Hi all

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to teach a dog left and right in terms of 'Go left' and 'Go right'? It mostly for agility purposes but Ossie picks things up very fast so I am deperately trying to think of some more involved things to teach him!

Thanks
Jayne

Don't Know that much about agility work but the way i teach Spaniels/Labs hand signals is relatively easy (depending on the dog). First I steady the dog to the throwing of the ball/dummy so he/she does not run in but will only retrieve on command.Once this has been achieved I will make them sit infront of me and throw a dummy to my left (his/her right) and give the command to fetch while giving a hand signal in the direction of the dummy repeat this to the right.Also you could throw one over their head and on command (usually "OUT") raise your arm in the air and push it forward in the direction of the fallen dummy.By doing this training you will quickly teach your dog left/right and out. This is a pleasure to see when there is a lost bird down and dogs are working at a distance on hand signals.If you wanted you could leave out the ball/dummy and replace with a treat so he/she has to hunt for it

Hiya
I teach left and rights with a toy, get them to follow the toy round to their left saying left and to their right saying right. They pick it up really easily, and it's handy on walks when walking all three of them it's a handful, I can tell them to go left.
Gina

Take three poles, cones or markers of some description and place them evenly apart.
Take Ossie to the middle pole and put him in the sit or the down at the middle pole. Then take a toy like a ball on a rope and (still with him remaining at the middle pole) run out and place the toy at either of the other markers. Ossie will have seen you take the ball out and will know where to go. Come back and stand in front of him and send him to the pole with the command 'go right' or 'go left' whichever you put the toy on. Use a hand signal as well as a voice command if you wish. Alternate markers so you are sending him to either. Give him loads of praise and a big fuss when he runs out to the toy and play with him.
Then take an identical toy so you have two and place them both out on the right and left pole or marker with Ossie at the middle point. Stand in front of him and send him to one or the other. Be quick to correct him if he moves off in the wrong direction to your command. He may try to shoot off to the last pole he saw you put the ball at although there is a toy at each. It's fun and they get the hang of it very quickly :). I can redirect my dog left or right from a very long distance.
Lara x