This is a bit of an old post, but I decided to comment anyway...

I don't teach the send away with a toy. This creates a problem with the dog almost SEARCHING for the toy sometimes, or if there is a kleenex or chip bag in the vicinity at a trial (sometimes beyond your control) the dog tends to zoom in on it and can become distracted, costing points.

Instead, I teach the send away as an extention of the "place" command. I tech the dog to go to a place (i.e. a white board) and that's simple enough. Then I teach the dog to go straight ahead on command, even if he can't see the board... Again easy enough. THEN I just extend the distance between the dog and I and the board slowly. At this point the dog reliably runs out and finds the board, which is straight ahead, on command, even when it isn't readily visible...

Phase two is introducing a down before the dog gets to the board. Do this enough times and you can fade out the board.

Then you have a dog that doesn't search for a toy, and TRULY understands the meaning of the command. It helps if the dog wears an ecollar with a tone, which you can use to "mark" the behaviour of the down and then reward the dog when he returns to you. No need for him to be rewarded out on the field this way, if you use the marker correctly.

Just another way of going about things I suppose.

 Quote: Jennifer Ruzsa

Then I teach the dog to go straight ahead on command, even if he can't see the board... Again easy enough.

How exactly do you do this? I'd love to hear ideas.

Thanks!

Jennifer, most trial fields are cleaned up and looked over before the trial begins, I have never run into trash on a field at a trial, and if your dog runs to trash during his voraus,he never understood the voraus to begin with.Don't forget that you point the direction too..I understand your method but it makes no difference what you use,I have heard on a handler who used a live rabbit, I mean as long as you have a motivational way to teach it and your dog is motivated by the "tool" you are using , mission accomplished.My dog has never tracked for his tug when I use it for a send out.He runs fast, straight and knows that the faster he runs the quicker he gets his reward,tracking for it would not be a speedy run I am looking for.When he understands the Voraus,you don't have anything out at the end of his run, simply point and he should run as fast as he can straight ahead. Reward once he accomlishes his voraus the way you expected him to.i use his tug.But I am always open to other methods and yours sounds great and if it works, good for you, you never know when my way of doing it won't work for my next dog ,I might use your method
As far as your board, can you describe more of what kind of board you use and how big?
I like to hear every method out there, I definetely don't assume mine is hte best, but it works for me right now with my dog today.

Jennifer, I'm still hoping you'll share your technique for sending a straight send-away

Hi Jennifer, I am interested in your method too. In the past I have used a method similar to Angeliques' because I feel like it results in good speed. How do you motivate your dog to go fast?