Pre-Cavaletti skills
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Puppies
Dogs with no or limited training experience
Sensitive or shy dogs
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Understand where their front feet are
Follow a lure (e.g., cookie, hand)
Be comfortable moving near/around cavaletti poles
Encourage body awareness
Learn to work together as a team
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Some cavaletti-type setup, such as:
A few poles (e.g., shower curtain rods, broom handles, pool noodles cut in half length-wise)
A few hula hoops
A few rolled up towels
A flat and non-slippery floor
Soft, yummy treats
Your dog :)
Optional: A low, flat, stable target, such as:
bath mat
puzzle mat
brick, garden paver
low platform
Signs of fatigue
It is important to recognize signs of fatigue, even with the easiest exercises. Not only can we keep our workout sessions fun for our dogs, but also reduce risk of injury. Signs of fatigue may differ for different dogs, here are some common signs:
Excessive panting or drooling
Knocking over or kicking equipments
Being “sharky” when taking treats
Not willing to engage
Other common stress signals (e.g., scratching, sniffing, head shaking, checking out, barking)
Remember less is more. It is better to end the session sooner than later.
Who is it for?
I like teaching cavaletti using shaping. It works especially well for puppies, but it works well for dogs of all ages too! Shaping helps the dog focus forward, which is what we want in cavaletti training. Dogs tend do really well and make a lot of progress in just one or two sessions!
Goals
Our goal is to teach the dog to walk over the cavaletti poles without hitting or stepping on them. We also want the dog to look straight ahead, not at us.
Ex 1A.1 >> Shaping one cavaletti pole
Ex 1A.2 >> Shaping two cavaletti poles
Who is it for?
Front feet target is a useful skills for all dogs, especially for puppies or dogs with little or no training experience. It is fun and easy skill to teach. Once your dog knows how to put their front feet on one target, they can quickly learn to to it on many other targets too. When they learn front feet target, they also learn to follow treats or toys, which is useful in many different situations.
Goals
The goal of front feet target is to create a positive association of putting front feet onto a target. Very soon, your dog will be “attracted” to the target!
Ex 1B.1 >> Front feet target (puppy)
Ex 1B.2 >> Front feet target
Ex 1B.3 >> Multiple front feet targets
Bonus 1.1 >> Troubleshooting front feet target
Who is it for?
Dogs of all ages can walk across cavaletti poles. It is especially helpful for older dogs who have no prior training experience, like shelter or rescue dogs. Dogs who like to do things at top speed will also learn to slow down and pay attention by walking across cavaletti poles.
Goals
Our goal is to encourage the dog to walk across the cavaletti pole without hitting or stepping on them. We also want the dog to focus on the poles, not us. It is important to remember that this is a body awareness exercise that will help the dog learn how to use lift their legs to go over each pole. We want them to walk across the poles with control.
Helpful tips
To get the dog to keep their head looking forward instead of us, I usually drop the treat on the ground. We can also use a target stick or a lure (e.g., smear cheese or peanut butter on a wooden spoon)
If the dog rushes through the poles, here are some things to try:
Put multiple treats in between the poles
Use less yummy treats, like kibbles, carrots, or celery bits
Give the treat slowly. If you rush to drop the treat, the dog will rush to get it too.
If you can, use poles with a contrasting color against the ground or poles with stripes. This will help the dog see better.
Ex 1C.1 >> Pick up sticks
Ex 1C.2a >> Walk across poles on ground (session 1)
Ex 1C.2b >> Walk across poles on ground (session 3)
Ex 1C.3 >> Walk across long poles
Ex 1C.4 >> Walk through hula hoops
Bonus 1.2 >> Focusing on hula hoops
Bonus 1.3 >> Slowing down
More on cavaletti
