Course Details
This class starts with a trick and ends with a teeter! Teeter training can begin pretty early in a dog’s agility career because it begins with a simple trick: backing up! From this rear end awareness exercise, we will introduce the 4-on behavior onto a wobble board or tippy board, name and proof the behavior, and then start the process of transferring that behavior to a low teeter. Each team will be on their path to a full-height teeter, complete with sequencing and handling skills. This goal of this method is to produce a dog that runs across the board to the end, weight shifts back, rides the board to the ground and waits in posiiton for the handler's verbal release cue. The class is suitable for dogs with no prior teeter experience, and also suitable for dogs wanting to retrain their teeter performance.
Want to know the history behind my teeter training? Read about it on my blog; Tommy's Terrible Teeter
Teaching Approach
This class will take a step by step approach. Each step will have written instructions with a corresponding video of each step. Videos tend to be short (less than one minute) demonstrating one small piece at a time, with several pieces outlined in one lecture. Lectures are released in one batch at the beginning of the week. Feedback will all be written.
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Syllabus
Week 1:
1.1 Reinforcer Skills
1.2 Clean Loops
1.3 Introduction to Props
1.4 Backing up
Week 2:
2.1 Alternating Starting Position
2.2 Name the Behavior
2.3 Clean Releases
2.4 Stand Up: Handler Irrelevancy
Week3:
3.1 Changing the Reward Strategy
3.2 Handler Position
3.3 Handler Motion
3.4 The Bang Game
Week 4:
4.1 Transition to Low Teeter
4.2 Backchaining to Full Length Board
4.3 Handler Position
4.4 Handler Motion
Week 5:
5.1 Dog Speed
5.2 Adding Obstacles before
5.3 Handling Before the Teeter
5.4 Handling After the Teeter
Week 6:
6.1 Adding Obstacles After
6.2 Sequencing
6.3 Problem Solving
6.4 Your Path to a Full Height Teeter
Prerequisites & Supplies
Equipment: You will need a target/mat that your dog can back up onto. Not very large, but the dog should be able to stand with all 4 feet on it. You will not use this mat for very long. You will need a board that moves, that accommodates your dog’s body length. The board should be able to stop moving when your dog has all 4 feet on it. Large breeds may benefit from starting on the actual teeter (after the mat), but the teeter should go flat or nearly flat to behin with. You will need access to an adjustable teeter and space surrounding the teeter to add obstacles before/after; around 30 feet of length is doable for adding an obstacle before or after. Obstacles you use before and after can be anything (jumps, cones, tunnels, etc). You only need enough width to accomodate the obstacles you're using and youself running alongside the dog.
If you do not have access to an adjustable teeter, you will need two adjustable tables so that we can control the drop height for your dog. You will also need to modify your training plans, as this method introduces sequencing with a low teeter, and this is not possible when the teeter is propped up on tables.
Appropriate Age of Dog: The nature of a Gold spot is that you'll be doing some training several times a week, maybe even every day. Your dog should be old enough to physically handle that amount of training. My own puppies begin this process when they are quite young, but probably only training once a week on the teeter specifically, and I am in no hurry to move from a wobble board to a full teeter and no hurry to increase the height of the teeter; I take the training at their pace. If you aren't sure if this class is age appropriate for your dog, send me a message & we can discuss.
Sample Lecture
4.1 Transition to Low Teeter
Once you have a clear end position behavior on your prop, and you’ve introduced your dog to loud, bangy things, we are going to transition our end behavior onto the teeter. To make this transition as easy as possible, I take a familiar position down low and in front of the board.
Toss a cookie to the side for the dog to get, and when they lift their head after eating, cue the teeter with your verbal cue. They should move into their position cleanly. Mark with your room service marker and deliver the cookie to them on the board, in position. Return your hands to home and cue a tossed cookie to reset them for the next repetition.
In the video above, Gletta was clumsy on one rep, but I felt like she was actively trying to fix it the entire time, so I marked and rewarded. If she had stopped moving before she was in the correct position, I would not have rewarded her in position, but just cued the tossed cookie to reset for the next rep.
Gletta was also offering a sit at first so I tried to feed her with her head low to make sitting less likely to happen. That was successful!
Keep in mind that the further away your cookie tosses are, the more speed the dog will have approaching the board. Toss responsibly!
Assuming this goes well, your next step will be to stand up. You will still be using tossed cookies and room service cookies. In addition to standing up, you will begin changing your position, making your way towards being parallel to the teeter.
I can change my position while I am feeding the dog with room service OR while the dog is collecting their tossed cookie. I am NOT changing the position while the dog is moving into position.
Let’s see how your dogs transition from their wobbly prop to the actual teeter!
Testimonials
A sampling of what prior students have said about this course...
New class for the October 2020 session.
Registration
There are no scheduled sessions for this class at this time. We update our schedule frequently, so please subscribe to our mailing list for notifications.
Registration opens at 9:30am Pacific Time.
AG195 Subscriptions
 Gold |
 Silver |
 Bronze |
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| Tuition | $ 260.00 | $ 130.00 | $ 65.00 |
| Enrollment Limits | 12 | 25 | Unlimited |
| Access all course lectures and materials | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Access to discussion and homework forums | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Read all posted questions and answers | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Watch all posted videos | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Post general questions to Discussion forum | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Submit written assignments | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Post dog specific questions | ✔ | With video only | ✖ |
| Post videos | ✔ | Up to 2 | ✖ |
| Receive instructor feedback on |
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