FMP Task: Follow the Leader

Follow the Leader

This task is based on a Forward Momentum Pull (FMP) One of the biggest issues I face with FMP is training the pull strength I want the dog to pull for different situations.  Speeds often need to change rapidly in public settings and large crowded environments.  By enlisting the help of a friend or family member, I teach a “Follow” cue which can be applied to any of our close friends and family, and once generalized a total stranger.  

I train the follow cue by picking 1 person my dog knows well by name then on a good day when we are in training mode, we basically play follow the leader.  It’s best to start in an open field, where the leader can turn left and right repeatedly with no true direction.  This is kind of like when training the heel cue in a field or open space with rapid turns.  In the beginning I use the cues Follow to start walking, Wait to stop walking, Left & Right to turn.  My dog typically already knows all these cues so it's more or less to help them get the idea that they are moving with the leader.  We practice turns, speeding up, slowing down, going around objects, etc.  Once the dog is starting to get the hang of this concept, we then apply it to real life experiences starting on a local trail, and slowly adding in more distracting environments such as pet friendly hardware stores and eventually leading up to large crowded areas.  

This task has come in handy for me in more than one instance when I had migraine related brain fog, fatigue, and other medical issues yet had to go to a Dr. appt.  So imagine you're sitting in the waiting room and a staff person comes to get you as you and your SD stand up your head starts to spin, but not to the point of passing out and you know all you have to do is go with this person.  In that situation, I can grab my FMP soft handle, and give the Follow cue and my SD will go where this staff person leads, stopping if needed due to traffic in a busy hallway, turning around corners, and safely gets me to my next chair.  Now imagine you’ve been feeling pretty good and decide to go explore a local farmer’s market, and suddenly you're so tired and disoriented that you can’t think straight, but you can grab your FMP handle and cue the dog to Follow Daddy and you don’t automatically have to turn around going straight to the car and ending your adventure.  These are just 2 examples of how my SD helps me with the Follow task.  Similar tasks include Take Me to Your Leader, Go Find the Car, OK Let’s Go Out/Find the Exit.

This video shows a practice session with Team Belle and Team Roz both working on Forward Momentum tasks. Team Roz is the leader deciding where to go and Team Belle is simply following the leader.

This task is great for those who dissociate and also those who struggle with fatigue. The dog following not only needs to maintain focus on their handler, but also focus on the leader to make appropriate changes. This is similar to mirroring behavior however the dog learning to follow has to make direction changes based on the environment while they are following. The leader may go a way that the following team can not go, so then the dog has to find another way to get to the leader again.

This video shows direction changes, going through tight spaces, and practicing starts and stops.