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RESPONDING TO CUES AT A DISTANCE
It’s pretty snazzy when your dog can respond to your cues even when positioned far from you. When my dogs were involved in animal acting, this was an extremely useful skill.
There are a variety of approaches to introduce this concept. For example, you can:
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Tether the dog and then give a cue for a well-understood skill by positioning yourself just a teeny distance farther away. (And then you gradually increase that distance when the dog is responding promptly, without straining at the end of the leash in an effort to approach you.)
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Have the dog behind a baby gate or other barrier.
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Start with the dog on an elevated surface, like an ottoman or picnic table, with the goal of preventing creeping forward as you begin to practice cues from a small distance away.
Because most of us introduce new skills, like SIT or DOWN, while positioned close to the dog, it’s natural for them to think that proximity to you is part of the performance picture, i.e., if your dog is a few feet away and you say SIT, they’ll approach you first before happily sitting in front of you.
One way I’ve gotten around this proximity issue is by utilizing food tossing after each rep. IOW, when I say SIT and the dog responds correctly, I mark and then toss the treat to them or several feet behind them. I do a bunch of reps in a row, giving the next SIT cue as soon as the dog finishes the last treat. Usually, in just one training session, the dog learns to conserve energy and begins sitting wherever they happen to be after eating the last treat, rather than returning to be close to me.
The video below is Bond’s first intro to distance cues and, honestly, I’m surprised he did it right away. I suspect I’ve been informally promoting responses at a distance all along as I’m a big fan of food throwing. Or, he’s super-lazy just like his mama! If you try this, I think you’ll see results in just one session. Let me know!
What techniques have you tried to teach cues at a distance and what are some very practical applications for this skill?
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1 Reply
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Here’s a video that demonstrates the tethering technique. In this clip, Goliath is practicing both his SIT and DOWN cues.
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