Goal:
Have puppy move their back feet sideways, while keeping their front feet on the target.
What you need:
Non-slippery floor
One low, stable target
Cookies
Your puppy
What to do:
Warm up with front feet target
Put a cookie on the floor or in a bowl, away from the platform for the puppy to eat
Lure puppy to put front feet on the platform, mark + treat
Once puppy has both back feet on the platform, take a small step to the side to encourage puppy to move their back feet
When puppy moves shifts weight to one side and/or move one back foot, mark + treat
Toss a cookie away from the platform
Repeat steps 3-6
What the progression may look like:
Puppy looks towards you when you move, puppy does not move back feet
Puppy shifts their weight a little bit when you move, puppy does not move back feet
Puppy shuffles a bit to the side when you move
Puppy takes a tiny step with one of their back foot
Puppy takes one step with one of their back foot
Puppy takes a few steps with their back feet