Cavaletti Conditioning
Cavalettis are poles placed on the ground at equal spacing, and are meant to make a dog learn to step over them and move into a correct trot pace. They also teach body awareness, which is very important from everything from conformation to dog sports, and even to not getting underfoot in the house!
Equipment Needs
5-10 pieces of PVC pipe (less for smaller dogs, more for larger dogs)
- White PVC is more visible unless practicing on a white or light surface.
- 1-inch diameter pipe is good for flat surface, thicker may be necessary for grass or gravel
- Pipes should be easily seen and still, yet they should move immediately if the dog touches them (teaching the dog to pay attention to where they put their feet)
Teaching Cavellettis
Starting Out
- Place the pipes on the ground, spacing them out so they are the same distance as the height of your dog at the withers.
- On leash, gait (trot) the dog near the cavalettis until the dog is comfortable with the pipes being there.
- Then gait the dog over the cavalettis. It's okay if the dog hesitates, is distracted, etc. Just keep moving.
- Gait around (not over) the pipes again.
- Repeat this sequence from both directions until the dog is comfortable gaiting over them.
- Once the dog is comfortable at the starting distance, increase the distance between the cavalettis by 1/2 to 1 inch (very small dogs, puppies, and some dwarf dogs need 1/2 inch, while larger dogs will need 1 inch). Repeat the "Starting Out" instructions until the dog is comfortable and reliably moving over the new distance.
- Increase again next session after the dog is comfortable with the previous distance.
- Once a distance has been reached at which the dog can't avoid touching the pipes or where the dog becomes resistant or frustrated, that is the maximum distance for your dog's structure.
- Do sessions 2-3 times a week, gaiting 5-10 times over the pipes per session
- Always remember to divide the gaiting in half so that the dog goes over the poles both ways! This works both sides of the body evenly.
- If you stop this routine, the dog is likely to go back to its original movement pattern, so this is a routine that must be maintained to maintain reach and drive for conformation, agility, and other movement-based sports.
- Body awareness gained from cavalettis will typically remain even if you stop the routine.
Ready for More?
Different arrangements of cavaletti poles can target different things! Depending on your goals, you may wish to explore different options. AKC has a [CAVALETTI TRAINING] article which can help!