Let The Games Begin! (About the training manual)
This manual was created for my students and for people who have attended seminars. It is self-published because it gets updated and adjusted as I learn more things from dogs. For order information or other questions about the book, or for seminar information, contact me by email at goodogs@citlink.net . Below is the introduction and the table of contents.
This manual was created for my students and for people who have attended seminars. It is self-published because it gets updated and adjusted as I learn more things from dogs. For order information or other questions about the book, or for seminar information, contact me by email at goodogs@citlink.net . Below is the introduction and the table of contents.
Introduction
I got started in dog training as a teen ager when my mother read about a class in the newspaper, and decided that training my Sheltie would be a good summer project that would keep me busy and out of trouble. If she had known this would lead to so many early mornings and long drives, she might have chosen a craft class instead, but the project introduced me to a sport that has remained a passion throughout my life. I had excellent adult mentors in Herb and Martha Fielder who taught me to practice hard, play fairly, and keep trying even when things went wrong, and the lessons learned have been valuable in all aspects of life.
At the time, dog training was primarily based on popping dogs into positions and praising them for being there. I was really successful at it, but class attrition rates showed that many others were not. Over time, my training evolved with exposure to other trainers, lots of different dogs, and information about animal training developments amongst marine mammals and other species at sanctuaries and parks. For several dogs I used a little luring with food, lots of praise and play, but still a lot of popping in the teaching process. Ultimately I had success in that phase of my training life too, finishing my first OTCh and getting two more UD degrees; but I also ran into some brick walls with particular dogs where escalation of correction backfired badly. Looking back, I realize that I was punishing mistakes without providing enough information about what was right, or showing the dog how to identify and solve a social or emotional problem that was bigger than the exercise I was training. Frustration isn’t fun, on either end of the leash.
About this time, clicker training was becoming a hot topic, and while my Shelties declared clickers to be obnoxious items that no amount of food could redeem, the virtues of using positive reinforcement more pointedly and more generously to shape behaviors individually and then build them into orderly sequences became a fascination. Inspired by the late Patty Ruzzo, I played with the principle with my retired dogs, and began planning for the next puppy.
When he arrived, I had my teaching progressions all lined out, and my management plans in place. I had figured out how to replace collar pops with hand targets and food or toy presentation to shape the topography of the exercises I wanted to teach. Chaser learned all of the utility exercises by the time he was 8 months old, and he was good at them, not just doing little parts at baby steps. Nearly all of his training was off leash, and when the leash was on simply for legalities or safety in open spaces, it wasn’t being used for any physical compulsion. I was thrilled. I was eager. He was magnificent.
He was creative. When the food didn’t happen in the ring, he began to throw other behaviors at me that didn’t make sense to me at the time. After all, I’d done the careful teaching, I’d established the reinforcement history, so he should have been doing things correctly because that was the habit we had built, or so I thought. I spent a few years assuming responsibility for the failures and attempting to improve my use of rewards. We got some spectacular performances, and some very silly performances. The skills were there, the confidence was there, but the reliability was not. After three years of playing further with more frequent reinforcement schedules to try to cement the pattern of correct behavior, finally one day he got to me with a pretty flagrant display of independent choices during signals in the utility ring. As we came out of the ring from that NQ, I took hold of his little cheeks and said, “Stop it! You must WATCH!” It was the first stern words he had ever heard from me in the training/ performing context. I felt bad about losing my temper, but when we turned back around and walked back into the ring for open, he was suddenly focused, mature, and precise. The judge commented on the sudden switch, and he walked out with a 199.5 and HIT.
It finally dawned on me that he thought that the absence of food in the ring meant he might be wrong and he believed he needed to experiment with how to make the food happen again. We had never discussed that certain behaviors were actually “wrong” in particular contexts. I had taught him tricks for treats, but I had never completely explained the concept of obedience to that dog. Once we had that conversation, since he knew his skills, our consistency rate improved dramatically, and he went on to get his OTCh and UDX3. But the cool thing was that his exposure to physical corrections had been so nearly non-existent that he was quite impressed by very minimal levels of physical strength. This revealed how important it is to NOT desensitize dogs to the sensation of collar restraint. If the dog considers that pressure normal, it takes a lot of force to impress him; but if he is used to not feeling the collar at all normally, he is much more aware of the slightest bit of directional force. It was an epiphany for me.
And it’s a good thing I discovered that when I did. My next dog, Gryphon, was not very motivated by food as a puppy, and was quite sound sensitive, so required more compulsion on a leash and collar just to keep him in the county. For a while, I didn’t think he’d ever be able to go in a ring safely. Fortunately he was very playful and valued praise and play, and the skills progressed. So we kept training. He eventually learned to like eating more, and was successfully desensitized enough by four years old to get his UD and RE, and has been a fabulous demo dog for classes, seminars and lessons. But he required me to revisit my old leash-and-collar skills, and find eventually an effective middle ground on the use of motivators and measured compulsion in the teaching, transitioning and proofing process of training. Between the two of them, Chaser and Gryphon taught me to expand my horizons for increments that can be isolated, taught and rewarded in the teaching process, and opened my eyes to the efficacy and finesse of small levels of precisely placed and timed physical corrections to implement reliability. My dogs aren’t perfect, but in general I have the same dog with me in the ring that I have in training.
My dogs, and my students’ dogs have taught me that all methods work on some dogs, but none work on all dogs, or for all people. They have made me aware of what I really want to teach my dogs to do. I want them to learn to be responsive to me in all venues. Every skill they learn for obedience, rally or agility is another place where we practice our communication skills. I don’t want them to guess, or to throw behaviors. I want them to listen to me, to watch me, and to trust that I will explain what I want, and be clear and fair in all of my dealings with them. I don’t want them to be robots, but I don’t want them to see me as a slot machine that they gamble with either. This book is designed to help you achieve understanding and good reliability between dog and trainer through clarity, consistency and creative communication.
For those who are interested in my dogs’ titles, I have had 7 UD dogs, 2 OTCH dogs, 1 UDX 3 dog (the other OTCh dog was prior to the UDX title), one CDX and two CD dogs. In that collection are 9 Shelties, 2 Norwegian Elkhounds and a Dalmatian. 7 of them have been HIT winners. But the ones who were often not the most spectacular performers were extremely good teachers who were quite pointed and consistent about showing me my mistakes. You’ll find those lessons in this book.
Using The Book
This edition is arranged in chapters that have related skills all together. For example, the Recall chapter starts with the beginning recall and progresses through the novice formal recall, fronts and finishes, and the recall for the signal exercise. So if you are an experienced trainer looking for some problem solving help, the progressions are all there in the related chapter; but don’t forget to read through the attention games if reliability is the real issue, and read the positional skills chapters if your problem relates to any of the sits required in part of all recalls, or the down behavior in the open drop on recall (which has its very own chapter).
If you are a less experienced trainer, I recommend reading through the whole book so you get a feel for how the various paths of training eventually converge in the advanced exercises. Then keep in mind that the whole recall chapter will take a while to work through all of the various progressions with your new dog. You will be using the beginnings of many of the chapters congruently in much of your training as you install the advanced skills foundations with your eager youngster. The first recall game, for example, is also a foundation for the run out and come back motion pattern for retrieves. But please, everyone, take the time to read the Foundations chapter first so that you understand the theories, tools and techniques applied in all of the skills throughout the book. Pay attention to the prerequisite skills for each exercise and make sure you haven’t skipped steps. It never pays to skip the steps!
Most of all, read the book for directions, but be sure to read your dog! If you approach every skill as a game that you are playing with your partner that you both will win, you have the right mindset to make the journey the best it can be for both of you.
Table of Contents
1. Foundations: Theory, Techniques and tools …………………………………. 1
Manners first!..............................................................................1
The Basics of Teaching: One Step at a Time ..........................................2
Prior Planning..............................................................................5
Free Shaping or Directed Progression Training? ……………………………………………. …7
“Do you use a clicker?”………………………………………………………………………………………8
Establishing a Complete Communication System …………………………………..……….9
Training Phases............................................................................10
Understanding Corrections…………………………………………………………………..……………11
Teaching your dog to respond to collar pressure………………………..…………………….12
The collar pressure conversation for failure of known commands………………….14
Teaching correct response to collar pops ............................................14
The Proofing Stage………………………………………………………………………..……………………15
Training loops
Correct a failure, or change of plans?……………………………………………………………….16
Expectations and Age-appropriate Training..........................................17
Puppy Classes?………………………………………………………………………..………………………….18
Basic Training Equipment…………………………………………………………..………………………19
Active and passive training aids to collect……………………………….……………………….21
Chutes, dowels, gates, targets, jumps
Error limitation tools………………………………………………………………………………………….22
Flexi leashes and long lines………………………………………..…………………………………….22
How to Be the Trainer Your Dog Deserves……………………………………………….………..26
The Rule of Three…………………………………………………..…………………………………………27
Anticipation and responsive balance………………………….…………………………………….27
2. Attention Skills and Games……………………………..……………………………………………..28
Voluntary attention…………………………………………………………………………..……………..30
Name Recognition……………………………………………………………..……………………………..31
Proofing: Kick the Can game…………………………………………………………………..…..32
Social Distraction Resistance………………………………………………………….…………………34
The Flick Game………………………………………………………………….………………………………35
“Ready”, the On Switch.................................................................37
The Racing game
“Ready” response in heel position…………………………………………………………………..37
Controlled motion…………………………………………………….……………………………………..39
Leave it/ get it cues………………………………………………………….…………………………….40
Conditioning physical attention cues……………………….……………………………………..41
Nose Bridge and Chin to Hand behaviors……………………………………………………..….42
Use and proofing of physical attention cues.........................................45
3. Primary Posture Commands and Signals, Hand Targeting, and Stays………..…47
Sit and release cue………………………………………………………………………….………………..47
Step and Sit……………………………………………………………………………………..………………..49
Transitioning the sit from Trick to Task…………………………………………….……………….50
Sit Signal………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………52
Down……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………54
Down signal, phase 1…………………………………………………….…………………………………..55
Improving speed of response to the verbal Down command………………………….…56
Down signal, phase 2…………………………………………………………………………..…………….58
Completing the formal down signal..................................................59
The finished down signal for utility……………………………………………………………..….61
Stand, the captured stand..............................................................61
Stand in place, or kick back stand………………………………………………….…………………62
Stand signal, backing up in heel position…………………………………….……………………63
Cue discrimination…………………………………………………………….……………………………….64
Adding distance
Stays……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………66
Discrimination, Duration, Distraction Resistance, and Distance
Sit Stay………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………67
Down Stay……………………………………………………………………..………………………………….70
Adding Distractions to Stays………………………………………………………….………………….71
Sit for Exam...............................................................................72
Down for extended time…………………………………………………..……………………………….73
Left -hand Return…………………………………………………………………..………………………….73
Stand Stay…………………………………………………………………..…………………………………….74
Stand for Exam…………………………………………………………………………………………………..75
Hand Targeting………………………………………………………………………..…………………………78
Left Finish and Set-up in Heel Position………………………………..…………………………..80
Proofing Postural Cues………………………………………………………………….…………………..81
4. Recalls, Fronts and Finishes…………………………………………..……………………………….83
Recall Foundation “Get it/ Come” game…………………………….…………………………..83
Add the Sit Front……………………………………………..……………………………………………….84
The Come Fore……………………………………………………………………………………………………86
Proofing the Recall……………………………………….…………………………………………………..86
Come Fore from Stay...................................................................88
Restrained Recall…………………………………………………………………………………………….89
Targeting for Fronts……………………………………………………..…………………………………90
Body awareness exercises for fronts………………………………………………………………92
Chutes: One step fronts, offset fronts……………………………………………………….….93
Dowels: One step fronts, side step fronts……………………………………..……………..94
Weaving fronts...........................................................................95
Switching chutes........................................................................96
Chair fronts……………………………………………………………………………………..……………..98
Revisit the Come Fore, transfer dog to face target for front……………….…….100
Recall zones………………………………………………………………………………………….……….100
Walk backs, toss backs, peek throughs and race releases
Proofing the Recall....................................................................101
Recall Signal…………………………………………………………………………………..……………..106
The Focused Recall……………………………………………………………………..…………………107
Maintaining the Recall……………………………………………………………………….………….108
Finishes: Left...........................................................................108
Right finish..............................................................................112
Maintaining finishes……………………………………………………………………………….……….114
5. Heeling…………………………………………………………………………………….………………………117
Twelve Step Heeling Program Overview…………………………..…………………………….118
From sit to stand with attention………………………………………………………….………..119
Adding steps in the twelve step progression, targeting each step……….………120
Targeting, handler options, dog obligations…………………………………….……………123
Proofing………………………………………………………………………………….………………………124
Hand targeting transition from luring to rewarding behavior...............125
Putting obligatory hand targeting to work.....................................126
Using Collar Pressure for Hand Targeting………………….……………………………..127
Use of toys for heeling rewards..................................................130
“How Strict Do I have to Be About Heeling?”..................................131
Finding Heel Position Shaping Game, part 1..................................131
Finding Heel, part 2: Distracter………………………………………………………….……133
Pace……………………………………………………………………………………..……………………134
Teaching the dog to respond to collar pressure and hand target for turns
and position errors……………………………………………………………………………………135
Teaching lateral rear end motion………………………………………….………………..137
Footwork............................................................................138
Halts.................................................................................139
Adding the dog: The Quasimoto Two-step......................................141
Rally halts to practice footwork……………………………………………………….………142
Troubleshooting halts..............................................................143
About turns..........................................................................143
Left Turns............................................................................146
Left Turn, Dog Skills................................................................146
Rally 270° left turn.................................................................148
Right Turns..........................................................................149
Targeting and reward delivery spots in turns...................................151
Heeling in chutes....................................................................152
Changes of pace transitions………………………………………………….…………………….152
Fast....................................................................................153
Slow...................................................................................154
Reward delivery routes for heeling..............................................155
Figure 8...............................................................................156
Training drills for the Heel Free...................................................159
About heel patterns.................................................................161
Turns in place (Rally pivots, glove and article turns)..........................163
Signal heeling, hand position, and the leash……………………………………….…….166
6. The Drop on Recall………………………………………………………………..…………………..169
Motivating attention and controlled recall speed...............................170
Clarifying correct name response
Stationary drop at distance.........................................................170
Adding distance…………………………………………………………………………………………….171
Ex-pen stop and drop................................................................173
Stop When You Hear Your Name and Prepare to Change Direction
on Recall (Name/ step/ toss game)..............................................174
Putting the Stop and Change Direction into Motion............................177
Using targets to work the stop on recall…………………………………………………….179
Adding the Drop………………………………………………………………………………….……….181
Troubleshooting the Drop on Recall...............................................182
Using a signal for the drop.........................................................184
7. Retrieving the Dumbbell..........................................................186
Assessing your dog’s ability and drive............................................186
The Play Retrieve………………………………………………………………………………..………187
The Shaped Retrieve Foundation………………………………..……………………………..189
Introducing the dumbbell, shaping the approach……………………………………….191
Shaped retrieve progression list...................................................192
The Physically Managed Retrieve……………………………………………………………..….197
Conditioning good attitude to touch and restraint..............................198
Acceptance of the “hold”………………………………………………………………..………….200
The Active Hold.......................................................................202
Correcting the dog for dropping the dumbbell..................................204
The front/ sit without dropping the dumbbell..................................205
Teaching the “Take”……………………………………………………………………………….…..212
Stress management…………………………………………….……………………………………….213
Handling checklist………………………………………………………………………..……………..214
Retrieve Troubleshooting and Proofing...........................................215
Pouncers.............................................................................216
Slow returns.........................................................................221
The sticky dog………………………………………………………………………………………..….222
Varied displays of reluctance…………………………………………………………..………….223
About the Retrieve Over the High Jump……………………………………………………..224
Off center returns...................................................................226
Proofing……………………………………………………………………………………….……………….227
8. Marking Skills and the Directed Retrieve.......................................229
The Mark response, phase 1…………………………………………………………………..……231
Building time.........................................................................234
Phase 2, proofing the mark........................................................235
Alternative mark method..........................................................237
The push and pull of marking…………………………………………………………………….238
Marking drills for gloves and go outs……………………………………………….………..240
The Directed Retrieve…………………………………………………………………………………242
Turns..............................................................................242
Fetch the glove.................................................................243
Troubleshooting the Directed Retrieve………………………………………………………245
9. Teaching Jumping……………………………………………………………………..………………248
Puppy jumping.......................................................................249
Line jumping for mature dogs…………………………………………………………………….250
Using the mark for open and utility jump basics...............................253
Off-center returns...................................................................254
Beginning directed jumping…………………………………………………………………..……255
Off-center jumping..................................................................259
Broad jump, stage 1……………………………………………………………………..…………….260
Getting yourself out of the dog’s cue set to jump..............................262
Adding the turn.......................................................................266
Jumping problems………………………………………………………………………………….…….268
10. Scent Articles........................................................................270
Equipment
Scenting games.......................................................................271
Article introduction………………………………………………………………………..…………..271
Response to errors……………………………………………………………………………………….273
Article rotation……………………………………………………………..…………………………….274
Combining article types………………………………………………….……………………………275
Working on the road……………………………………………………….…………………………..275
Proofing................................................................................276
The MOST important rule……………………………………………..…………………………….278
11. Go Outs and Directed Jumping…………………………………………………………………280
The Task..............................................................................281
Teaching the touch.................................................................283
Commitment to the target........................................................285
Adding distance.....................................................................286
Installing the touch correction…………………………………………………….……………286
The turn and sit.....................................................................286
Stationary name response……………………………………………………….………………..286
Stop on name.......................................................................287
Sit response from 20 feet………………………………………………………………………….288
Send Back to Target................................................................288
Putting the components together……………………………………………………..………289
The turn and sit.....................................................................291
Isolating the sit.....................................................................293
Risks and rewards of various methods for go outs............................295
Putting the go outs and jumps together........................................302
Directed Jumping Failures.......................................................304
Explaining the difference between gloves and go outs......................305
Proofing.............................................................................308
12. Completing the Signal Exercise……………………………………….…………………….310
Proofing signals....................................................................311
Dogs who move forward..........................................................313
Signal handling pointers..........................................................315
13. The Moving Stand................................................................317
The stop………………………………………………………………………………………………..…318
The exam............................................................................319
The call to heel…………………………………………………………………………………….……320
Preventing automatic finishes……………………………………………………………………321
14. Beyond the Training Instructions...............................................322
Analyzing problems and adjusting attitudes………………………………………………322
Planning a training session…………………………………………………………………………325
Problem Analysis Outline……………………………………………………………………………327
Guidelines for matches............................................................328
Training records.....................................................................331
Randomization......................................................................334
Table of Contents
1. Foundations: Theory, Techniques and tools …………………………………. 1
Manners first!..............................................................................1
The Basics of Teaching: One Step at a Time ..........................................2
Prior Planning..............................................................................5
Free Shaping or Directed Progression Training? ……………………………………………. …7
“Do you use a clicker?”………………………………………………………………………………………8
Establishing a Complete Communication System …………………………………..……….9
Training Phases............................................................................10
Understanding Corrections…………………………………………………………………..……………11
Teaching your dog to respond to collar pressure………………………..…………………….12
The collar pressure conversation for failure of known commands………………….14
Teaching correct response to collar pops ............................................14
The Proofing Stage………………………………………………………………………..……………………15
Training loops
Correct a failure, or change of plans?……………………………………………………………….16
Expectations and Age-appropriate Training..........................................17
Puppy Classes?………………………………………………………………………..………………………….18
Basic Training Equipment…………………………………………………………..………………………19
Active and passive training aids to collect……………………………….……………………….21
Chutes, dowels, gates, targets, jumps
Error limitation tools………………………………………………………………………………………….22
Flexi leashes and long lines………………………………………..…………………………………….22
How to Be the Trainer Your Dog Deserves……………………………………………….………..26
The Rule of Three…………………………………………………..…………………………………………27
Anticipation and responsive balance………………………….…………………………………….27
2. Attention Skills and Games……………………………..……………………………………………..28
Voluntary attention…………………………………………………………………………..……………..30
Name Recognition……………………………………………………………..……………………………..31
Proofing: Kick the Can game…………………………………………………………………..…..32
Social Distraction Resistance………………………………………………………….…………………34
The Flick Game………………………………………………………………….………………………………35
“Ready”, the On Switch.................................................................37
The Racing game
“Ready” response in heel position…………………………………………………………………..37
Controlled motion…………………………………………………….……………………………………..39
Leave it/ get it cues………………………………………………………….…………………………….40
Conditioning physical attention cues……………………….……………………………………..41
Nose Bridge and Chin to Hand behaviors……………………………………………………..….42
Use and proofing of physical attention cues.........................................45
3. Primary Posture Commands and Signals, Hand Targeting, and Stays………..…47
Sit and release cue………………………………………………………………………….………………..47
Step and Sit……………………………………………………………………………………..………………..49
Transitioning the sit from Trick to Task…………………………………………….……………….50
Sit Signal………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………52
Down……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………54
Down signal, phase 1…………………………………………………….…………………………………..55
Improving speed of response to the verbal Down command………………………….…56
Down signal, phase 2…………………………………………………………………………..…………….58
Completing the formal down signal..................................................59
The finished down signal for utility……………………………………………………………..….61
Stand, the captured stand..............................................................61
Stand in place, or kick back stand………………………………………………….…………………62
Stand signal, backing up in heel position…………………………………….……………………63
Cue discrimination…………………………………………………………….……………………………….64
Adding distance
Stays……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………66
Discrimination, Duration, Distraction Resistance, and Distance
Sit Stay………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………67
Down Stay……………………………………………………………………..………………………………….70
Adding Distractions to Stays………………………………………………………….………………….71
Sit for Exam...............................................................................72
Down for extended time…………………………………………………..……………………………….73
Left -hand Return…………………………………………………………………..………………………….73
Stand Stay…………………………………………………………………..…………………………………….74
Stand for Exam…………………………………………………………………………………………………..75
Hand Targeting………………………………………………………………………..…………………………78
Left Finish and Set-up in Heel Position………………………………..…………………………..80
Proofing Postural Cues………………………………………………………………….…………………..81
4. Recalls, Fronts and Finishes…………………………………………..……………………………….83
Recall Foundation “Get it/ Come” game…………………………….…………………………..83
Add the Sit Front……………………………………………..……………………………………………….84
The Come Fore……………………………………………………………………………………………………86
Proofing the Recall……………………………………….…………………………………………………..86
Come Fore from Stay...................................................................88
Restrained Recall…………………………………………………………………………………………….89
Targeting for Fronts……………………………………………………..…………………………………90
Body awareness exercises for fronts………………………………………………………………92
Chutes: One step fronts, offset fronts……………………………………………………….….93
Dowels: One step fronts, side step fronts……………………………………..……………..94
Weaving fronts...........................................................................95
Switching chutes........................................................................96
Chair fronts……………………………………………………………………………………..……………..98
Revisit the Come Fore, transfer dog to face target for front……………….…….100
Recall zones………………………………………………………………………………………….……….100
Walk backs, toss backs, peek throughs and race releases
Proofing the Recall....................................................................101
Recall Signal…………………………………………………………………………………..……………..106
The Focused Recall……………………………………………………………………..…………………107
Maintaining the Recall……………………………………………………………………….………….108
Finishes: Left...........................................................................108
Right finish..............................................................................112
Maintaining finishes……………………………………………………………………………….……….114
5. Heeling…………………………………………………………………………………….………………………117
Twelve Step Heeling Program Overview…………………………..…………………………….118
From sit to stand with attention………………………………………………………….………..119
Adding steps in the twelve step progression, targeting each step……….………120
Targeting, handler options, dog obligations…………………………………….……………123
Proofing………………………………………………………………………………….………………………124
Hand targeting transition from luring to rewarding behavior...............125
Putting obligatory hand targeting to work.....................................126
Using Collar Pressure for Hand Targeting………………….……………………………..127
Use of toys for heeling rewards..................................................130
“How Strict Do I have to Be About Heeling?”..................................131
Finding Heel Position Shaping Game, part 1..................................131
Finding Heel, part 2: Distracter………………………………………………………….……133
Pace……………………………………………………………………………………..……………………134
Teaching the dog to respond to collar pressure and hand target for turns
and position errors……………………………………………………………………………………135
Teaching lateral rear end motion………………………………………….………………..137
Footwork............................................................................138
Halts.................................................................................139
Adding the dog: The Quasimoto Two-step......................................141
Rally halts to practice footwork……………………………………………………….………142
Troubleshooting halts..............................................................143
About turns..........................................................................143
Left Turns............................................................................146
Left Turn, Dog Skills................................................................146
Rally 270° left turn.................................................................148
Right Turns..........................................................................149
Targeting and reward delivery spots in turns...................................151
Heeling in chutes....................................................................152
Changes of pace transitions………………………………………………….…………………….152
Fast....................................................................................153
Slow...................................................................................154
Reward delivery routes for heeling..............................................155
Figure 8...............................................................................156
Training drills for the Heel Free...................................................159
About heel patterns.................................................................161
Turns in place (Rally pivots, glove and article turns)..........................163
Signal heeling, hand position, and the leash……………………………………….…….166
6. The Drop on Recall………………………………………………………………..…………………..169
Motivating attention and controlled recall speed...............................170
Clarifying correct name response
Stationary drop at distance.........................................................170
Adding distance…………………………………………………………………………………………….171
Ex-pen stop and drop................................................................173
Stop When You Hear Your Name and Prepare to Change Direction
on Recall (Name/ step/ toss game)..............................................174
Putting the Stop and Change Direction into Motion............................177
Using targets to work the stop on recall…………………………………………………….179
Adding the Drop………………………………………………………………………………….……….181
Troubleshooting the Drop on Recall...............................................182
Using a signal for the drop.........................................................184
7. Retrieving the Dumbbell..........................................................186
Assessing your dog’s ability and drive............................................186
The Play Retrieve………………………………………………………………………………..………187
The Shaped Retrieve Foundation………………………………..……………………………..189
Introducing the dumbbell, shaping the approach……………………………………….191
Shaped retrieve progression list...................................................192
The Physically Managed Retrieve……………………………………………………………..….197
Conditioning good attitude to touch and restraint..............................198
Acceptance of the “hold”………………………………………………………………..………….200
The Active Hold.......................................................................202
Correcting the dog for dropping the dumbbell..................................204
The front/ sit without dropping the dumbbell..................................205
Teaching the “Take”……………………………………………………………………………….…..212
Stress management…………………………………………….……………………………………….213
Handling checklist………………………………………………………………………..……………..214
Retrieve Troubleshooting and Proofing...........................................215
Pouncers.............................................................................216
Slow returns.........................................................................221
The sticky dog………………………………………………………………………………………..….222
Varied displays of reluctance…………………………………………………………..………….223
About the Retrieve Over the High Jump……………………………………………………..224
Off center returns...................................................................226
Proofing……………………………………………………………………………………….……………….227
8. Marking Skills and the Directed Retrieve.......................................229
The Mark response, phase 1…………………………………………………………………..……231
Building time.........................................................................234
Phase 2, proofing the mark........................................................235
Alternative mark method..........................................................237
The push and pull of marking…………………………………………………………………….238
Marking drills for gloves and go outs……………………………………………….………..240
The Directed Retrieve…………………………………………………………………………………242
Turns..............................................................................242
Fetch the glove.................................................................243
Troubleshooting the Directed Retrieve………………………………………………………245
9. Teaching Jumping……………………………………………………………………..………………248
Puppy jumping.......................................................................249
Line jumping for mature dogs…………………………………………………………………….250
Using the mark for open and utility jump basics...............................253
Off-center returns...................................................................254
Beginning directed jumping…………………………………………………………………..……255
Off-center jumping..................................................................259
Broad jump, stage 1……………………………………………………………………..…………….260
Getting yourself out of the dog’s cue set to jump..............................262
Adding the turn.......................................................................266
Jumping problems………………………………………………………………………………….…….268
10. Scent Articles........................................................................270
Equipment
Scenting games.......................................................................271
Article introduction………………………………………………………………………..…………..271
Response to errors……………………………………………………………………………………….273
Article rotation……………………………………………………………..…………………………….274
Combining article types………………………………………………….……………………………275
Working on the road……………………………………………………….…………………………..275
Proofing................................................................................276
The MOST important rule……………………………………………..…………………………….278
11. Go Outs and Directed Jumping…………………………………………………………………280
The Task..............................................................................281
Teaching the touch.................................................................283
Commitment to the target........................................................285
Adding distance.....................................................................286
Installing the touch correction…………………………………………………….……………286
The turn and sit.....................................................................286
Stationary name response……………………………………………………….………………..286
Stop on name.......................................................................287
Sit response from 20 feet………………………………………………………………………….288
Send Back to Target................................................................288
Putting the components together……………………………………………………..………289
The turn and sit.....................................................................291
Isolating the sit.....................................................................293
Risks and rewards of various methods for go outs............................295
Putting the go outs and jumps together........................................302
Directed Jumping Failures.......................................................304
Explaining the difference between gloves and go outs......................305
Proofing.............................................................................308
12. Completing the Signal Exercise……………………………………….…………………….310
Proofing signals....................................................................311
Dogs who move forward..........................................................313
Signal handling pointers..........................................................315
13. The Moving Stand................................................................317
The stop………………………………………………………………………………………………..…318
The exam............................................................................319
The call to heel…………………………………………………………………………………….……320
Preventing automatic finishes……………………………………………………………………321
14. Beyond the Training Instructions...............................................322
Analyzing problems and adjusting attitudes………………………………………………322
Planning a training session…………………………………………………………………………325
Problem Analysis Outline……………………………………………………………………………327
Guidelines for matches............................................................328
Training records.....................................................................331
Randomization......................................................................334