Following: Figure Eight
This is a great exercise for helping your puppy to improve his coordination. It also teaches him to focus on what you are doing. You need two objects or chairs for beacons when you create the course for doing figure eight.
This exercise teaches your puppy to watch what you are doing. You should walk at the same speed at all points on the course and encourage your puppy to keep up with you when he is on the outer edge of the figure eight course. When he is on the inside, you need to teach him to swivel his hind legs slightly backward and to slow down, so that he drops back to keep up with you.
Step 1
Begin at the central point between the two beacons, show your puppy a treat in your hand, and keep the clicker handy.
Step 2
With the pup on your left side, set off around the beacon on your right, so that the puppy will be on the outside of the figure eight. He will need to move faster than you to keep up, but encourage him to stay with you.
Step 3
Then return through the midpoint between the beacons, and walk, turning counterclockwise, around the other beacon.
Step 4
Now teach your puppy to swivel his hind legs slightly backward by getting him to look at you, and turn the top half of your body toward him. At the same time, move your hand holding the treat slightly backward on your left, so that the pup drops back to keep up with you.
Step 5
Practice this several times, giving clicks and rewards when necessary. Click when the leash is loose, and gradually phase out rewards and use only praise. Soon your pup will follow you on a complete circuit for only one click-and-treat.
Step 6
Gradually, you can increase the number of times you complete the circuit, and then just click-and-treat at the end.
Back to "Basic Training"FOLLOWING: FIGURE EIGHT
The mobility of the canine physique is oriented around the front legs. In this respect, dogs are “unaware” of their hind legs. Owners can use the left-hand circles in the figure eight exercise to help their dogs gain coordination in their hind legs. Dogs have a strong sense of visual orientation, and when walking beside you, they are highly aware of the direction your body is facing. If you have encouraged your pup to look at you, then when you turn the top half of your body toward him, it will teach him to move backward, thereby introducing his hind legs as the pivot of the movement. Through awareness of his physical orientation to you, your puppy’s movement will become more aligned with yours, making leash work much easier.