Contact practice equipment?

[clbmine]

I have a problem with our contacts and need to practice.

However, practicing on stools and similar do not seem to work, not only because everything we can practice on is slippery/topples over, but it doesn't translate well to A frames and Dogwalks.

 

I am wondering if anyone knows a good seller of very small contact equipment for practice in limited space?

 

Im thinking something like this may be good, this one may be a little large perhaps...

this in half might be fine, but I am worried about it falling over (btw, not my dog, the companies dog lol, found the image off the internet)

 

Or perhaps something like this, which looks a little smaller and could help with seesaws, but would that translate well with regular contacts?

 

Something like that looks great, though im not sure if its the best to get? It looks like it could easily fall over, especially with how clumsy my dog is. I wouldn't want to get something which turns out to be unstable. Of course, nothing too bad if it falls over, I just think it would be better for it to be sturdy

 

 

I need something that is small enough to practice at home in, as I have very limited space.

 

Also, we have worked on stools, beds, stairs, etc and its not doing much for us. My dog is very fast so I need to try and train them as strong as I can in between lessons with.

 

I am not looking for a sturdy box, and if I am going to buy something which I can use to train contacts on for now and in the future with different dogs also, then I would just prefer something which is a little more like the actual equipment used.

Even if its just a slope the dog jumps onto.

 

I could get a board I prop up too, but I would need to buy something sturdy to put it onto, and I really have my worries with that, with it sliding off, or breaking. He is not a gentle dog, and currently knocks everything over anyway.

 

If anyone has any recommendations over which type would be best, or any suggestions over companies (perhaps UK companies) then it would be great!
Thanks!

 

P.S.

Sorry all my posts are about agility, that just happens to be the area where I have the most questions. Sorry about that...

[CptJack]

Is the problem you have with the dog understanding the criteria (stop in position and wait for release), or with the actual performance OF those criteria? Because my answer changes, depending.

[clbmine]

Mostly the performance of the criteria I would say, and a tiny bit of a lack of understanding as well, but that is easily improved.

 

Of course, we got to build things up a bit better, and then slowly add more stimulation there to proof his contacts... I don't know tbh.

I currently don't have anything to practice simple contacts on anyway, he knocks everything over, slides off, or breaks it haha, so either way I will have to buy something sturdy for this purpose. Have very little to use in terms of resources in my house currently.

[CptJack]

If it was just understanding the criteria, I was going to say almost anything would work as long as it was sturdy. Since it's performing it and with more detail about sliding, it really sounds like he has an issue collecting himself and staying on in order to 'stick the landing' (contact) as it were.

Which means, IMO, you need something with some length and angle. Doesn't have to be a ton, probably, especially not to start, but he needs to learn how to get his weight back to stop himself on the contact instead of sliding off it. Which means of those things you posted, yeah. The contact trainer is probably your best option, but even a long(ish) board you can prop up on steadily higher things would work. I used a tire to start with (and a wide board) with Molly.

But mostly right now I'd be focusing on teaching the rock back/transfer his weight, and at increasing degrees of steepness. Just hopping on and getting into position won't do that for him. It'll clear up the criteria but it won't teach him to transfer his weight to his back to STAY on, particularly when he's coming down off those things with speed.

[rufftie]

FYI, the teeter trainer you have pictured (#2) is simply a piece of 2 or 3 inch pvc pipe screwed to a board. would cost $5 and 20 min of your time to make. you can make the board as long or as short as you want. I found this to be enough to train 2O2O.

[clbmine]

FYI, the teeter trainer you have pictured (#2) is simply a piece of 2 or 3 inch pvc pipe screwed to a board. would cost $5 and 20 min of your time to make. you can make the board as long or as short as you want. I found this to be enough to train 2O2O.

 

Yeah, could probably make that one myself easily if I wished

I was just showing examples really of different types

 

 

If it was just understanding the criteria, I was going to say almost anything would work as long as it was sturdy. Since it's performing it and with more detail about sliding, it really sounds like he has an issue collecting himself and staying on in order to 'stick the landing' (contact) as it were.

 

Which means, IMO, you need something with some length and angle. Doesn't have to be a ton, probably, especially not to start, but he needs to learn how to get his weight back to stop himself on the contact instead of sliding off it. Which means of those things you posted, yeah. The contact trainer is probably your best option, but even a long(ish) board you can prop up on steadily higher things would work. I used a tire to start with (and a wide board) with Molly.

 

But mostly right now I'd be focusing on teaching the rock back/transfer his weight, and at increasing degrees of steepness. Just hopping on and getting into position won't do that for him. It'll clear up the criteria but it won't teach him to transfer his weight to his back to STAY on, particularly when he's coming down off those things with speed.

Ok, sounds like a good idea! I'll give it a go

Thanks a lot!