Training Fido to perform the agility pause table

Although the pause table seems to be a very easy obstacle to perform, it is not. The pause table is probably the one obstacle where the most time is lost during a course run. The table is included on a course to demonstrate that an agility dog can not only run fast and perform spectacular obstacles, but that he can also be controlled in a stay position at a certain place.
Here follows a few reasons for the poor table performance of an agility dog:

• Handlers tend to think it is an easy obstacle to perform and therefor it is not practised enough.
• Handlers find it boring and unintencially carry that over to the dog.
• It is not taught correctly and thoroughly to the dog.

How to teach the pause table to the dog:

Wherever possible I always break the commands down to the simplest forms and then, once the dog can reliably perform each segment correctly and fast, chain it back up together. The table command is no different. Your ultimate aim with the table command is that you should be able to send the dog to the table from anywhere on the course, the dog should jump on the table and immediately go into the down or sit position (whatever is required by the judge) and remain in that position until released. In other words you can break the table performance into the following four things:

1. Send to the table – the dog runs enthuciastically to the table and jump onto the table
2. Fast sit or down – the dog performs an immediate fast sit or down on command
3. Secure stay – the dog performs a secure stay, not moving from that position
4. Release – the dog performs a fast release and immediately following your hand and body to perform the next obstacle

(Visit the above links for an in debth, step by step description on how to train each of those steps)

Chaining the commands together

Your dog is now ready and you can start putting things together again. I would suggest that you use back chaining, but you actually start in the middle. Take your dog to the course where you must have three obstacles arranged in a triangle. You can have a jump, the table and the tunnel. Let your dog jump on the table and let him sit or down on the table. Give the stay command, move away to the tunnel with your hand outstretched, wait a few seconds and release. Click as he jumps off, let him run through the tunnel and give a treat. Repeat many times. Sometimes you should wait at the jump.

At another training session you should send the dog to the table and as he jumps on, give the sit or down command. Click and treat if he responds. Also give the stay command. Click and treat him on the table as he stays there. You have now reduced the four steps into two steps. Now at last you can combine these two steps to have only one flowing sequence. If your dog experience difficulty in grasping this whole sequence, you should back up a few steps and progress slower. Following these step by step guidelines of training your dog to perform the pause table, you will end up with a very reliable and confident dog knowing exactly what is expected of him.