Left Pivot (rally sign)

How do you go about training it? I've got some ideas, but I was wondering if someone else has something better.

I did a lot of perch work, a lot of hind end awareness and a lot of learning to stay stuck to my side. And since it's fun I do it all the time

But pretty much when I started I just did a lot of perch work and rewarding for hind end movement in the correct direction.

Second the perch work!

That's what I was thinking we'd do--any helpful videos or anything you'd like to recommend? :]

Perch work + making sure your dog understands moving backward and laterally while in heel. In a true left pivot the human is staying in place and "turning on a dinner plate" so the dog is not only pivoting but also backing in an arch to stay in position.

Perch work here too! This is something we've really been working on in lessons and stuff. Slow, but sure progress.

Lol, I know what a pivot is. I just wanted to have a game plan before I started working on it. :]

I don't do anything special. It's just a really tight Left Turn.

So, that's pretty much how I train it. For all manuevers to the left I have a special hand cue (with my right hand), and say "Get In", which means move your butt in.

All I have are some ones I've taken.

I started an alone pivot with Didgie and Traveler. Really gets that body movement down with the muscle memory without them trying to remember where to be in relation to you. Which I like

Didgie Pivot Alone

Traveler Pivot Alone

Didgie Pivot with Me

And then I think this is the best video (the first part of it anyways) of what I do with Traveler that I have. Pretty much I would just do this in small spaces a lot. It's what I almost always do to practice heeling, just do sidesteps, backwards and pivoting.

Pivots

Perch work here too.

Never doubted you did, my point was just that there is more to it than a perch-style butt spin an to make sure your dog understands each element before putting them together.

Ah yes--that does make sense. :]

And by dog make sure your feet stay in that **** dinner plate!!
Me and my ring nerves managed to lose 10 points on this pivot because not only did I step out of the pie plate, I also took two shuffle steps forward (which thoroughly confused my poor dog as you can see).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H8Y3EJp_Tw

I have gotten great pivots by teaching the dog to heel backwards first. Then back in a small circle.. then voila a pivot.

I started with perch as well (I lured, no shaping), these are just my own videos...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omYwUYiapII (at 1:30)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9ztOJ-LJ0k

After he learned how to lure and flip on the perch, I moved to the ground (he is very young here so it's just for fun), at about 1:12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7_h6v3Tkic

Starting to ask for it on verbal (I start him at an angle, not perpendicular to me) by the wall to help guide him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPZaXo44-A4

The flip is one of his favorite maneuvers, but I don't have any recent vids of it...this is closer to what it looks like now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtNWgGa7vJo

Although this shows his understanding of the left turn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpWdgptBOA4

Can I just say ERMAGERD baby Kastle!!!!!

Ahem, sorry just had to get that out.

Traveler is AWESOME. That is all.

I just gave myself a dizzy headache practicing backwards circle heeling lol.

Awesome help everyone! We've started working on backwards heeling and perch work today, and things are going smoothly... mostly. She tried to take my finger off with the tug, but other than that, we're good, lol.

If anyone else has other pointers/videos/articles, that'd be great.

My rally class's advice was basically hit her butt with a stick until she stops turning out, which wasn't really what I was looking for.

The big thing our trainer has been on me about with this is to click when the back feet move... I'm starting to get better finally and watching the whole dog, lol!

Lily did SO good at our lesson this morning!!! She's starting to really get the flipping into heel from front and our pivoting to the left is making good progress. Yay!

Scout was staying straight instead of popping out to the right, which is huge and awesome! We need to practice pivoting to right in front... she's really good at going left and very weak going right. I guess thats our homework. Its sure helping to get specific feedback.

Thats some classy good times with your trainers advice. It sounds like Elsie is doing great! You should get some video of her.