make it SO much easier. And 'real' classes with instructors who go to trials (not that you have to go to trials, but when people do they tend to really take the care to learn the right way from the start  ).

I supplement my classes with the equipment in my yard.


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## NTexFoster (Jul 18, 2013)

The teeter totter at the class is only 6" high in the middle. There are toy poodles and puppies there too. Nothing is raised up for these events.

I ran to Lowes and got a board that I'll wrap with carpet or something b/c they can't grip it. I also have a simple 3'x3' piece of plywood to use as a wobble board. All I do is place a piece of scrap under it. so that it doesn't lay flat. 

For Kaiser I'm starting with a treat just for putting a front paw on it. We'll build from here.

Hawk on the other hand happily walked on the way on to it causing it to shift to the other side. He didn't care, he just wanted his treat.

The way I figured out that the walkway board needs a covering was Hawk trying to walk across it while it was laying in the yard. It was on a slight slope and he couldn't stay on it.

The plan there is to get them to walk across it while its on the ground and then raise it up a few inches at a time until its a foot or so off the ground. 

The real problem at the moment for this stuff is that it is over 100F outside. Great for running the motorcycle on the track but being outside wearing a fur coat has got to be miserable.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Sounds like good start.

Hopefully you are using the clicker and treating for any movement on or toward the obstacle.

Hopefully the treat is ON the contact and not coming from your hand. 

Hopefully you are giving TONS of treats and that clicker is going off like a machine gun initially.

Hopefully you are having a hungry dog and REAL treats (cheese? chicken? Liver? Beef?)

And using engagement and tug toys frequently during the sessions! 

Click this --> http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...ime-owner/162230-engagement-key-training.html


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