Rear end/back legs tricks

Meldor said:
Awww what a cutie! She's done amazing progress!

Also a cool thing about this trick is eventually using it to get an awesome sit in a heel position.

I'm not sure how to explain it correctly but for example, when you call the dog to sit on your left side and he's in front of you, he does a cool pivot with his back legs to come and sit beside you, glued to your left leg.

I haven't gotten to that point yet but it's one of my objectives. Our agility trainer gets her dog to do it and it's just so adorable and also useful to position the dog well for some agility training.

Once you get the full circle done well on both sides (clockwise and counterclockwise) you eventually start placing yourself halfway in the circle and once the dog hits your leg, try to lure the dog in a sit.

But that's where I'm having problems... Kyara just seems annoyed I'm in her way and squeezes herself to avoid me and complete her full circle. I think I'll need to modify the timing of the clicking to break down the whole stop-when-you-touch-my-leg-and-sit-down part.

(This is the next step for the way this trick is taught in Silvia Trkman's heeling if just another trick video.)
Click to expand...

I saw a video that used something similar to get the heel position...let me see if I can find it...this is what I saw the other day: http://www.youtube.com/user/SheltieHair#p/c/2BC7742A4515F169/0/saXRps4QotI
 
Interesting point

I posted on my blog about how Lexi only wants to turn one way when rotating with her back legs. I thought that was odd. One of my friends mentioned that it's likely that one of her back legs is more developed than the other. She also said that most dogs have a tendency to turn one way versus the other (unless you specifically work both). To test, throw a toy out in the middle of your yard and see which way your dog turns when bringing it back.

Anyways, I measured Lexi's back legs and her left quad is almost a whole inch thicker!
 
yep dogs are like people lefties and righties and will turn easier more in one directions.
Ashley, you have tons of patience and Lexi is doing great, it DOES get better and faster after they master one or two tricks.
If I may comment on few things I have learned which was helpful for me.
Do not keep session long, once you got the position you want, i.e. paws on the plate and dog seems to be stuck, " reload" by throwing treat to the side " get it" and occasionally make a tug/ run break.
Placement of the treat is very important. With perch circle after clicking I place treat in such way that head turns, which will eventually lead to more steps and dog understanding circling. Then I also have a session where I click for head turns. Turning head is important. Resist trying to move them with your body.
With backing up treat should be placed/ thrown low between front paws, it makes them to back away with their rear paws as opposed to backing away with front paws if you keep treat high.
 
I found Kikopup's video on rear end awareness. I trained Romeo using her method though I think she doesn't do a full circle independently.

With Juliet I had to shape or she would not even be using her brain coz she's too focused on food! I only use this to get them from my right side to my left without me moving and with the dog moving in an arc around my front, so didn't train the independent circling either.
 
yeah, am trying to stay away from luring as much as possible. Big reason for teaching tricks is to help pups learn to learn, deal with frustration in easy situations out of context agility or obedience. But sometimes total free shaping takes forever to grasp so I am not above very little nudging:wink2:
With perch work we really got stuck on doing only quarter turn and then nothing until I got that head turn, then light bulb went on...:smile2:
the great part as time goes by once they know we are into trick mode they start offering without much nudging at all.
 
SheltieChe said:
yep dogs are like people lefties and righties and will turn easier more in one directions.
Ashley, you have tons of patience and Lexi is doing great, it DOES get better and faster after they master one or two tricks
Click to expand...

Thanks! Honestly, these were the first things I taught using shaping (sort of) and the clicker with her, so I was pretty proud that she got as far as she did.

f I may comment on few things I have learned which was helpful for me.
Do not keep session long, once you got the position you want, i.e. paws on the plate and dog seems to be stuck, " reload" by throwing treat to the side " get it" and occasionally make a tug/ run break.
Placement of the treat is very important. With perch circle after clicking I place treat in such way that head turns, which will eventually lead to more steps and dog understanding circling. Then I also have a session where I click for head turns. Turning head is important. Resist trying to move them with your body.
With backing up treat should be placed/ thrown low between front paws, it makes them to back away with their rear paws as opposed to backing away with front paws if you keep treat high.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I will try your suggestions--I appreciate it. I sort of forgot everything I learned about clicker training after I tried it with Bentley a few years ago. So I definitely need tips and reminders!
 
corbinam said:
I saw a video that used something similar to get the heel position...let me see if I can find it...this is what I saw the other day: http://www.youtube.com/user/SheltieHair#p/c/2BC7742A4515F169/0/saXRps4QotI
Click to expand...

Awesome! I've never seen it done this way but it gives a nice result.

I guess teaching to pivot with paws on target results in more of a rear end movement as the dog learns to keep is front paws in the same spot while moving.

Pretty cool about that are dogs turn better on one side and very true for Kyara, I'm still working on the counterclock wise turn.
 
corbinam said:
I posted on my blog about how Lexi only wants to turn one way when rotating with her back legs. I thought that was odd. One of my friends mentioned that it's likely that one of her back legs is more developed than the other. She also said that most dogs have a tendency to turn one way versus the other (unless you specifically work both). To test, throw a toy out in the middle of your yard and see which way your dog turns when bringing it back.

Anyways, I measured Lexi's back legs and her left quad is almost a whole inch thicker!
Click to expand...

I saw the other comments and it is true, dogs prefer to turn one way or other. Justice is a lefty , he turns to the left 99% of the time. I had a heck of a time teaching him to turn to his right for the broadjump front in obedience. Then I got a big question shape turn and finally he figured it out. In agility, he could never turn to the right nor could I get him to change to a right lead. He always wanted to turn to the left and then spun to go to the left. Took forever to teach and he was never good at it.

Ember is a righty but I taught her from a small puppy to turn both ways with spins, side passing and such. She still given her choice goes to the right.

Diva is still more a righty but she has been known to go left 40% of the time. She also can change leads on the front and rear indenpendently(left front/right rear, right front/right rear, left front/ right rear etc) back and forth in any combo as she runs. I have not seen another sheltie do that.
 
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