Box Turns

Training the Box Turn with the Adjustable Wedge

**Keep your training sessions short and fun, no more than 5 minutes at a time.  Don't use negatives, focus on what you want your dog to do and ignore any other behaviors.  Quit before your dog loses interest, leave your dog wanting more.

STEP ONE:  GETTING THE BEHAVIOR

Wedge is completely flat

For dogs that turn to the left

Start with the dog on your right holding her collar or harness and a ball (or tug) in your left hand

You should be very close to the wedge, within a few feet, and at about a 45 degree angle to the bottom of the wedge.

Use a small amount of pressure on the dog's collar or harness back towards you, and when you release the dog to the wedge you should never be pushing the dog towards the wedge, but always holding the dog back until you release.  The dog should accelerate on their own momentum.

Release the dog and using your body, lure the dog in an arc onto the training wedge

Click (or use a consistent verbal marker) as soon as the dog's REAR feet touch the board

Immediately turn INTO the dog throwing the ball in your left hand to the RIGHT as a reward

Repeat until the dog is anticipating the exercise

For dogs that turn to the right

Start with the dog on your left holding her collar or harness and a ball or tug in your right hand

You should be very close to the wedge, within a few feet, and at about a 45 degree angle to the bottom of the wedge.

Use a small amount of pressure on the dog's collar or harness back towards you, and when you release the dog to the wedge you should never be pushing the dog towards the wedge, but always holding the dog back until you release.  The dog should accelerate on their own momentum.

Release the dog and using your body, lure the dog in an arc onto the training wedge

Click (or use a consistent verbal marker) as soon as the dog's REAR feet touch the board

Immediately turn INTO the dog throwing the ball in your right hand to the LEFT as a reward

Repeat until the dog is anticipating the exercise

STEP TWO:  FADE THE LURES

Wedge is completely flat

Start fading out your body language.  As you release the dog provide progressively less body language to support the turn.  Try to use smaller steps, move less into the dog, focus on how small of a movement you need to make for the dog to understand you want them to go onto the wedge.

At this point, if the dog is anticipating the exercise, they should be focused forward on the wedge.  Don't release the dog until they are focused away from you and looking at the wedge.

Continue to fade your body language until your dog is actively searching out the wedge independent of you, always clicking and rewarding with the thrown ball when the dog's REAR feet are on the box.

If your dog is having problems turning in the correct direction once you fade your body language, try using just your shoulders while you stand in place.  

For a LEFT turning dog you will release the dog and point your shoulders to the LEFT until the dog has got on the box and has turned all way to the left back towards you.  Still click right when the rear feet hit the wedge, but continue to rotate your shoulders until the dog has completed the turn (like you were going to throw the ball to your left), then as the dog completes the turn, throw the ball to the right and rotate your shoulders facing the right.

For a RIGHT turning dog you will release the dog and point your shoulders to the RIGHT until the dog has got on the box and has turned all way to the right back towards you.  Still click right when the rear feet hit the wedge, but continue to rotate your shoulders until the dog has completed the turn (like you were going to throw the ball to your right), then as the dog completes the turn, throw the ball to the left and rotate your shoulders facing the left.

STEP THREE:  DISTANCE

Wedge is completely flat

Gradually start adding distance, first take just one step back from the wedge.  

Remember to provide a backwards resistance on your dog's collar or harness and not to release the dog until they are focused on the wedge.  You should provide minimal body cues or luring, wait for the dog to actively seek out the wedge to get his reward.  Support the dog's path with your shoulders, click or verbally mark the dog as soon as his rear feet hit the wedge and immediately reward with the ball thrown in the opposite direction of the turn, turning into the dog for a tight turn.

Assuming the dog is successful with all the above criteria, continue adding distance one step at a time.  If the dog is having problems and is less than 80% successful, go back closer to the wedge.

Continue this exercise until you can send the dog for at least 10 feet to the wedge while you remain still, supporting only with your shoulders if necessary.

STEP FOUR:  ANGLES

Wedge is completely flat

Once your dog is comfortable with distance, start working at different angles.  Once again, start close to the wedge, about 5 feet away.

Using all of the same criteria, start moving closer to being straight in front of the wedge as you release, instead of at an angle. However, move into this position slowly, one step at a time, only progressing when the dog is successful.

Once you can get the behavior straight on to the wedge, continue to work even farther in the opposite direction.  If your dog turns to the left, you're going to start releasing him slightly to the left of the wedge, still expecting the same criteria.  If your dog turns to the right, you will want to start working towards releasing him to the left of the wedge.

Continue this exercise until your dog can turn on the flat box when released from all angles in front of the wedge, independent of your body language.

STEP FIVE:  NAMING THE BEHAVIOR

Wedge is completely flat

Finally, put all the pieces together and start proofing the behavior releasing your dog from all different angles at varying distances.  The dog should be focused on the wedge, enthusiastic to be released, and know exactly what behavior will get him the thrown ball.

When you have the above, it's time to name the behavior.  Use a word or phrase that's easy to remember and not too harsh sounding.  Examples are `hit it' or `bounce'.  

Introduce the cue by saying it AS the dog does the behavior, not before.  Repeat 10 times.

Then start to say the cue right before the behavior, assuming you are 99% sure the dog will do the action correctly.  Repeat 10 times

Last, start using the cue as you release the dog.

STEP SIX:  RAISING THE WEDGE

Wedge is raised with the shortest supports

Starting with the dog right next to the wedge, set the dog up as above and cue the behavior.  As before, when the dog's rear feet hit the wedge, click and reward with the thrown ball in the opposite direction of the dog's turn, turning into the dog.  If the dog does not recognize the incline, introduce body language into the behavior again to shape the turn.  However, as soon as possible fade out any body language lures as quickly as you can.

Repeat all the proofing exercise as with the flat wedge, including distance and all angles.  Your criteria should remain the same, the dog must be focused forward on the wedge and you should be holding back slightly on the dog's collar or harness (remember to release without `pushing' the dog, the dog should be actively seeking the wedge on his own) until you release with your cue word.

When your dog is at least 80% successful with the slightly raised wedge with both distance and angle, increase the angle of the wedge.

STEP SEVEN:  THE STEEP WEDGE

Wedge is raised from the second to the fourth supports

Every time you increase the angle of the wedge, start again from up close, working your way back and then to different angles around the front of the wedge.

As the angle of the wedge is increased, the more likely the behavior will fall apart.  It's important that you keep your criteria for reward crystal clear.  This means if the back feet don't get on the board, you don't click, no reward.  Simply restart the exercise, don't use negatives.  However, you don't want to frustrate your dog by making the behavior too hard that he quits.  A good rule of thumb is if you've tried twice and the dog still has not succeeded, go back to an easier exercise.

What you want to see is a dog that is focused forward, releases enthusiastically and runs to the wedge, jumps on the wedge with all four feet, bounces off and turns tightly to a thrown ball with no physical lures or props from at least 15 feet of distance and at all angles.  **If your dog turns to the left, don't forget to work on releasing your dog from your right side as well as your left.**

STEP EIGHT:  ADDING THE JUMP

Wedge is at the highest height

Only once your dog thoroughly understands what behavior you want on the wedge and is independently finding and turning tightly on the wedge should you introduce a jump.

Practice with the jump independent of the wedge sending your dog over the jump to a thrown ball.  Your dog should be able to find the jump from all angles of a clock face before you introduce the jump with the wedge.  Your dog should know that `over' means `find the jump'.

Place the jump approximately 10 feet in front of the wedge.  Have the dog on your left (whether your dog turns left or right), about five feet in front of the wedge.

Release the dog to the wedge with your cue word, step to the side and turn into your dog so that you are now facing away from the dog towards the jump and out of the dog's path.  As your dog completes his turn on the wedge, click and throw the ball out over the jump.  If your dog goes around the jump, simply wait to throw the ball until the dog is committed to the jump.

Repeat this exercise, until the dog is anticipating the exercise.  Then still mark the turn on the wedge with a `good', but wait to click until the dog is over the jump, and throw the ball after the click.  So the dog needs to take the jump before you show him the reward.

Once your dog is comfortable with this exercise, and assuming his box turn remains solid, now release the dog from behind the jump to the wedge.  Same thing, have the dog on your left, release to the wedge, step to the left, turn into the dog and indicate the jump, clicking as the dog goes over and throwing the ball.

Once the dog is at successful and comfortable with the exercise at this point, move the jump 15 feet away from the wedge, and then start releasing the dog farther and farther away from the jump.

Continue until the dog can be released 30 feet from the jump and the dog will drive straight to the wedge, turn tightly and return over the jump to a thrown ball.

STEP NINE:  TRANSITIONING TO THE REAL BOX

Wedge at the highest height

Ideally during the training process at the lower heights you will have had a chance to work on the wedge while someone triggers a real flyball box nearby.  If not, now is the time to get the dog used to the sound of the box triggering.

At practice, have someone set up the real box about 20 feet behind the training wedge.  When the dog hits the practice wedge an assistant should trigger the box sound.  This should be done consistently as the box is moved gradually closer to the wedge.  Before trying to transfer the behavior to the real box the dog should be able to hit the training wedge while someone triggers the real box directly behind the training wedge without any sensitivity.

Finally, replace the wedge with the real box, treating it just as you would the wedge releasing the dog from about 10 feet away, clicking when the dog's back feet hit the box, throwing the ball in the opposite direction.

If the dog spooks on the real box, you need to start just like you would at the beginning of the box turn process.  Get up close to the dog and shape the turn with your body, verbally praising and rewarding with the thrown ball.  Ignore unsuccessful tries, and phase out any physical luring as soon as possible.  Gradually increase the difficulty, just like you did for the wedge, which distance and angles, and eventually at a jump as well.

STEP 10:  ADDING THE BALL

Wedge at half height to full height

Before introducing the ball on the box or wedge, the dog must have a rock solid turn on the real box and lots of experience playing fetch with two tennis balls.  Your turn is not likely to improve once the ball is introduced, so make sure your turn is exactly how you want it before introducing the ball.

Two Ball Fetch:  Ideally while you were training your box turn on the wedge, you were also working on getting the dog to understand that balls come in pairs: the one the dog has, and the MORE EXCITING ball that you have.  Do this by playing lots of fetch with two (three, four or more!) balls.  Throw the ball and just before your dog gets the first ball, call his name and run in the other direction, he'll turn just as he gets the first ball and look at you, then you throw that ball in the opposite direction.  Most likely your dog will drop the first ball to run after the second, you then go get THAT ball (or have more balls in reserve) and tease your dog with this `new' ball once they've gotten the second ball.  The key here is that the ball you have is always more exciting and that when they get the `first' ball the game doesn't end.  You must do this consistently, dogs that only play fetch with one ball really think there is only one ball `in play', and once we introduce the ball on the box this is an issue.  The dog MUST find the ball you have more exciting than the one he has, and it's up to you to make it seem more valuable and fun.  

Also work on getting the dog to bring his current ball close to you before dropping it for the second ball.  You can start working on this once the dog is enjoying the two ball game.  Simply withhold throwing the second ball until he's brought the first one back a certain distance.  Start off not requiring much of a carry, and increase your criteria until the dog must bring the first ball almost back to you before throwing the second.

Put the training wedge at half height and practice a few box turns without a ball close to the wedge.  Then attach a ball and give your dog his box turn cue as you release.   Click and reward for the box turn only, don't be concerned about whether the dog gets the ball on the wedge or not.  Ideally, the dog will turn on the wedge, grab the ball then accelerate to his thrown ball reward.  If the dog is attempting to `steal' the ball or not turning on the wedge, put the wedge down lower and try again with the ball, once again rewarding for the back feet on the box with the thrown ball.  If the dog is still not successful, get up there with him and shape the turn with your body.  Keep in mind you want to fade the use of any physical assistance as soon as possible.

Possible Scenarios:

First:  The dog does a perfect box turn, grabs and holds the ball, you click for the back feet and throw the ball.  Perfect!  Increase distance and angles, and if the dog continues successful, increase the height of the wedge gradually to full height.  Finally, add a jump and require the dog to hold the ball over the jump on the return to get his reward of a thrown ball.

Second:  The dog does a perfect box turn, but ignores the ball on the wedge.  Still reward the box turn at first, then the next time encourage the dog to get the ball on the wedge before releasing with the turn cue.  If the dog shows any interest in the ball on the box, reward with the thrown ball.  Then increase your criteria that he must grab and hold the ball from the box to get the thrown ball.  Continue as in the first scenario.

Third: The dog tries to turn on the wedge and grab the ball, but has a hard time doing both.  Keep working on it!  Reward for effort, he'll catch on with time.

Fourth:  The dog goes up and `steals' the ball from the box, or `splats' on the box with no turn to get the ball.  Immediately go get the dog, be totally neutral and say `try again', bring him back and ask for a box turn with NO BALL.  Do this three times, reward and praise heavily.  Then try again with the ball.  If the dog is still not successful, lower the wedge height.  If that doesn't help, you'll need to physically shape the turn temporarily.  Remember to fade out your physical cues as soon as you can.

If the dog continues to not do the box turn because of the ball on the wedge, you need to do some remedial work.  Away from the flyball equipment, train your dog to go fetch a `dead ball' and reward with an exciting `live ball' from you.

To introduce the ball in the real box, once again move right up next to the box, as in all the previous exercises.  Practice a few box turns without the ball, marking and rewarding for the back feet with a thrown ball.  Then load the box, set the dog up and release the dog with their box turn cue.  

If the dog is not successful, such as scenario `four' above, go back and work more with the wedge and dead ball games.  If the dog is trying but having a hard time trying to catch the ball, just continue to work with him on the real box, rewarding for effort and making sure that most of all you keep your box turn criteria crystal clear.

If the dog is successful, add distance, angles and a jump.

Your dog is ready for a full flyball run once he can be released 30 feet from the jump, independently and enthusiastically go over the jump, turn on the box, grab the ball, and return over the jump with the first ball in his mouth to a thrown ball.