Bang the teeter

corbinam

corbinam

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We've been working with Lexi on some very foundational type agility skills. She's doing well, and has gotten touch (the target), nose (touch my hand), and is fairly good at going over the jump and into a tunnel (rather than around).

We are now working on the basics of 2o2o on a flat board.

Here's my question, I wanted to start getting her used to the idea of the teeter, so we've been working with a boggle board which she seems fine with. We took this to the agility field and have been trying to get her to "bang" teh teeter (just have it really really low, we hold it, and have her put 2 feet on it to make it touch the ground). So far, she's really really hesitant. Even if we use a super high reward treat (been using Cheez Whiz), she doesn't seem to get it. She's really smart so I don't think that's the issue...I think she is hesitant or scared of it. She will just look at the treat and sit down--she gives up.

Am I missing something? Am I going too fast? We have the teeter REALLY low, and one of us holds one end to control the movement (sort of like this, but much lower: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHgCeIEKKDc ). Thanks in advance!
 
I'm having teeter issues too with Maia - big time! She hates the noise and will not go on one at all if it will make the noise, or she will go on it, but will not make it tip.
I made a buja board and we use that. I also put metal corners on it. She is fine, if it does not make any noise (ie on carpet). So to start desensetizing her to the noise, I put a block of wood under one corner to start (so it makes a noise on one corner, but not a loud noise yet). If she is good with that, I add another block etc until all four corners have a wood block. If she is good with that, I put an aluminum cookie sheet (or the removable metal crate door) under ONE corner and use HIGH rewards if she makes a noise. I only have her do it a few times and then we stop. The sessions are never more than 2 minutes long. If I see she is stressing, we stop and do something fun.
I also bought the 'agility desensitization' cd from CleanRun. It has teeter noises on it.
Also, since I use the clicker for training, in a private class I took, specifically to deal with her noise aversion, the instructor was making noises and I would click and treat This was to help associate 'delicious food' with the noise.


I am teaching the 2o2o too, but we are no where near doing it on the actual contacts. We teach it on stairs or an inclined plank, proof it with movement etc and then start introducing it on the actual equipment.
 
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I was reading the OBay Shelties blog yesterday and there was a really interesting post from Bernadette about training her 2 young dogs, Zaz and Itz, on the teeter. Both are 15 months old. Zaz is more comfortable on the teeter than Itz. Bernadette put the table under the exit side of teeter to help Itz build speed. I think probably because then the teeter touches down sooner, so the 'ride' is shorter for Itz and she can build some confidence. It's not exactly the same problem you are talking about, but it might give you some ideas. And, best of all, there's video.

http://obayshelties.blogspot.com/2010/03/zaz-and-itz-training-march-2010.html
 
Yes, in class, we use a table under one end too and we put a pillow under both ends so it does not make noise, so the dogs can get used to the motion and get confidence on it.

We will be playing the 'bang game' on it once Maia is not afraid of the noise anymore. That is a long way off for us I'm afraid.
 
We learnt the seesaw by putting a table at both ends. The dogs would walk along it like a dog walk from one table to another, and there was just a small drop at either end. Initially we used pillows on the tops of the table to hide the sound (and also soften the drop). Once they were confident with the small drop between the tables we progressed first to the small seesaw then the full sized one. But the whole time someone held the end and lowered it slowly. This way the dog could be taught to wait at a certain point and tip the seesaw with their weight.

My instructors have small dogs so understand the importance of teaching a small dog how to tip the seesaw - a much bigger focus than getting them into the contact zone (more a problem for bigger dogs).

Tully is really light so has immense problems dropping the seesaw and has to tip not far from the middle so I had to teach her a stop point that was just on the edge of the contact area. Tully has a couple of times tried to tip it too close to the end and either flown off when it hits the ground or the seesaw didnt even tip and she flew off the end.
 
Thanks for the tips and information, everyone! I think I might have been pushing Lexi too hard. We went back to a couple days on the boggle board and the past two days we put a tall wing jump under the one end of the teeter so there was probably about an inch (or less) between the end and the ground. I think also that she is particularly sensitive when being taken off of something, or told "off". She sort of quit and was thinking "well I guess I shouldn't be there" rather than getting excited to get back on.

She is doing much better now!
 
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