Position changes seem so simple when we first start training. After all, it's taught in every single basic obedience class. And if someone asks if they can give a treat to your dog, you might as well place a bet that they are going to ask your dog to sit (or "siiit, siit, siiit" is more like it) and maybe even a down too if your dog actually listens.
But once you start diving into the world of dog sports, position changes no longer seem so straightforward.
You might be obsessing over that perfect foldback down, or tucked sit.
Or struggling with getting your dog to actually do their positions once you're not right in front of their face.
I see many teams who accidentally taught their dog that stand = move to a hand touch or at least get up and move towards their person!
This post will first look at the prerequisite I want in place before working on distance. And then look at 2 games that help dogs who struggle with their position changes when at a distance!
What is the Action Being Trained?
The first thing to look at is your criteria for each of the 6 (yes 6!) possible position changes. Split out each one, such as looking at stand to sit as a different action than down to sit.
If your dog moves in a completely different way, you might even want to have different cues! A "tucked sit" from a stand is very different than a push back sit from a down! I use "sit" for front feet still (my tucked sit!) and "lift" for my rock back sit (from a down!).
You don't have to be super geeky and make sure the dog's feet are perfectly still.
But you do want to make sure you know how your dog normally moves. If the dog suddenly switches how they are moving when you go from 5ft away to 10ft away, that's a big neon sign that you need to do something to address that NOW! Don't keep adding distance and see the change of style suddenly turn into walking!
This may mean that you want to use props more consistently and emphasize working distractions over distance.
Check out this recent blog post on why I don't use platforms for position changes and how to choose what type of target you want.
Distance Games
Perhaps your dog is fairly consistent with how they move, but you feel like you are stuck at a certain distance. Or your dog might do great, but only if they have a prop.
Then I like to mix in games with my position changes that cause the dog to need to move away from me before the reward.
Dogs usually creep forward to be closer to us, but also because that's usually where the rewards come from!
Sending Behind Them
Telling the dog to turn around and go to a "target" of some sort behind them is a fun movement game.
The simplest version is to set their reward behind them in a dish. But advanced versions are sending the dog to a cone or even the ring gating behind them.
Here Ginny is new to this game and sometimes confuses it with backing up (another game!)
And here Loot is practicing the signal exercise and I send him back to the go out spot after a position change!
Backing Up
Backing up after a position change is another game I play a lot with my dogs.
It can be done to a target at first as a way of fading out having your dog actually start with their feet on a target.
Here I use the grass as an informal target to help Ginny. You can see she's sucked into it and is doing a great job of not moving forward on positions. I start with her really close to the target and then start her further away (58sec). At 1.17 you will notice she steps forward on the sit to stand instead of kicking back. That's the style change I discussed earlier and I instantly back her up and then try again. Her sit to stand isn't super solid without being close to a target.
Remember to work on distance slowly!!! I use foot targets for a long time and first introduce distracteons before working on distance. Can the dog stand if you're sitting on the floor? Your back to them? With their reward behind them? Their reward close in front? Be creative!
As you add distance, watch your dog's style carefully! If they move their front feet and usually move their rear feet instead, reset and move closer. Style changes easily turn into forward motion as the dog focuses more on the end position than the action needed to get there.
Games keep things fun though! These games can all be played at a short distance!
If you want help working on your position changes, or just want to learn things other than boring old novice, consider joining me in my Open Class this session!
And if you need help working with rewards at a distance, I have a free zen bowl webinar for subscribers to my newsletter!: