Teaching Stillness for Competition Obedience
In obedience training typically we work a number exercises that are designed to build drive and keep things exciting for the dog but... we need to balance that with exercises that develop the ability for stillness. Many exercises in Competition Obedience require stillness such as the “Stand for Exam” in Novice, the “Moving Stand” in Utility, “Signals”, and the new “Stand Go Get your Lead” and “Sit Go Get your Lead” also require stillness and focus.
In addition to teaching stillness, my training tip will also help improve your dog's standing posture. Even dogs with good conformation may not naturally stand in the ideal position. By using foot boards, you can teach your dog to "stack" properly, with their front legs directly under their body and their back legs appropriately positioned so they have a straight topline. These boards serve as guides, providing clear parameters for the correct stand position by offering anchor points for each paw. This method helps your dog understand and consistently replicate the proper posture.
Front Feet First:
Use treats to lure your dog onto the board (or you can also shape the behaviour)
Mark and reinforce when both front feet are on the board
Toss a treat away in a straight line and release your dog to it, see if they will return and put their front feet on the board - this is the goal you want to achieve
Teach Back Feet Placement:
Walk your dog over the board, once their back feet touch the board, reward that numerous times so they believe this is a good place to be
Then have you and your dog in front of the board and back them up, luring to help them find the board and place their back feet
Reinforce when both back feet are in place
Continue to practice backing up onto the board
Tip: If your dog drifts off to the side when you are backing him up build a small barrier to help him stay straight. I often use plastic (or wooden) dowels or a broad jump on each side to help the dog stay straight.
Combine Front and Back Boards:
Once you have separately worked on both the front and back feet putting it all together is usually pretty quick.
Work on getting all four feet in position.
Check your dog's posture (using a mirror helps!) and adjust the placement of the boards as needed.
Practice Full Stacking:
Walk your dog onto both boards.
Mark and reinforce when all 4 feet are in position.
practice by tossing a treat, send your dog off to get it get and then come back to position on the boards.
Build & Proof Stillness:
Move around your dog as they maintain position. Build distance and duration as your dog gets more solid on the exercise. I show my dogs the treats in my open hand and if they move off the board - I close my hand to tell them that this is not the desired behaviour.
Practice touching your dog's shoulders, mimicking a judge's exam.
Bring the treat to your dog slowly, can they hold the position and wait?
Reward stillness and reset periodically by throwing a treat off, having your dog go get the treat and come back to position on the boards.
By following these steps and practicing regularly, you'll help your dog master the art of stillness. This skill will prove invaluable in obedience competitions. Remember, patience and positive reinforcement are key to success.
Happy training!
Janice Gunn