teaching the send out (non schh)

[sleachy]

The second level in CDSP obedience requires a send out. The handler is supposed to cue the dog to look to the opposite end of the ring and send the dog when the judge orders.

I am at a loss how to train this without renting a place with ring gates, etc or taking a class somewhere. I have been practicing sending her to a target (a ceramic tile on my garage floor!).

How did you train your send/go out?

[Branca's Mom]

I would strongly suggest at this level you go to a facility or buy a few ring panels.

I assume this is the send out with directed jumping?

Have a 100% SOLID sit at a distance.

toy worked him up too much so used food. use what works best for you.

treat easily taken, on the gate. Show him the treat, take several steps back and let him get it. increase distance giving command. after he does it several time add the sit. increase distance randomly sitting etc etc etc It took about 5 days of training with Urro before he "got it".... and we were doing it across the ring. it's a hard exercise so be patient.

[sleachy]

For CDSP, the dog just has to go to the other end of the ring, turn and sit on command...I guess it's building until the next level with the directed jumping. IF (thats a huge IF) I ever get to UD in AKC, I will need the same exercise.

It just seems like such a stoopid exercise! Not useful in any other place that doesn't have ring gates to send the dog to???

At any rate, Tooz will cross the 2 car garage to a target, turn, and sit on command so we are in the right direction. I might have trouble transitioning to a ring though and I hear what you are saying about going to a facility or buying ring panels.

[agilegsds]

I've been training my Gordon Setter the go-out with a clicker on a variety of objects. I've used a small target (a margarine lid), an Easy button ("That was Easy!) and an 16" rubber orange cone (left behind on our property by the utility guys). She knows to go out straight and find the object with a nose touch. Once she learned to target an object, any object up close, it didn't take her more than a few repititions to recognize it as the go-out object. I haven't worked on the sit yet, I'm still reinforcing it by sending her out from different areas and distances.

A trainer I work with only uses the stanchion to train it and not the entire ring gate. She uses the stanchion when she works her Chessy (who she just competed with at the AKC Invitational) as well as beginner dogs. That's the next prop I plan to add to my training bag.

[Samba]

I teach it as going to the stantion. Now of course, there are going to be times there isn't a stantion. Hopefully not too often, and your dog has learned to go straight out.
You can buy three stantions and a couple of ring gates. You can buy a stantion and use some plastic lattice from the home depot to resemble gates also.

Then you take your little "assembly" and go many places with it so that your dog will generalize this activity. What did someone tell me......100 go outs in 100 different locations?

I use a mark and treat method to establish going to the target. To get some good distance or to help a dog who is just beginning, I have also used Connie Cleveland's "pull out method" with good results. Some dogs I have also created a box out there in front of the stantion with PVC so they learn to sit quickly within a contained space when told to sit.

I have used toys in schutzhund go out but seem to get enough drive for food reward in the small distance required in the ring. You can put a toy out there kinda hidden and have the dog get the toy as a reward to build drive to the stantion.

[mjbgsd]

I've never taught it but I was in a class with Isa for Open and they had open and utility going at the same time since there was only 6 of us. This lady was a little farther advanced but what I saw her do was tell the dog go out and the dog ran to the other side of the room and trotted behind and told her dog sit and rewarded. Of course this was when the dog new the go out command.

I was told though to leave a toy a few feet away and have the dog see where it's placed then tell them the word you want to use, keep it there for a few sessions. When they are doing that fine add length. When the toy is pretty far and they are going to that toy straight, take the toy out and see if the dog goes to that same place, if they do reward them with the toy you have. But do keep putting it back every now and then so they are always guessing but they do get a reward everytime. As I was told, a reward doesn't always have to be food or a toy, it can be praise too.
I was told the reason you keep them guessing about if theres a toy/food there, they'll turn to look at you which is what you want. When they are going away from you straight 100% of the time, then add the sit.
I hope this makes sense.

[IliamnasQuest]

There are numerous ways to teach the go outs (which is what we've always called them). I find it to be a very practical exercise because I do send my dogs to various places to pick up and bring me things. Since the items are often in a cluttered area, having a dog that will go directly forward on command helps me direct the dog to a specific area and then I can ask her to bring me an item.

Using a target is one way .. using a treat on a section of fencing is another way. When I first was training in Utility, I was taught to put out several sections of dowling at the go out spot, and to send my dog for multiple retrieves to the same spot. I don't use that method anymore. I've also seen people use pvc pipe to build a little square area on the floor and they teach their dogs to go into that area and turn and sit. Cones can also be used to mark a square that the dog sits in, or a small mat the dog sits ON can be used. It all depends on the person's personal method of training and their dog's natural style of learning.

I ALWAYS break it into two sections though. I teach the "running out" separately from the "turn and sit", and then once the dog understands both I combine them. I want straightness and enthusiasm in the actual go out, and sometimes adding the sit too soon can confuse the dog and then they become hesitant to go out quickly.

I attended a John Rogerson seminar (GREAT English behaviorist) and he used a soup ladle to hold a treat. He hung the ladle on a section of ring fencing initially, and then gradually raised the ladle until it was too high for the dog to get a treat (he used some kind of stand that allowed him to raise the ladle up high). Then he faded the ladle and provided the treat either by going to the dog and giving the treat, or having someone else treat the dog when they reached the "spot".

If you ever intend to compete and the competitions you will attend use obedience ring fencing, then it really is best to practice with that at some point. But keep in mind that some obedience venues use posts with surveyor's tape or plastic chains strung between them. A dog who has always had a ring fencing to go to will likely be confused if a different type of fencing is used. Dogs who know that the go out command means "run straight forward until I tell you to turn and sit" will have more success overall.

By the way - the directed jumping was the exercise that was failed the most in utility, at least during the many years I competed. Part of it is because it IS a difficult exercise with many components, part of it is because you have to do BOTH jumps and failure of any main part of either jumping exercise (two go-outs and two jumps) means you fail the entire exercise, and part of it is that in Open A the directed jumping is the LAST exercise and the dogs are often mentally stressed by then. Lots of positive practice on the various components of this exercise will really pay off in the long run.

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

[Andaka]

My Utility dog was a fanatic retriever, so I used that to teach and reinforce the go-out. I taught him to look straight ahead when I said the word "target". that made him think about the retrieve. he would retrieve anything, so I used a plastic lid that I could cut into smaller sizes as we progressed. By the time we were ready to trial, he was retrieving a 1/8 piece of the lid. I learned from Terry Arnold that in practice there are always 3 go-outs, and only two at a trial. My dog would be told to sit before he could retrieve the lid piece on the first 2 go-outs, but allowed to get it on the third. It also helped to keep him motivated.

[Kayos and Havoc]

I like that Daphne! The target retrieve becomes the reward for 2 correct reps. Good idea!