There are many ways to train a hovawart the "send away"
The methodology here teaches the hovawart to run to a target for a reward, however this approach sequentially and paradoxically teaches him that there are no food or toy rewards !
Set up some 'goal posts', a couple of stout garden canes will do,or find some real ones. Then place a small cone or an upturned bucket a short distance from them, and depending on what 'gets your hovie going' place either some very tasty food or his favourite toy beside the cone. Let him see and smell what is there and get him wildly excited about it, then without saying anything take him away from the cone a few meters.
Whilst he is still straining to get to the rewards by the cone, let him go with your chosen word of command. It might be a good idea to introduce a directional hand signal at the same time, a simple waving pointing motion away from your body in the direction of your 'goal posts'. Do not give any other commands at this point in the training, all you require from him is the desire to eagerly leave you and run to the cone as quickly as possible. Practise this a few times each day if possible, for about a week, and on each occasion move a little further away from the cone before you send him. Allow him to be wildly excited to get to the reward, no other commands should be given. At the end of the first week when he has begun to understand what is required, start moving the cone in very small increments towards the 'goal posts'. Keep this part of training going until he understands what to do and is reliably running out between 30 - 50 meters.
Now is the time to include some other commands; have him sit or stand beside you, and/or make eye contact before sending him, or any combination. After a few successful repetitions begin to insist that he walks a few paces in the heel position with some eye contact first and then send him. All the while keep him wildly excited to run and get to the reward by the cone. Continue to slowly move the cone, the target, closer and closer to the 'goal posts' and keep practicing this until the 'goal posts' have become the target and you no longer need the cone, keep using the rewards.
At the same time as you are training him to run towards the cone, you must also teach him to go 'down' on command everywhere else. Indoors, in the garden, when out walking and when playing. Use food or a toy as a reward but keep the two exercises separate never teach them in the same session.
What you are aiming for is:-
- for your hovawart to be eager to be sent away from you
- that he knows where to go
- that he will do short obedience exercises in order to be "allowed" to run to the target, the 'goal posts' in order to claim his reward.
When he is reliably running 50 meters (or more) to the 'goal posts' after having done an obedience exercise first, it is time to put together the 'down' and the 'send away'. You can continue to extend the distance slowly as needed. It is now that the paradoxical part of this training become evident.
The very first time you 'send him away' with the intention of having him 'down' as well, DO NOT place the reward (food or toy) in the usual place.
Let him think that there are rewards out there and get him excited as usual, do a little obedience and send him as normal. Give your 'DOWN' command when he is only half way to the 'goal posts'. He will probably ignore you; just repeat the command, but the very moment he responds and goes 'down', run to him with the toy or food, or throw it to him and let him relax for a little bit. Then repeat the exercise, but this time put the reward out by the 'goal posts' and send him as usual. Now repeat the first part of the exercise again with NO REWARD by the 'goal posts' and have him go 'down'. Aim for six repetitions of the sequence in this session. In the next training session he will probably begin to go 'down' more quickly.
- The aim of this part of the training is to teach him that when you command 'down', there is nothing there, no food or toys
Keep this part of the training unpredictable; have him go 'down' once in say every five or six 'send aways' and in some sessions do not 'down' him at all. Most importantly do not ever command him to go 'down' when he is at the 'goalposts', only and always before the target. As a result he will learn that when you say 'down', there is nothing there, which should help to eliminate any searching behaviour, for toys or food. Ultimately you can remove one of the 'goal posts'; just move them slowly closer together until you end up with just one post, later you can remove the other one too.
