<P style="MARGIN: 0px">Board method for sit and stay??? I have heard of it a couple of time, but I need to know how it is done. as of right now, the only problem I am having with the Sprigster is the sit/stay command. he is wanting to rush after the bumper while it is still in the air, and then I end up fighting with him to get him to sit/stay and while doing this I lose sight of where the bumper lands and Sprig loses his mark, and when I do send him he has to hunt it up, which I know is a good thing to a point. Thanks for the help guys I really appreciate. </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0px"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0px">I have gotten to with in 20 yards of Sprig with the gun and he is only wanting to break at the shot. so I think I don't have to worry about him being gun shy. thanks again DD</P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"> I agree with Matt. My 4 month old pup learned the </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0px">"sit before feed" in about a week when I brought her home (8 weeks). I also use a short rope when teaching a dog to be steady. At first I use a rope about six foot long, attach it to collar, step on rope and leave a little slack, hold the knotted end in hand, throw bumper, when dog breaks leave foot on rope and pull up on your end (leverage point), give sit command. As pup progresses the rope gets shorter, until the rope is just long enough with a knot to drag the ground. I have found this to be very effective on my dogs.</P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px">I agree with the sound advice and rationale given by the two fine gentlemen. They are obviously sensitive to the need to TEACH a dog appropriate behavior. In the case of Matt Hougan, whose dogs have remained steady either on the line at hunt tests or while the sky is raining honkers, his lessons are well received.</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0px"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0px">But the question was about the "place board." You have to teach the sit/stay command first! I think that was what the two previous replies were focussing on. The "place board," some people just use an old welcome mat, gives the dog a well defined place from which any unauthorized movement will not be tolerated. If you train alone and have to step away from your dog to throw a mark a place board can be a big help. The board provides a physical barrier that helps the dog show some conscious thought that "i need to stay right here." A dog that creeps, and boy do I have one of those, thinks it is complying with the sit command, even though she is clearly changing her "place." If I put her on a place board, tree stand in flooded timber, dog perch of a duck blind/boat, muskrat lodge in a marsh, whatever, she can hang her toes off the edge, but that's as far as she goes because the physical border reminds her.</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0px"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0px">In both of the water series at the Spring 2005 Grand HRC Hunt the host club provided 2x4 framed plywood platforms for the running line. Both areas would have become a treacherous mucky mess within the first hours of the 5 day event were it not for those platforms. Owners of dogs prone to break were relieved to have a built in "place board" for those two series, one included an honor (on a place board platform) and both included very short "go birds."</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0px"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0px">Did that help? </P>
