Send away targets

[Karma]

In our obedience class we are just starting to do some work on sendaways.... and lots of people who do it properly have targets they have bought, but I can't remember the name of them to find one on-line...

The old version was an "AllyOop" I think, but they aren't made anymore... does anyone know where I can get one from?? Or at least where I can show OH the basics of something he might have to make (as I believe they are quite expensive!!).

Honey's doing pretty well with her obedience... she's a little too enthusiastic, though, which is making achieving the heelwork position difficult... still, we're getting there, and it is great for her, as it's all about good control... I think it's really helped her confidence over the last few months.

We're training outside now in a much bigger group, and she did great with all the distractions, including a 2 minute sit-stay, and a wait while other dogs were recalled from each side of her!!  But more importantly to me, she didn't bat an eyelid when another dog came up to her dumbbell when we were practising the retrieves... she was only a foot away at the time and there wasn't even a growl... 6 months ago the other dog would have been sent away with a flea in his ear!! 

[cerinrich]

Can't help with the target question but wanted to let you know how impressed I am with you and Honey. Hattie's ok at the basics, although with plenty of teenage moments just now and sometimes it's really frustrating. Posts like yours inspire me to keep going with her training and give us something to aspire to

[Karma]

I think I've found one - it's now called a Tipsee Target...

Not sure I can justify buying one, though, when some offcuts of wood and a ball stuck to the top would do the same job.... 

[Mollycuddles]

If you google -marker cones- you get a few choices... Amazon has a selection you can choose from too

[Mollycuddles]

Dont think I would spend out on that  I've  been using 3 markers set in a triangle seems to work for Molly and George they both picked it up fairly easily.

[wilfsaunty]

Somebody from obedienceuk was making something similar to the alleyoop years ago.  Can't remember her name though or whether she's still making them - how much use am I.    It had a flat, circular base with a hole with a magnet in the bottom.  And the stick bit had 2 balls on either end - 1 was solid plastic with a piece of metal to attract it to the magnet - the other was a soft bally to be used as the target.  I would take a piccy but I'm not sure where I've stored it 

I taught Buster sendaway using a cone and getting him to nosetouch.  Started close to me and then built up the distance.  Then I added 2 front cones - almost level with me to start with and quite far apart and then gradually moved them in and closer to the target cone.  We also worked on fast downs in different places/distances from me.  So that when we had a square sendaway and the aim was to drop the dog in the box he would drop on command in the middle.

Other friends have used target mats (and cut the mats down smaller and smaller to fade the target.)

[Jessie_Pup]

I use a carpet sample square. Ask in any carpet shop they will usually sell you a piece, or sometimes they have offcuts that you can cut to a suitable size.  With a piece of carpet square it is easily portable and I take it with me to practice out on a walk.

[Top Barks]

Carpet tile here too or a small cone

[Karma]

The trainer definately wants us to have something to stick up from the ground, rather than a carpet tile (I think partly cos the field we train in now has quite long grass at times!!  ).

We will, however, be making something from off-cuts of wood we have left rather than forking out £20 on a tipsee target!! 

Thanks all for the suggestions! 

[sportsmonki]

A ping pong ball or rubber bouncing ball works well for the top of the marker.

I have never used one of these for my dogs but I know people who find them very useful    Good Luck with the training.

[Gayle and Bailey]

Hi Sorry, Ive not been online for a while and catching up

This is a site that make wooden ones - slightly more unusual but more costly than the other ideas already suggested.

Gayle

[Gayle and Bailey]

Apologies sent this before I added the link  :005

http://www.woodenwotknots.co.uk/sendaway_markers.htm

Good luvk with your training - sound like you are doing great 

[WarwickshireFlyball]

I used to have wooden book ends as a kid - how about something like that from a charity shop? No idea if that would do but just a thought 

[LurcherGirl]

Football cones? Small Buckets? In obedience competitions, they use all sorts of everyday stuff... just use your imagination! It doesn't have to be purpose built stuff. 

Though Petneeds do lots of obedience stuff, including send away markers: http://www.pet-needs.co.uk/site/catalogue.php?id=5

Vera

[Bryning]

I've always just used small cones that I buy from the early learning centre http://www.elc.co.uk/toy/4-safety-cones/

we quite often use these to target train flyball runbacks as well as obedience sendaways.  You can place a toy or food underneath the cone to offer as a reward in the early stages of training and then gradually fade it out once the dog understands what you want.