# Contact work



## Finkie_Mom (Mar 2, 2010)

I was just wondering how everyone goes about practicing contacts. Kimma's are horrible, and I think it's something we can work on even while she's not feeling totally better, as it's nothing too fast or intense. 

We were told to teach the command "feet," by having the dog stop with two feet on one type of surface, and two on the other, while touching a target. Kimma can do this indoors with two on carpet/two on tile, but I'm just not sure how to make it happen outside. (Whatever we do at home definitely doesn't transfer to the course, as she just wants to go go go!)

I'm thinking it may be because while she's doing a contact, it's on a level surface, so it's not quite getting through. That being said, is there a piece of equipment I can make? I don't really have the cash to buy anything expensive. (Otherwise I would have a whole course in my yard :wink

And of course any tips would help, too!

TIA!


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Instead of doing the entire obstacle, we started by bringing the dog around our side to hop up no higher than the top of the contact zone and lure them down to the bottom (hope that makes sense). I say "feet" also for 2o2o. While she is there, I give her a couple treats. Now I can step back a couple steps, or step to the side, and she waits there until she is released. I can keep up with her at this point, so when running a course in class I can get just enough ahead of her to get my hand at the bottom and tell her "feet". If she hops off to the side or doesn't do it correctly, I bring her around the side to hop back on as we did when she learned it, and then finish the course.

To practice at home, use stairs! Two on the floor, two on a step.


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## Finkie_Mom (Mar 2, 2010)

Sibe said:


> Instead of doing the entire obstacle, we started by bringing the dog around our side to hop up no higher than the top of the contact zone and lure them down to the bottom (hope that makes sense). I say "feet" also for 2o2o. While she is there, I give her a couple treats. Now I can step back a couple steps, or step to the side, and she waits there until she is released. I can keep up with her at this point, so when running a course in class I can get just enough ahead of her to get my hand at the bottom and tell her "feet". If she hops off to the side or doesn't do it correctly, I bring her around the side to hop back on as we did when she learned it, and then finish the course.
> 
> To practice at home, use stairs! Two on the floor, two on a step.


Yeah, we do the same at training, but of course, I don't have an a-frame or anything like that at home, LOL! 

OK. So I'm dumb. I didn't think of stairs! Probably because we don't have any in the area of the house that the dogs are in, hahaha. Would that work, even though on the course it's more of an incline/ramp?


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

It worked great for us, though I'm sure for some dogs it wouldn't transfer. We learned it in class, I practiced all week on the stairs for about 5 minutes a day, and in the next class she was almost a pro at it. You can also try propping a board up on a cinderblock or stack of books or something to create a true ramp.


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

Sibe said:


> It worked great for us, though I'm sure for some dogs it wouldn't transfer. We learned it in class, I practiced all week on the stairs for about 5 minutes a day, and in the next class she was almost a pro at it. You can also try propping a board up on a cinderblock or stack of books or something to create a true ramp.


I started with a magazine, graduated to a book, then a tippy board, then doorways, etc. The key for us was generalizing it so "feet" was 2o2o, not "back feet on the magazine in front of the kitchen sink" type of thing.  
Another thing I did was teach Tag how to do 2o2o coming down from the obstacle (such as the A frame), and taught him how to do 2o2o when he was beside an obstacle, or in front of one. He learned to side step, back up and "feel" his way with his rear paws. It might not have helped much, but it certainly didn't hurt because his contacts are pretty solid.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

I use stairs.. it's close enough to the A-Frame. I think it definitely helped Marge.

But honestly, the best way to work contacts is to find your way to some contact equipment.

Does your club offer ring rental time? Or open floor run throughs, where you an work on specific things? That's what really helped my contacts.


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## Finkie_Mom (Mar 2, 2010)

Sibe said:


> It worked great for us, though I'm sure for some dogs it wouldn't transfer. We learned it in class, I practiced all week on the stairs for about 5 minutes a day, and in the next class she was almost a pro at it. You can also try propping a board up on a cinderblock or stack of books or something to create a true ramp.


OK sweet. It helps when people say that it worked for them, hahaha. And I've seen your vids, and your girl has some nice contacts, indeed!!! Good idea about the board/cinderblock! We don't have any cinderblocks, but we do have tons of extra bricks from the construction of our house that we could use!



LazyGRanch713 said:


> I started with a magazine, graduated to a book, then a tippy board, then doorways, etc. The key for us was generalizing it so "feet" was 2o2o, not "back feet on the magazine in front of the kitchen sink" type of thing.
> Another thing I did was teach Tag how to do 2o2o coming down from the obstacle (such as the A frame), and taught him how to do 2o2o when he was beside an obstacle, or in front of one. He learned to side step, back up and "feel" his way with his rear paws. It might not have helped much, but it certainly didn't hurt because his contacts are pretty solid.


Right! I just don't want her to think that "feet" is two carpet/two tile in the kitchen 

I think a book would work well, too! We have been using one to practice "box," where she has her front feet on the phone book, and her back off, and I walk in a circle facing her and she just moves her back feet to follow me. So I suppose we can use the same book, and just reverse it LOL. Maybe I will try a magazine first so that she has the flat floor to work with (versus having her step up on to a book just to put her front feet off of it). 

This is just what I needed, guys! Now I have all this training to do, LOL 



MissMutt said:


> I use stairs.. it's close enough to the A-Frame. I think it definitely helped Marge.
> 
> But honestly, the best way to work contacts is to find your way to some contact equipment.
> 
> Does your club offer ring rental time? Or open floor run throughs, where you an work on specific things? That's what really helped my contacts.


OK so another vote for some stairs! 

Unfortunately, our club is part of a kennel, and they do not offer rental time like that... I could try and find a facility that does, but I'm not sure if they would let me since I'm not a member there. I wish we had more time to spend on the equipment for sure! I've even thought of trying to have our instructor do some private lessons with us, since Kimma has some other issues that need to be addressed, but I'm poor 

Maybe after the New Year, we can try to save up some money for some private lessons....


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## LynnI (Mar 27, 2010)

I just use a flat board 12 inches wide and 4 ft long, lay it on the floor and beside a wall or other barrier when first teaching it because I don't want them to swing off away from me. And I use a target, flat clear plastic lid works. I don't give a verbal cue in the being and I teach them to nose touch the target away from the contact board first with a clicker/rewards. I always make sure to give the reward directly onto the target at first and never from my hand, I want the dogs to focus on the target not the reward or my hand. I give the reward from different positions once they know to not move, over the back/shoulders, under the chest and between the front legs and just from directly beside them, always putting the reward onto the target. At first make sure you always reward with the hand closest to the dog, if you use your other hand it often makes the dogs swing off. Rules are dog is not to move until given their release cue (very important), always move them straight ahead when released, always reward them for coming with me after the release. Goal is to have the dog, run with me to the board, stop, nose touch target, wait for release, increase to moving around them, getting distance, front crosses, rear crosses, lateral releases to the contact board and also to send to the contact board with me remaining behind them. And finally running past them while they hold their contact criteria. I find that the dogs generalize very well when training continues onto the contact equipment but you have to remember to use your target at first.


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## Finkie_Mom (Mar 2, 2010)

LynnI said:


> I just use a flat board 12 inches wide and 4 ft long, lay it on the floor and beside a wall or other barrier when first teaching it because I don't want them to swing off away from me. And I use a target, flat clear plastic lid works. I don't give a verbal cue in the being and I teach them to nose touch the target away from the contact board first with a clicker/rewards. I always make sure to give the reward directly onto the target at first and never from my hand, I want the dogs to focus on the target not the reward or my hand. I give the reward from different positions once they know to not move, over the back/shoulders, under the chest and between the front legs and just from directly beside them, always putting the reward onto the target. At first make sure you always reward with the hand closest to the dog, if you use your other hand it often makes the dogs swing off. Rules are dog is not to move until given their release cue (very important), always move them straight ahead when released, always reward them for coming with me after the release. Goal is to have the dog, run with me to the board, stop, nose touch target, wait for release, increase to moving around them, getting distance, front crosses, rear crosses, lateral releases to the contact board and also to send to the contact board with me remaining behind them. And finally running past them while they hold their contact criteria. I find that the dogs generalize very well when training continues onto the contact equipment but you have to remember to use your target at first.


That's brilliant, LynnI! Thank you so much! I think I was just trying to do too much too soon without giving Kimma enough chance to practice in different locations, so that once the distractions of training class were present, she just didn't do anything contact-related, hahaha. 

Now I just have to go buy a board


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## LynnI (Mar 27, 2010)

Finkie_Mom said:


> That's brilliant, LynnI! Thank you so much! I think I was just trying to do too much too soon without giving Kimma enough chance to practice in different locations, so that once the distractions of training class were present, she just didn't do anything contact-related, hahaha.
> 
> Now I just have to go buy a board


Your welcome, hope it helps  If you have any questions or need anything clarified just shout. Good luck.

Btw, once your understands that they are to get onto the board, nose touch target and not move until released. Move the board away from the wall or barrier and don't accept even one toe off the board, if they move out of position I give them a chance to fix it and if they don't then I say 'too bad' in a neutral tone and release them but no reward.


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