Dawg Unleashed # 24

Sneak Peek: Rear end awareness fun

Hey mates, did you realize you have 4 feet? Who knew?

As a special holiday treat, I talked my BFF into sharing a sneak peek into Positive Herding 101 so that you could quit tripping when you were trying to look cool while working. (Nothing kills looking cool like tripping over your own two four feet.)

So without further ado, let's get at it.

A positive training test run: Rear end awareness

Let’s start our training with a test run by teaching a skill using positive reinforcement. Teaching rear end awareness is not mandatory but helps your dog to build rear end strength and proprioception which can help to keep your dog injury-free. Proprioception is the knowledge of where an animal’s limbs are in space. In other words, a dog with rear-end awareness not only knows where their rear feet are but realizes they have rear feet!

Training rear end awareness gives you an easy, fun introduction to shaping a behavior that is not crucial to herding. If you are unfamiliar with positive training you can use this training to gauge how skilled you and your dog are at using positive methods. If you or your dog struggles with this exercise I suggest you work building your positive training skills by working on exercises from a book listed in the Suggested Reading or take an introductory class on positive training. There are also many on-line positive reinforcement classes currently offered.

Teaching rear end awareness can be started early in your puppy’s life or at any time later. It is really fun to see your dog realize they have back legs!

 By having Sir get on the bowl perpendicular to me he naturally pivots his feet around in order to orient towards me. This gives him the idea of what I am looking for (rear-foot movement) and gives me the opportunity to mark his foot as he pivots.                                                                       

To teach rear end awareness you can use a low, wide bowl turned upside down and shape your dog to stand with their front feet on the bowl. I would use high-value food as the reinforcer for this exercise. Start with marking and then reinforcing your dog for looking at the bowl, then moving towards it, placing one front foot on it, and then standing with both front feet on the bowl. Feed your reinforcers near the bowl and then directly to your dog as they stand on the bowl.

Once your dog has their front feet on the bowl lure (3 times or less) with a treat placed to the side of their head such that they pivot their rear feet to get the treat while keeping their front feet on the bowl. Mark any movement of rear feet and grow that movement until they can pivot 360 degrees around in both directions with their back feet while their front feet remain on the bowl.

Happy holidays and have your BFF post your rear end awareness pictures or videos in the FB group. I luv to see my mates having fun!

Until next time, chow! (But not too much over the holidays!)

PS - If you do want to help your BFF with their herding journey, and they don't already have Positive Herding 101, tell them to grab a copy. Now that 201 is out, they might as well grab both books. I endorse both books 100% paws down!

Get the book here!

Until next time, tell your mates about this blog and...

Grow the pack!

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