Multi-Tasking Obstacles – Pause Table

The Pause table. Some dogs are pretty sure it was an evil genius plan set forth by a cat to torture her. Very sure. So sure, in fact, it is a struggle to get them on the table, to lay on the table, sit on the table, or sit on the table! Once you get them to realize they’re not evil, though, you’ll be good to go. (Phoebe, our TDAA model was one of those dogs until enough liver was given. Then they became ‘okay’)

What else can you use the table for?

• Contact trainer: Take a plank from a dogwalk or seesaw and lean it against the table to create a contact trainer and train end behaviors. You can also train plank confidence that way. (We also offer a kit for this, to make it more versatile and durable.)
• ‘Box’ Flip it upside down, and use it as your box for shaping behaviors. Say ‘yes’ for paws in, say ‘yes’ for paws out, anything you can think of that you want your dog to do.
• Massive Target Set your pause table in the middle of your course and send the dog to the table. It’s great for working on send aheads to a set obstacle, and it’s a good surface to put a target or treats on so they’re not lost in the grass.
• Staging Area In practice, you leave your dog on the table for varying lengths of time so they don’t get used to getting off at a set time. They wait for your release, right? While they’re on the table, stage the rest of your run. Use it as a takeoff pad!
• Grooming: It’s hard for me to kneel down to groom my dogs. So, I put them up on the table for grooming. If your dog really hates to be groomed, I wouldn’t suggest this as it may give the dog negative pause table connotations.  My dogs love to be brushed, except behind their ears, so grooming on the table is nice.