Yes, works well with dogs that are clicker savvy as it depends on a bit of independent thinking

ps: you could just do a little cough or something to get attention if the name it too much.

I have enjoyed this thread, its nice to hear how agility people do things, love the gee and haw,,, but in the area I live in they would constantly be running off to what ever direction HAW is,,, all the kids and some of the adults shout HAW,,,,,,,come hear or what ever,.,,,its the valley universal name tag,,, or it could be they are all relatives,,,very small gene pool down this way

I remember being at a training seminar held by a top musher, his way of teaching left and right (gee and Haw) is to have the dog on a lead attached to something, stand in front of the dog with a treat, and give the command right(gee) and then step to the right (at this time you are in fact facing the dog so even though you say right YOU are actually stepping to your left, keep doing this with left and right, stating the direction and then stepping in that direstion so that the dog follows you, till eventually you say right(gee) and the dog moves in that direction BEFORE you step in that direction, this means the dog KNOWS what that command means, once you have then understanding the instruction, you then get behind the dog with it on lead and start giving the directions again (but this time you are behind) and you will find that the dog automatically turns in the direction you have given, obviously all this is done with praise and treats, may be a bit longwinded, but apparently it really gets it into the dogs head.

Mo

Im gona have a go at gee and haw with the rottys, I am gona have a go with them in a rig at some point, Not to compeate or do long distance stuff, more just as another way of keeping them fit,,,{without me having to tread the miles,} also just to give them something a bit diffrent to keep there minds amused, hopefuly they will like it,
I got a telling off from Kayley at training two weeks ago,, when I had been talking to her sis, {whos dad makes rigs} I had said "oh can you imagine the faces on people when they hear me saying MUSH,,, and not a load of mals/sibes or whatever but a couple of rottys coming towards them
Kayley quickly gave me a clance of disgust and said, " ITS NOT MUSH,,,ITS HIKE ON SILLY"

I walked away shamed by a ten year old once again

Yeah the amount of people who say Mush to my dogs when they are on leads and expect them to take off is hilarious.. My dogs look at them as if to say "what?"

lol Lou, I get the same blank look from all of my dogs if you say mush,,,,come to think of it I get that look when I say hike on too.... now then if someone started counting down from ten and THEN said hike on then thats a totally different response they are off like a shot lol.

Mo

Some excellent training tips all I'll add is just make sure you have lots of fun training


Nooo Shona you want a SCOOTER so much more exciting

Haw u tak fur youself

Does it make a lot of difference which arm you use to direct them in left and right? Only, I can't seem to get my head around right arm for left and left arm for right. !

I might be wrong here, but I think only pod mentioned going left and point with right hand? I dont know if this is a mistake or not? when I posted on how the musher trained dogs, he would STEP aside not use his hands.

Mo

Just use the right hand when you're standing facing the dog (so it's the dog's left) when you're doing the initial training. When the dog has learned, you use whichever arm is most convenient. It doesn't matter to the dog which arm you use, so long as the direction is correct. ie if the dog was beside you and you wanted a left.... use left arm.