Things to do with a Placeboard

[Selina27]

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I only used a placeboard last summer when we did the graded gundog training, since then it's been in my shed. The only exercise I do is "round the clock" -- clicking and throwing treat for returning to the board in front of me. She LOVES doing this, so I think she has quite positive associations with it already, so I'd really like to do more. I found something on line that I could subscribe to (Jane Arden) but the monthly subscripstion is, erm, rather a lot of money. (Does any one have any experience of this?)

I'm working on building up activities that we do close to home, to help in the armoury against hares!

 

[Joy]

A couple of thoughts:
Almost the same as the 'round the clock' but with Cassie in heel position on the board instead - so you throw the treat and she returns to heel position (this is a Fenzi TEAM exercise).
Send away to the placeboard from different directions.
Build short sequences such as start on the placeboard but with you somewhere else, send around a cone and then either back to the placeboard or to you. Or start in heel position, send around cone and then to placeboard (with you remaining stationary).
Oh and change positions on the board (with you at an increasing distance) - so sit, down, stand.

 

[Natalie]

I'm just starting to use a placeboard with Bear to start sit stays. Does it have to be raised? I'm using one of those foam jigsaw pieces, it's only a quarter of an inch thick, but a different texture to anything else in the house or garden.

 

[snowbunny]

Raised is always easier for the dog just because it's a more obvious thing to make sure they're not lolling off the edge, and to line up on properly. One of my (many) platforms is made of the foam jigsaw pieces. I have two 30cm squares linked together, and several lots of this on top of one another (to make it about 5cm high) then taped together around the edge.

@Selina27 are you interested in only gundog skills, or anything?

 

[FayRose]

Sorry, an ignoramus here - what is a placeboard?

 

[Joy]

@FayRose (not an ignoramus at all! ) A placeboard is just a piece of board, plastic, fabric etc that the dog sits, stands or lies down on - it's just big enough for the dog to take the position you want. In obedience-type work it's used to train the dog to be straight and to come to the right position or to start send-aways. I don't know how they are used in gundog work.
Here's a video from Fenzi Team:

1-2 Find Heel Position | TEAM Titles Obedience

fenziteamtitles.com

 

[HAH]

I’m watching this intently for ideas at the basic end of the scale (also need to make a raised placeboard) thanks for the question @Selina27

 

[Atemas]

I use the place board from time to time as a bit of variety When playing games. I do the clock game @Selina27 told me about. I also get Red to run from the place board, up the garden and round a cone and back to the place board. I also strive for a heel position but Red is so pleased to be back on the board staring up at me, her sit is not perfectly positioned. Not looking for perfection though - just fun

 

[Selina27]

@Selina27 are you interested in only gundog skills, or anything?

Anything really

@Joy, thank you, I've never done send away round a cone, I guess I'd need to teach thhat first?

I will try sit and lie down, that sounds good. Stand would be a mystery to us both!!

Not looking for perfection though - just fun

Me too -- anything that doesn't involve hares -- I used to love them but they have become the stuff off nightmares

 

[Joy]

I bet she would learn send around a cone (or bucket or chair etc) very quickly. There are many other things that took me ages to work on with Molly but she grasped going around an object at once - I just did it by luring a couple of times.

 

[Joy]

@Selina27 If you're just looking for interesting activities rather than specifically placeboard work, have you thought about trying hoopers? If you've not come across it, it's similar to agility (high speed directional activity) but no jumps, A frame etc, just large fixed hoops and barrels for the dog to go through and around in the right order. I've never done it but often see someone practising at the place I hire for Rally.
There's a nice introduction here, with a Labrador, though the Collies I see doing it go about 4 times faster!

 

[Selina27]

That looks great @Joy, cones and hoops here I come!! Thank you

(Pee Ess, I wish I lived nearer you!!)

 

[Joy]

One day we'll have to meet!

 

[Atemas]

Love the video @Joy. The way she uses the ball too has given me a few ideas. Also reminded me to get the cones out whilst it’s summer.

Sorry about the hares @Selina27 - is it just this time of year?

 

[Selina27]

One day we'll have to meet!

Yes, we will !!

 

[Selina27]

Alison @Atemas, we have always had a healthy population of hares here, but it was possible to work out where they mostly lay up and avoI'd them but this year they are everywhere. As one of my neighbours put it " leverets pinging about everywhere" -- he has a Cocker spaniel!!
They have very little to disturb them, the woodland is managed "for the owners enjoyment" therefore wildlife flourishes , and the surrounding land is not farmed intensively as the farmer is ageing now. Hare paradise.
But theven wood is about to felled due to ash dieback, so things will alter then.

 

[FayRose]

Thank you @Joy it is not something I've come across before.

Molly does get in the heel position, taught a very different way and her cue is 'close'. It's fascinating seeing all the different training methods. I think I'll try a placeboard too, looks very useful.

 

[edzbird]

The hoops look such fun.

 

[Selina27]

There's a nice introduction here

When you start out do you lure the dog aroundthe object to start with? Or is she in that video sort of pushing the dog's head in the right direction? I've just been trying with Cassie but I don't think I was doing it right!

 

[Atemas]

I lure initially