Having your dog's focus on you is important for many activities.  In the adjacent video Monica Pielage demonstrates one method for teaching the dog to focus on the handler via eye contact and ignore distractions like hands with treats.

The dog performing a Down stops the time for most Treibball games. It is obviously a critical skill to have. There are various methods for teaching the down depending on the age and size of the dog and what other sports you may compete in with your dog. To the right are some options for teaching the Down.

Thanks to Chris Roeder for the first video and Sandy White for the second one.

At some point as training advances, one will need to 'Fade the Mat'.  This is most readily done by having mats of various sizes smaller than the initial training mat. Start substituting a smaller mat during the training sessions.  Even experiment with removing the mat entirely and see what happens. 

A second method is to slowly phase out the mat by alternating runs with and without it. For instance have it present for 2 runs then remove it for a run. Replace for the next 2 runs.  Gradually work up to having more runs without a mat than with it.

There will undoubtedly be times when bringing the mat back will be advantageous as when the dog has regressed a bit in their training or when training in a different location. The mat will add back some confidence.  Mats can also be useful when moving up a level and requiring the dog to work at greater distances.  Just be careful not to rely on the mat for too long once the dog has demonstrated they can comfortably work further distances.

Such a simple thing, yet it can be very useful to be able to recall your dog without pushing a ball. Reasons include the need to settle your dog, send to another part of the field, or get a better approach to the target ball. This short clip by Monica Pielage featuring Zelda and Abby demonstrates one approach to train the Recall.

Most NATE games begin with the dog moving out on the field to orient directly behind a ball relative to the handler. This section shows one method for achieving that goal.

In the adjacent videos Monica Pielage demonstrates how she starts teaching her dog to understand the value of lining up behind an object. Notice she does not start with a ball.  Using a bucket, cone, basket or some other similarly sized object helps keep the dog's focus on the orientation lesson and not on pushing.  As a bonus she also shows how to teach waiting behind the object in the first video. 

The 3 videos are a progression of training.

How and when you reward your dog can make a difference on how quickly one progresses in their training. Rewards can take the form of verbal praise, food or toys/play time. It's important to know what your dog considers a high value vs low value reward.  However, depending on the exercise it is also important to consider how the reward is delivered. The best delivery method may determine the best type of reward for the situation. 

In May of 2020 NATE held a Clubhouse Chat devoted to Rewards.  A full 1 hr recording of that session is shown to the right.

Much of Treibball involves sending the dog to a specific ball or location on the field.  In the beginning the handler is generally close enough to reward the dog from their hand. As teams progress and move further out, it is tempting to call the dog back for a reward. That can be counterproductive. Some people are very accurate throwing a treat to the dog (e.g. rewarding the dog in place for lining up behind the correct ball).  In the second video, Carolyn Bigley demonstrates using a lotus ball for distance rewarding.