Table Games?

[ChantalB]

Our nice sliding table performance has ran away I've been trying to make the table more fun but honestly I don't know how. I was playing around with two tables, making him run a slide into a down from one to the other, which worked a little. He's going into BC creep mode on it lately. Help?

 

 

 

 

Ps- I'm not new I had an account before but couldn't access it.

[SecretBC]

Is the problem with the table(s) or with what you are asking him to do on the table?

 

Maybe go back to square one and shape any sort of interaction with a table -- do you do any clicker training? Once he is eagerly seeking out the table, you can shape the auto-down (assuming that's what you want).

 

Could you move the table into the house for a bit? Have him do "table" for every meal and before going outside? I also like to build agility games into fetch & frisbee to help build motivation & speed -- But it's not a training session, per say -- It's still a game of fetch, but the faster they do the desired behavior the faster I throw the ball for them. They don't seem to catch on that we are doing anything other than fetch.

 

With the table I'd probably just point at the table and throw the ball as soon as they touch it -- Then, again, build up to asking for the down behavior.

 

Final thought -- Is there any chance that the table is not comfortable for him? Or going into a down on the table? If he used to be fine and this is just starting, it's always a good idea to consider the physical reasons.

[ChantalB]

Is the problem with the table(s) or with what you are asking him to do on the table?

 

Maybe go back to square one and shape any sort of interaction with a table -- do you do any clicker training? Once he is eagerly seeking out the table, you can shape the auto-down (assuming that's what you want).

 

Could you move the table into the house for a bit? Have him do "table" for every meal and before going outside? I also like to build agility games into fetch & frisbee to help build motivation & speed -- But it's not a training session, per say -- It's still a game of fetch, but the faster they do the desired behavior the faster I throw the ball for them. They don't seem to catch on that we are doing anything other than fetch.

 

With the table I'd probably just point at the table and throw the ball as soon as they touch it -- Then, again, build up to asking for the down behavior.

 

Final thought -- Is there any chance that the table is not comfortable for him? Or going into a down on the table? If he used to be fine and this is just starting, it's always a good idea to consider the physical reasons.

 

The table itself is fine, we just lost our nice auto-down. I mean he does "go table" fine, it's now just turned into jump on table and slowly down. And I had to give him the down command lats practice which I really regretted doing because I don't want to have to say table and down. He had a nice sliding down unto it but since he's discovered the joys of running courses it's turned into a slow creeping down. I don't think it's physical since it's only been lately and we are only just starting to run courses, I knew with his love of speed this was bound to happen so I worked a lot of the table but when sequencing came into play, table went out the door. So we worked it back and it was nice again. Now that we are running full courses, table went out again. I'm hoping it just comes back again like before, but I can tell it's going to be harder this time around. Because I mean, he's realizing courses are longer than a couple of obstacle sequences, which in turn means he can run more ,which makes the table a lot less fun.

 

I just don't know what kind of games I can play because I don't want him to think that sometimes the table is a down, and sometimes it's just jump on tale and have fun, like tugging on table of what-not. I've been pinging the amount of time on table, longer stays to quick releases, etc, but I don't know what to do.. The fetch games seemed to just make the creeping stronger... Perhaps I will have to make a table home and only feed meals by table performance for the next couple weeks.

[topnotchdog]

The table itself is fine, we just lost our nice auto-down.

[...]

The fetch games seemed to just make the creeping stronger...

 

FWIW I agree with your suspicion that arousal from toy or game anticipation is contributing to his "stickiness." See pages 106-107 of Control Unleashed, "Using a Mat to Unstick the Stuck" which tells how Leslie McDevitt used mat games to get a fast down on her border collie (who up til then would get frozen in the presence of toys). Seems you could just transfer the mat to the table then.

 

B.

[ChantalB]

Thanks the club has the book in the lending library and ill have a look at that tonight!