Gang plank

[Sea Dog]

4 hours ago, haggis said:

You could try getting your dog to walk along the plank when it is lying on the ground. Being a lab, she will probably follow your hand with a bit of food in it and when she is happy walking on the plank on the ground, raise the ends on a couple of bricks and progress till she is happy walking over a plank between the boat and bank. 

 

haggis

Thanks Haggis, you'd think so, wouldn't you?  She's our third lab and she's both clever and obedient, but her knees just go at anything involving height... or just basically anywhere she might think she has the ability to fall off!  Planked pontoons/jetties are taken at a low crouching run that makes it more likely to end badly, but try telling her that!  She's a great swimmer and loves the water as much as any lab, but jump in she will not - if she can't walk in, she'd rather see herself off.  Worst of all, she won't walk over a lock gate, which may have some merit occasionally - but not when it's the one you need to cross to get to the Cape of Good Hope!

 

(She's asleep now after a walk and a swim, so she doesn't know I'm talking about her)

 

[haggis]

I know what you mean about not crossing slatted things like pontoons. I think most dogs are like that but perhaps I am more bloody minded because I insist they do it. On the lead and dragged if necessary. It does help if you have another dog which will do it as I find they are more likely to cross behind their mate. Putting the food bowl at the other end also helps to concentrate their minds. Unlike you I don't allow my dogs to cross lock gates ?. It is a big enough worry me falling in off a lock gate (I have done a it once) without having to worry about a dog doing it. I am a bad owner though as  we never take our dogs to the pub. When we go out that is their rest time ?

Try putting your gang plank on the towpath and working up from there. If she considers it worthwhile walking along the it (because a treat appears at the other end) she will probably soon forget to be afraid of it. If she is reluctant don't console her with words of sympathy. Be bloody minded ?

Haggis 

 

[Sea Dog]

15 minutes ago, haggis said:

If she is reluctant don't console her with words of sympathy.

I'm aware: Labrador training = boot and biscuit.  This one, like our others, has had plenty of biscuits and no boot, but the principle is not lost on me and she knows who the pack leader is: a harsh word is enough.  She's a good 'un, but a wuss - no point flogging her for her nature.

 

We've not used a gang plank in years cos we've just not needed to, even if this dog was an expert at walking the plank.  As a result I've consigned our gang plank to the garage in Devon, so there's little point in training her to use it now!  Once upon a time I'd have thought it essential and maybe one of these days I'll come across somewhere that I wish I'd still got it - but I've spent the last 5 years thinking I really didn't need it but carrying it anyway "just in case", so since last year I'm taking my chances. Life on the edge,  eh?

 

[haggis]

We carry a gang plank but I can't  remember the last time we used it - probably on the K & A  many moons ago and as we won't be going back there, we could almost assign it to our garage but it is probably easier to store it on the boat roof than in our garage several hundred miles away ? . 

Your dog sounds lovely and like you, I would probably accept things the way they are. Labradors are lovely. Not as lovely as collies but close ? 

 

Haggis

[cuthound]

6 hours ago, haggis said:

You could try getting your dog to walk along the plank when it is lying on the ground. Being a lab, she will probably follow your hand with a bit of food in it and when she is happy walking on the plank on the ground, raise the ends on a couple of bricks and progress till she is happy walking over a plank between the boat and bank. 

 

haggis

 

Indeed, our old dog, Buster, the one in my Avatar, had his first canal holiday on the K&A in 2001. 

 

On the first evening he leapt off the boat onto the tow path as I was tying up, but wouldn't walk the plank or jump back on to the boat .

 

I spread a line of treats along the plank to temp him to use it, and he followed them. Mind you it was amazing how far he stretched with one hind leg still on the bank, before finally giving into temptation and putting all of his paws onto the plank. After that he had no trouble using the plank until his balance went in his dotage.

[David Mack]

9 hours ago, haggis said:

It's all in the training ? . Not surprised if a dog won't go over a gang plank or up open steps if it has not been properly taught to do these things. I have competed in dog agility for more years than I care to remember and have yet to hear of a dog which can't be taught to go over the dog walk which is essentially three 12 foot long planks end to end with the middle one being supported on trestles about 5 feet off the ground.  The dogs start off walking over it and progress to running flat out over the planks. 

 

haggis

 

Our Labrador Rosie taught herself to use the top plank.(as did my daughter).

[Sea Dog]

15 hours ago, haggis said:

 

Your dog sounds lovely and like you, I would probably accept things the way they are. Labradors are lovely. Not as lovely as collies but close ? 

 

Haggis

Thanks Haggis - that's the conclusion I came to with her (except the bit about collies, cos I've never had one)!

 

Our others were bold, particularly the first which we had from a pup, and the second was a rescue and grew to be. The current one just isn't the same though so I see little point in forcing her to do something that sets her legs a wobbling when there's no imperative to do it.  I agree with about it being in the training but for me, and clearly you too in agility training, that's working with the dog and here the effort would be disproportionate to the reward.  I've never needed her to walk the gang plank (that's now in the garage!) and the missus would rather not have her crossing lock gates when we're working locks. To be fair to her, she's overcome her fear of jetties to the point where she can use them all, some are no issue, but there are still occasions when she's not keen, usually the narrow, see-through ones. Actually, there's something a bit endearing about it and she is great on the boat otherwise.  Maybe a Collie next though, eh? 

 

You've set me a thinking though, Haggis - maybe I should persevere anyway just for the challenge and for her development?  She's very keen to please so, as long as we're both enjoying it, I think I might just do that.

 

 

 

[haggis]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

 

 

You've set me a thinking though, Haggis - maybe I should persevere anyway just for the challenge and for her development?  She's very keen to please so, as long as we're both enjoying it, I think I might just do that.

 

 

 

The main thing as you say, as long as you both enjoy it. It is a lovely feeling when my dog accomplishes a tricky manoeuvre and shows that she loves doing it. Agility and dog training to me is all about having fun with my dogs. 

 

haggis

[cuthound]

11 hours ago, David Mack said:

 

Our Labrador Rosie taught herself to use the top plank.(as did my daughter).

 

Hmm, I seem to have come across a dogstable! ?

2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Thanks Haggis - that's the conclusion I came to with her (except the bit about collies, cos I've never had one)!

 

Our others were bold, particularly the first which we had from a pup, and the second was a rescue and grew to be. The current one just isn't the same though so I see little point in forcing her to do something that sets her legs a wobbling when there's no imperative to do it.  I agree with about it being in the training but for me, and clearly you too in agility training, that's working with the dog and here the effort would be disproportionate to the reward.  I've never needed her to walk the gang plank (that's now in the garage!) and the missus would rather not have her crossing lock gates when we're working locks. To be fair to her, she's overcome her fear of jetties to the point where she can use them all, some are no issue, but there are still occasions when she's not keen, usually the narrow, see-through ones. Actually, there's something a bit endearing about it and she is great on the boat otherwise.  Maybe a Collie next though, eh? 

 

You've set me a thinking though, Haggis - maybe I should persevere anyway just for the challenge and for her development?  She's very keen to please so, as long as we're both enjoying it, I think I might just do that.

 

 

 

 

Take her to agility classes. It will do wonders for her confidence as she learns to walk on a high plank, A frames and see-saw.

[Sea Dog]

12 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

 

Take her to agility classes. It will do wonders for her confidence as she learns to walk on a high plank, A frames and see-saw.

I could do that I suppose, but it's a commitment and we're never in one place long enough! Anyway, isn't there something about old dogs and new tricks?  (I'm not saying which one of us might fit that description!)