In the early stages this exercise may be taught with whatever incentive the dog enjoys most, but if this is going to be food it should be in some sort of container.

This is to prevent the dog from arriving at the sendaway point and sniffing around looking for food.

Mats and toys are the usual incentives for this test, and with a view to it becoming a remote exercise it may be an idea to secure the toy or mat in place so that the dog is unable to retrieve it until the handler arrives to reward.

A marker is essential in the early stages of training and this could be anything from a post to a flag or a cone, but should be something the dog can identify.

It may be a good idea to start this exercise against a boundary, hedge, fence, wall or any other physical barrier that represents an end point to the dog, and as with other types of sendaway this usually is taught backwards, starting from the incentive and taking the dog back from that point to send it forward.

As with all exercises but arguably more important with this one, it is very useful to develop a set up, so the dog understands what it is being asked to do. This will bode well for the higher levels where there may well be no marker and certainly won’t be a reward.

Trainers that have not taught working trial type of sendaways over big distances may do well to seek some help with training this from those that have, as it is unlike an obedience sendaway and needs to grow rapidly to prevent the dog from becoming fixated on distance.