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Stilt Training
It makes experts out of novices in no time and puts the fun back into training and showing dogs.
“‘That’s a good idea, but you’ll never get MY dog to do that!’
I hear that wherever I set up my booth and demonstrate Happy Legs™ from Paw Prints in Kennesaw, GA. My response is always the same, ‘Are you having trouble getting your beautiful dog to stand for the judging?’ They will then proceed to tell me how their dog won’t hold still on the table or how they move when the judge goes over them or perhaps how mighty special their dog is if they could just get them to hold a good show pose. That’s when I say, ‘It's not their fault, it’s the way we train. Bring them over, and we’ll have them standing in that perfect pose in less than one minute.’ Even as I put their dog up on a set of Happy Legs™, the still skeptical owners say ‘no way’ or ‘not this dog.’ However, one minute later, that changes to ‘I can't believe he’s doing it’ or ‘that’s amazing.’ I now explain to them what has made their dog different in just one minute - stilt training.
“Stilt training teaches the dog the game we want to play in the ring, which is ‘hold your feet still,’ by isolating each foot and making a consequence to moving them. When you teach on a flat surface, there is no consequence to moving a foot, so the dog can only be taught ‘stand up.’ But, we don’t want to play the ‘stand up’ game. We want to play the ‘hold your feet still’ game. By raising the dog up 4" and putting each foot on a separate stilt, you now take away any other choice for the dog as to where they can put a foot. If they move, the consequence is a stumble that pulls the whole body out of position. Now, the dog can understand your ‘game’ is to stand on these platforms and not move. The dog thinks it’s just a fun game, easy to win at; but what is actually happening is ‘muscle memory.’ The dog memorizes what the position feels like and will repeat the feeling on the ground. Remember, dogs love to play games, and once you’ve explained to them what you want to do, they want to please. On the stilts, the dog immediately learns the pose and quickly relaxes, allowing you to work on free baiting tail and ears and go over them without moving. Your dog will assimilate what they learns on the stilts, applying it to the ground in minutes. The result is the confident ‘free bait’ that we all want. They finally understand what you have been trying to teach them all this time. Best of all, stilt training teaches them the correct pose without the negativity that upsets you and the dog. If they stumbles off the stilts, it is their ‘fault’ and not yours because you’ve given them a stilt big enough to fit their foot and strong enough not to tip over. So now, you become the good guy and simply tell them ‘It’s okay, I’ll help you.’ and put them back on and tell them what a good dog they are. This not only teaches them the correct pose but also teaches them the correct, positive attitude - ears up and tail wagging.
“The premise is that a dog can comprehend what a sit or a down-stay means because there are few choices to be confused with in either of these positions. If a dog is in a sit or down, they have to make a dramatic choice when changing that position. Thus, the dog understands a correction they may receive from the trainer and quickly learns what is asked. The same holds true for stilt training. It gives the dog no choice but the one you’ve given them, and to move dramatically changes their position.
“I’ve been on the show circuit for over 30 years. I have bred over 30 champions and finished over 50 titles, so I know how important it is that your dog hits that perfect pose every time and look naturally regal doing it. Since we only have three minutes to impress the judge, we all know it’s the dog that ‘asks’ for the win that catches the judge’s eye.
“Happy Legs™ is a handcrafted southern poplar box that acts as a convenient carrying case for four easily adjustable stilts. Boxes are constructed in four sizes and stilts in five sizes to meet the needs of any size of dog, from a Chihuahua to Irish Wolfhound. Because it is portable, Happy Legs™ can be used on a grooming table or on the ground and go where you and your dog go. It can help your dog no matter what their age or experience is. On Happy Legs™, we have successfully trained dogs, from the young pup at their first show to the old pro that just needs a gentle reminder. Old or young, dogs will learn it, love it, and leave you amazed. Many top handlers already use Happy Legs™ to give their dogs that winning edge, and I'm proud to say, some of the top winning dogs in the country are Happy Legs™ dogs.”
Instructions
Step One: Placing Dog on Stilts
Place the box on a grooming table or any flat surface. Open it and position each stilt in the approximate width and length to accommodate your dog. Bring the dog parallel to the box with the box on the dog’s left side. Holding the dog’s head with your right hand, use your left hand, and leaning over the dog, pick them up under the chest and dangle their front over the stilts that you set in front of the box. Adjust the stilts if necessary at any time by repeating any step. While still holding the head with your right hand, use your left hand to pick up the rear all at once and dangle both feet over the stilts at the opposite end of the box.
Maintain a secure hold on the dog’s head with the collar or, if on a table, work them in a grooming noose. This will keep your dog from simply walking off the stilts. If the dog stumbles off the stilts the first time you put them up, just praise and encourage them and quickly put them right back up. This will actually help them learn that there is a drop-off. With practice, it won’t take long before the dog is so comfortable on the stilts that they will stay on them without any assistance. However, you should NEVER leave your dog unattended while on the stilts.
Your approach to this teaching exercise is to convey to the dog that it is just a simple game and that they win as soon as their feet are on the stilts. The dog thinks it’s a fun game but what is actually happening is “muscle memory.”
Now that you've taken away all choices to the game, the dog can memorize a body position.
Don’t let the dog lean on you or feel you holding them on the stilts. Don’t help them stay up; they are responsible for their own feet. However, if they are only picking ONE foot up and searching, always help the one foot by putting the foot back on a stilt and praising the dog again. If the dog stumbles off, repeat instructions.
In one minute, you will be able to drop the leash and stand out in front of the dog. With a few lessons, you’ll be able to put the dog up on the stilts with no leash or collar and practice free baiting, walking around the dog, all the while reinforcing the desired pose for the show, obedience, or field.
REMEMBER: They are doing what you are asking, i.e., holding their feet still after you put them up on the stilts, so give them lots of praise immediately. A lot of people tend to wait, expecting their dogs to jump off or simply not believing their dogs are standing there in a perfect pose. Be aware and praise the dog as soon as all four feet are on the stilts.
Use the same training word at home that you’ll use in a competition, such as “stand,” “stay,” or “pose,” etc.
Any dog over one year of age can easily stay up on the stilts for two minutes the first time you put them up. Time yourself. You’ll be surprised how long two minutes can be and how much the dog will learn in a short amount of time.
During the few minutes the dog is up on the stilts, you can bait them, brush them, have someone go over them, or check their bite, always praising them and giving them a verbal cue word to their action, i.e. “good, stand, stay.” Whether you have a big dog or little dog, your objective is to eventually have the box on the ground with the dog up on the stilts in a loose lead looking up at you. For the show dog, it teaches the “free bait”; for the obedience dog, it teaches the “stand for examination”; and for the field dog, it teaches the “whoa.” The dog gets off the stilts and will play your game because that’s what dogs love to do, play games.
Step Two: Removing Dog From Stilts
When removing the dog from the stilts, use the same position with your arms as when you put them up. Lift the front legs off and the rear legs will follow on their own. Immediately after the dog is off the stilts, stack them in a similar position as when they were on the stilts. Give the same verbal command with praise and let them hold the pose for 5 to 10 seconds. Release them and reinforce with praise. If they won’t hold the pose for a few seconds, put them back on the stilts for another minute and repeat step one.
Start puppies when they are young, 4 to 5 weeks of age. While fully cradling a young puppy, hold them over the stilts and let them feel the position. Never releasing your complete support from the puppy, hold them on the stilts for 2 to 5 seconds. Repeat this every week until the puppy can better understand the concept. Usually by 8 weeks of age, the puppy is up on the stilts for 30 to 40 seconds, plenty long enough to learn the game.
REMEMBER: A puppy does not have strength in their stifle muscle to be able to lean out over their stifle joint, so don’t stretch a young dog out too far from the front feet to the back feet.
HAPPY LEGS’ patent number is 5,983,835 and is stamped on every box!
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