# Agility and no rear end awareness



## ItzaClip (Dec 1, 2010)

So vogue is 6 months and a week. She just finished a 6 week puppy foundation class... She doesn't like the pressure of wings on jumps and so far is a terrible jumper -needs lots of jump grid work. She in general is sensitive to space/pressure but is fine with chute and tunnel -go figure. Her apprehension with stairs even after I have broke them down with clicker training led me to try to capture her












you can see she is pulling herself up by her front end. Now don't worry about her agility training. I have privilege of working with Lynda Caughlin (team Canada last year) and brilliant clicker trainer and I've known her 15 years. 
Have any of you agility people had a similar experience with your poodle? I thought maybe it's a poodle thing because they are so "up". I had her checked out by my canine sport rehab vet (she does acupuncture on my golden) and other than some soreness in her bicep she is good. Any info much appreciated. I have lots videos of us in class and just need to upload.


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## ItzaClip (Dec 1, 2010)

Oh and we do ladder work and stool work etc...


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## Mom-n-Reiki (Jan 6, 2013)

Reiki was not with us long enough for me to really know for sure, but at five months he never figured out he could jump up on things. He didn't drag himself up the stairs though. I never used a clicker and we turned it into a game of chase where I was the reward. When he wanted up on something, he would put his front paws on it and just stare at you.

I will say that Cricket, our greyhound does this. I had to teach him he could jump up on the bed by leaving the house for a bit, coming home and rushing to jump up on the bed. He was so happy to see me, he followed me right up. We also named it ("up!") And praised him when he started doing it on his own, but it took awhile. He still only jumps onto his favorite chair or the bed and occasionally into the car if something spooks him. He is always trying to pull himself up by his front legs and then moves one back paw up and down until he realizes he can use his back legs to help him get on something. He forgets a lot.

When I worked with horses, we used a Parelli excercise where you would touch and push on the horse a bit until it would move. I think it was actually called the Touch Game or something simular. I just started trying this with Cricket since he likes to trip me with his back feet.

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## ChantersMom (Aug 20, 2012)

your poodle is beautiful! 
Is that recent snow??????? Please don't send any east..we are not ready!


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I am lucky as Swizzle always has had good hind end awareness but there are a lot of things you can do for this. Get a big exercise ball. Have you dog put front legs on ball, treat as long as front paws are on ball until you give the release word. Once this gets routine crowd dog's hind legs till he hops over and treat lavishly. Work in this till dog can circle ball with front paws on ball back paws on floor.

Ladder work on the floor and climbing is great. My core instructor has PVC pipes close to each other. Dog needs to walk across this. Pipes are close to each other and about 6 inches off ground. This one is hard.

Place mats like stones in a steam. Dog needs to walk from Matt to Matt without touching the floor. What I am calling matts are of varying thickness from about 4 to 8 inches.

Your puppy is young. Awareness will come.


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## ItzaClip (Dec 1, 2010)

RunChanter said:


> your poodle is beautiful!
> Is that recent snow??????? Please don't send any east..we are not ready!


Yes that pic was yesterday. I'm in Alberta Canada.

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## ItzaClip (Dec 1, 2010)

CT Girl said:


> I am lucky as Swizzle always has had good hind end awareness but there are a lot of things you can do for this. Get a big exercise ball. Have you dog put front legs on ball, treat as long as front paws are on ball until you give the release word. Once this gets routine crowd dog's hind legs till he hops over and treat lavishly. Work in this till dog can circle ball with front paws on ball back paws on floor.
> 
> Ladder work on the floor and climbing is great. My core instructor has PVC pipes close to each other. Dog needs to walk across this. Pipes are close to each other and about 6 inches off ground. This one is hard.
> 
> ...


I actually bought a big blue bosu ball (the oval one with nubs on one side. I have video of her first introduction on her 52 weeks of vogue thread. The stool work I refer to is where they have front feet on and goal is to get back feet to walk around stool. I will try your other suggestions. This is my first poodle and my instructors first in her class, so knowing if it's normal development in breed is handy. I love her enthusiasm for agility, and we are signed up for puppy seminar this Fri and another set of beginner classes next month. 

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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Try teaching her to put her back feet up onto a step as a back up motion. It will translate over to two on two off for contacts later if you want that as your exit criterion.


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