Directional Commands?

[JessLough]

Ok, people on our walk today made me feel like a crazy, so I need some reassurance that it's not just me :lol-sign: Especially dogs that are not trained as SD, cause she certainly isn't :rofl1:

Does your dog know commands for which way to turn?

For example, Rosey has a set of commands.
- Left/Right Go, which means to turn left or right
- Left/Right Stay, which means to stay to the left or right
- Left/Right Around, which means to go around the object on a certain side. It's useful for trees and such, so we don't go around opposite ways
- Left/Right House, which pretty much means "this is the last command I am giving you, you just head home". It's useful especially since there is multiple ways we can get to my house from, so it's used if I want to go a certain way. (Essentially, if I say Left House, she turns at the next left and then takes the shortest route home)

 

[Linds]

Nope, never taught any of those. For the most part Traveler just reads my mind. He knows wait, with me, lets go and stop being a jerk and get back here specificially but really I've never had a use for anything else because he's so intune with my body he knows what I'm doing before I do.

I'm in the process of pairing left/right commands while biking though in hopes of getting him pulling me one of these days

 

[Southpaw]

I say "this way" when I'm turning, but realistically I think just saying anything to get her attention would do the trick.

 

[BostonBanker]

Nope. My dogs know some directionals from agility ('flip' means turn away from me, their name means turn to me) but not anything we use in the regular world. They just sort of go where I need them to.

 

[JessLough]

I didn't even really mean to teach them, LOL. I like that she caught on, though, cause other dogs and owners are dumb, as are people in general (I've had somebody almost hit her... on the bike path... when we were on the right side and they were on the wrong side so they were in the wrong)

 

[sassafras]

Yea, but I use Gee/Haw for mushing. They also know (more shaky with these) Over Gee/Over Haw (to move over to the right or left) and (again more shaky with these) Come Around Gee/Come Around Haw (turn around to the left or right). I will use and practice them on leash walks, too, it's kind of nice to have a dog who knows left from right.

 

[Lyzelle]

Zander knows directional cues. I never really taught them, I just talk to him constantly. He eventually picked them up.

 

[Linds]

See, I talk to my dogs all the time but more conversation rather than directions so they never have a chance to pair up the words. That's why I'm having so much trouble getting left and right commands down with Traveler because I'm just be talking away to him and turn without ever saying anything about it. I'll be discussing the weather with him instead.

I have a really hard time being consistant about that kind of stuff.

 

[maxfox426]

I've used "left" and "right" kind of loosely with Morgan. Mostly when I'm trying to turn a corner and he's going "OMG WHERE WE GO NOW BOSS?!" I doubt he really knows what they mean, but it gives him something to focus on in a moment of... being Morgan. :lol-sign:

He DOES know "Go Home". Kinda similar to your "Left/Right House", but no directions involved. The idea is that I should be able to unhook his leash, tell him "Go Home" and he will go straight to the front door, sit on the mat, and wait for me.


ETA:
Oh! Morgan does know the difference between his left paw and his right, though! I taught him to only shake hands and high-five with his right paw, and his left paw is reserved for his nerdy marching band trick. LOL

 

[k9krazee]

I barely know left from right myself! I'm that person who still puts an L and R on her hands, or a watch on one arm, when I play twister!

In agility we don't use directional commands, I try to say as little as possible, he's good at reading my mind/body language. If we're on the bike and we're taking a sharp left I'll tell him "easy turn" or to the right is "hup turn", so I guess those are directional comands.

 

[JessLough]

I barely know left from right myself! I'm that person who still puts an L and R on her hands, or a watch on one arm, when I play twister!

You have no idea how many times I'd say "left go" to Rosey and then get mad when she doesn't turn right, until I realize I'm stupid :rofl1:

 

[Beanie]

I'm like Linds, I'm usually chatting with Auggie about something else entirely LOL. He actually turns based on which way I rotate my wrist holding the leash. HOW he does it I don't know, there's really not enough leash pressure there for him to feel much but he must feel just enough and he knows. And Payton sure hasn't learned that LOL. Auggie is just amazing. Or a mind reader.

 

[JacksonsMom]

I think Jackson knows some things just from me saying them enough. Like, if he's about to get his 50ft rope around a tree or something, I tell him to "go around" and he usually understands he has to go around the other side so he doesn't get twisted up. Or "go home" or "go inside" he knows what to do. But I didn't TEACH him per say. He just picked it up.

 

[AllieMackie]

Naw. Usually I'm talking to him and if I need him to come a certain way, it's always to where I am. A little tug on the leash and a click noise with my tongue will direct him to where I want him to be.

He's usually pretty aware of where I am, despite being in his own little world of sniffing and watching the world go by. He'll be looking about, and I turn a corner, and he snaps beside me. Kinda cool!

 

[Gypsydals]

Ivan loosely understands directional commands. Usually I use them when on the bike. That way if I have to make a left hand turn, hes not running into my bike or if I am turning right, hes not going straight. I say loosely understands them because we don't use them in the winter, and only use them during biking season. So every spring he needs a refresher on them.

 

[Lizmo]

My guys know the command "this way" - which in essence means look back at me and see where I am going, and follow. Or it has come to mean get in line with me, depending on what is going on. So this is my directional command, if you had to label it. It's such a fabulous command, it's not a recall, but a 'hey, I'm going to turn, follow me now'

 

[Saeleofu]

Gavroche picked up on it himself. Logan was taught. I use "here" for right and "out/back" for left.

 

[Katem]

I've been using gee/haw when I have Pig out biking with me. But we just started biking this past week, so I don't think she's really picked up on it yet. She has yet to 'miss' a turn/get in the way of the bike, but I think that's more from her watching the bike than understanding the cues.

 

[Blue_Dog]

No, Sam keeps a close watch on me to see where we're going, unless he has other plans than he might try and see if I'll change where I'm going to fit where he wants to go.

I've always wanted to though, it sounds like they pick it up pretty well in general, maybe I'll try and see if he picks them up after awhile.

 

[mrose_s]

I have been teaching Quinn directions when biking. Just "left" and "right" so she has warnign that we're turning. "whoaaa" to slow down, "lets go" to move on and "GO GO GO GO GO!" for when we have space to stretch her legs. She loves it.

When offleash I just have commands to come back closer all call "this way" when changing direction.
Buster was always lovely to have offleash before I got so paranoid. He could be 30m in front of me and go start heading out the gate we would normally use and all I had to do was make some sound ot get his attention and say "keep going - we're using the next gate" and he knew.
When out in the paddocks with him I often use pointing to direct him - either out in front or to either side and he has caught onto that on his own aswell.