Why skateboarding? Learning any new trick is fun for both you and your dog and strengthens the bond between the two of you. Plus, skateboarding teaches balance and confidence, and who’s dog couldn’t use more of that?
Skateboarding is also a great training example of breaking down behaviors and then stringing them together. Think of breaking down like all the ingredients in a recipe. Then chaining is like putting ingredients together sequentially to produce a complete result that is not repeatable but also something your dog chooses to repeat freely because they are happy to do so.
Step 1: Get comfortable
First, let the dog explore freely and see how they feel around the skateboard as an object in their environment. The fastest way for dogs to form associations with anything or learn anything is slowly. Start with a skateboard in an area with your dog. The skateboard doesn’t need to move, and you don’t need to spin the wheels. Just allow your dog to gather information about this new device and freely approach it – sniff it, walk around it and check it out.
Step 2: Don’t let the skateboard move
A key factor for success is making sure the skateboard doesn’t move in the first place. Tighten the wheels so they don’t move freely and also tighten the trucks so the skis don’t move from side to side. You can also buy skate trainers to attach to each wheel to prevent movement ($25.95. SkaterTrainer 2.0; amazon.com).
We only introduce movement when the dog has mastered walking up on the skateboard and is comfortably on the skateboard. This process can take days or it can take hours. It depends on the individual dog and how comfortable he is in learning this novel skill.
In the decades of helping people and dogs learn to skate, not a single one of them has begun to learn the move. Each individual eventually learned to stand on the board when it wasn’t moving first and to feel comfortable taking this all-important first step before moving on to the next.
Step 3: Get Started
Next, encourage your dog to get up on the skateboard. If your dog has had background training before, that will make the learning process simpler for him, as this will be a generalization of a behavior that was reinforced earlier in the game. a similar situation. The idea is to get your dog used to the muscle memory needed to step on something.
Help your dog achieve success. If you have carpet, start in this environment so the board is even less likely to move.
If you don’t have carpet and you have grass, you can also do it outside. Do not start on the sidewalk, as that happens later after your dog has confidently gotten on the skateboard and is on it.
The body mechanics of this start with you in front of the board and your dog at the back of the board. Hold something your dog likes in your hand to lure him onto the board from behind when you’re in front of him. Slowly guide your puppy towards the skateboard until they step onto the skateboard. When she steps on the board, mark and fortify her for being on it.
To reach any object with my dogs, I use the tagline “Upload”. This is a verbal signal to ask them to step up and walk up to whatever is in front of them. This is also how I ask my dogs to load up on my car, or the stump, the bench, or whatever in our environment we want to stand on. If you use a click tool, you can also click for her suggestions.
Stay at this stage for as long as your dog can feel comfortable standing on the skateboard for long periods of time comfortably, with the confidence it comes from. For some dogs, this can be a short period of time as they do the activity more naturally than another dog might do. If we put pressure on them to stay on the skateboard when we move too fast, the dog may never be comfortable on the skateboard which is why we squeeze the wheels and Tighten the truck.
Step 4: Prepare for movement
Once your dog is comfortable standing on the skateboard, move on to motion. At this stage, loosen the wheels slightly to slow them down. It’s still a good idea to keep a tight grip on the truck for part of this learning phase. This is also the time to transition from a stable carpeted environment to a deck or backyard.
Step 5: Move forward
You want to do your best to manage the motion of the skateboard. A good way is to attach a lanyard or rope to the truck in front. Slowly pull the dog (standing on the skateboard) and the skateboard towards you while reinforcing it so that they stay on the skateboard as they move forward.
This is an important stage: Have fun here and give your dog a lot of strength to stay on the board while he’s on the move.
This requires you to move the board forward a bunch with the dog standing on the skateboard so you can build this behavior.
Step 6: Move from side to side
At this stage, give your dog some time to get used to balancing on this now less stable platform. With your hand or foot on the board while the dog is on it, slowly rock the board from side to side, introducing this new aspect of movement to your dog and helping them expand their balance skills.
Humans flip skateboards by balancing on their heels or with their toes. Dogs move the skateboard from side to side by adjusting their weight to the right or leaning to the left. Again, allow plenty of time here for your dog to feel comfortable during this step.
Step 7: Self-propelled
Next, instruct and encourage your dog to move the board on his own with his hind legs. With the front feet on the board and the hind legs on the ground, move the board forward and help create an “aha” moment for your dog to realize they can now move the board on their own.
Lure her forward with something that motivates her, such as a piece of her favorite food or a favorite toy. You want to be far enough away to motivate her to use the skateboard by pushing it towards you, but not far enough where she decides to run to you for boosters without the skateboard. Adjust and flex the distance with the dog during this period, slowly increasing the distance as they develop the skill to move the board freely.
Enlarge the environment
Now that your dog is developing skills where he is better at the board, move them to an environment where they can safely skate on their own. Your dog will need to be off the leash, as this makes it extremely difficult to leave the dog on the skateboard while keeping the leash attached to the harness. If you impact the dog in any way with any pressure on the leash, that will throw him off balance and the leash could get caught in the wheel.
Your dog also needs a safe area for them to further develop their skills. If you have a fenced backyard patio or if your driveway is fenced, these are safely managed environments. You can also try playing a local tennis court or any fenced outside paved area.
Take the necessary time
There’s nothing more important than taking the necessary time to learn to skate – move as fast as the slowest learners. There’s nothing wrong with shaping a new behavior, only the behaviors we reinforce, and then others.
This type of thinking allows learners a lot more flexibility. If all this is done gradually for each of your dogs, in the future just picking up the skateboard will have all the information your dog needs to know exactly what to expect. – exciting skateboarding.
Is skateboarding right for your dog?
Before teaching your dog to skateboard, consider whether they are physically able to do the activity. I’m not one to frustrate personally – I’ve seen dogs that don’t allow any boundaries to hold them back. However, some breeds are too big or too small for skateboarding. A 10 x 30 inch skateboard is the right platform size for most dogs.
If this is too small or too big for your dog, adjust to their physical abilities with a larger board or just teach them to have fun on a skateboard, which is basically just a platform. other. A platform is a raised, solid surface that animals can climb on to stand and perform other behaviors on. Humans have used the platform to train animals for centuries. Many things can be used as a platform and the skateboard is just an ultimate moving platform.
See the Dogster article”Rise of the Platforms“For more information on foundation training.
