So - I am teaching Pippin "left" and "right" and to be honest, I am surprised he knows his directions as I think I keep screwing up!
As long as he is facing the same direction as I, I get it correct. To send him out to the right, I direct my right hand/arm to the right and send him out "right foot". Same with the left. He does great. (I use "foot" to tell him to go out to a platform.)
Now - for Treibball - he is facing me on his platforms and if I want to send him to HIS left (my right) I use my right arm to send him out to the next platform to his left and say "Left Foot". After all - this is his left. He goes to the correct platform just beautifully.
note - we started this with two platforms that located about 5 feet in front of me and on either side of me, about 8 feet apart from each other. Today, I added a 3rd platform so there are three to choose from. He would have to figure out if he is on the center platform, which way to go.
Today - as we were doing this exercise - I was saying "right foot" when I should have been saying "left foot", yet, Pippin followed my hand and went to the correct platform! So - is he listening to me? I am thinking that he is following my hand, understands the exercise and hears the LAST word of the command "Foot" and knows to move to another platform. Bit by bit, the platforms will "shrink" to just a paper on the ground and then to nothing but by then, he will learn to place himself behind the ball correctly. Do I worry? I don't think so as in this sport, I will be using my hand signals as well.
How will this work in Freestyle? In freestyle, I want him to LISTEN and really not always watch what I do so I can dance. Will that really work? I think it will up to a point. There will always be that "hidden body/hand signal" that is choreographed into the dance. He is learning how to "look right" and "look left" but still relies on body signals. So, as long as the body signal is choregraphed to not look like a hand signal then it should be just fine.
I feel as long as I can understand HOW Pippin learns, then I can best help him learn what I am trying to teach. And what I have also discovered is that Pippin learns differently than Genny (somewhat), than Pug (very much so) and from Toby.
I think everyone should have several different breeds to teach!
