Thread: Training the Send Away

I have taught Kaos a send away, pretty much the way Steve Austin explained. In the video clip below I sent Kaos to a food target (food on tupperware lid) 40 paces away. I can now do up to 50. I haven't faded the target though. You can also use a toy as a target.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=l1zKqFsGpEI

Originally Posted by kalexte

Hi all, for my dog training course i have to teach my dog a complex skill.
i;d like to teach him the send away, i have spoken to Steve Austen and he told me how he does it - teach dog to go to marker, gradually increase distance, decrease size of marker ect...
i would like to know how everyone else here does it please.

Thanks heaps in advanced,
Cheers, Jess

I will cut a long story short here, and short cut. I like to train the send away with speed so I use a ball and my dog of course must have the drive.

I use a ball on the string. I do it in 2 parts, the send away itself and the drop on move during the send away.

Drop - I will begin training the dog for a fast drop on a long lead (20m) using the ball as a motivational reward to speed up the drop. When I have the dog dropping on and off lead with speed in different areas and exercises etc. I will then start on the send away.

Sendaway - Keeping the dog in the heel position I will throw the ball and reinforce heel with a command. When the ball has stopped I will give the send away command and let the dog get the ball. Once the dog knows to stay at the heel, I will drop the dog and I will walk and place the ball on the ground or stand at a required distance and return to the dog. I will command heel (remember heel means to my left leg and stay there where ever I go) and then offer the send away command. Once the dog understands this exercise, I will set up the ball before i bring the dog out, then bring the dog out and do the send away exercise. The times and repetitions before the dog becomes proficient will of course vary depending on the dog and the handlers skill.

Once the dog is doing good sendaways at speed, I will then add the drop in motion as practiced in the training of the drop. If the dog drops I then contunue the send for the dog to get the reward. I will not keep doing the drop in motion on the send away training excerises as this will make the dog start anticipating the drop in motion. I am confident that my dog will do it when it counts.

I have had success with this.

This is my dog doing a sendaway at 12 months. Presently she’s doing approximately 100m straight, so in the near future I’ll begin to train the redirection, but that’s a whole new story. In working trials (not SchH) the dog can be sent anywhere up to 300m and redirected, so a quick burst of speed is not necessarily what is wanted. It's easy to teach a dog to have a fast run out. There is no place for it in an exercise where the dog must concentrate and listen to the handler for re-directions.

If you use food to begin training the sendaway make sure you place the food up off the ground otherwise the dog will begin to search for food with its head down which isn’t what you want in a good sendaway. If you have a solid down, then you can down the dog before the dog reaches the target (pole with food on....or a ball) and then when you go to the basic position and sit the dog you can send the dog on for the reward. This helps maintain a down that is facing the target. You must have a perfect down or the dog will actually be rewarded for not downing by being able to carry on and get the reward. This will just make it more difficult for you to down the dog the next time.

I started with a ball hanging from a sendaway pole which I made myself; after she’s become accustomed to receiving (not retrieving) a ball reward for the sendout (she downs very well before she gets the ball), out of every 6 sendouts I didn’t put the ball out twice, therefore she was doing 4 with the ball and 2 without. Once she was doing an acceptable straight sendaway I gradually reduced the number of times I sent her to the ball. Now she does it without the ball and is rewarded (I have the ball) immediately she is in the sit position, however, and it is important, occasionally (maybe twice in 10 or 12 sendaways) I place the ball out on the pole so that she still maintains her drive, but to leave the ball or food there on every exercise would result in the dog searching for their article or food. Most SchH. people put out a toy or article for the dog to retrieve back, which sets up the dog for a problem when they are sent out and suddenly be expected to down - the dogs normally run on or start searching for their article- hence point losses.


http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y24...daway_0001.flv
Peter