Friday, July 31, 2009

Keys to Success from Petra Ford

Petra Ford and Tyler won the 2008 AKC National Obedience Invitational. Perta Ford was interviewed by Vita Allison (Dog Sport (Volume 8, Number 4, July/August 2009). Vita asked her what she thought the key to success in this sport was. Pertra answered:

1. Having great trainers! Without my trainers there is no doubt in my mind that Tyler and I would never have come this far.

2. Building a great relationship with your dog. You want to have an equal partnership. It is a trainer's job to be fair, consistent, and build confidence in the dog.

3. Attention to detail without nagging - to be competitive in this sport you must have an eye for detail, but it is very important not to nag or drill the dog.

4. Quality is more important than quantity. I don't always train my dog for a long period of time. I makes sure that my training time is memorable.

Below is video of Petra Ford and Tyler doing Utility in the final round of the National Obedience Invitational.


Thursday, July 30, 2009

Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Entering a Trial by Marie Sawford

The following is an excerpt from "Preparing for the Obedience Ring, Canadian Style! How to prepare for the Obedience Ring at any level" written by Marie Sawford, and published in Dog Sport (Volume 8, Number 4) July/August 2009.

1. Has my dog been consistent in his home training building?
If your dog is not showing consistency in his home environment, it is not likely that it will improve in a new environment.

2. Can he do twice the amount of work?
Your dog should be able to handle doing back-to-back routines without a problem. To clarify, I don't mean 1/2 point deductions I mean keeping mentally focused to do the work twice (one routine followed by the other) and work within the criteria you have set out for him.

3. How many different environments has he trialed in?
Change in environment is a big thing for dogs you need to give the dog as many different scenarios as possible since things come up like crowds behind you, the sun shining behind you making your signals look different, not having enough space as you are use to for heeling, a different feeling floor or matting While these details don't mean a great deal to us, they will make a big difference to your dog.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Frosting on the Cake


"After training your dog, enjoying the obedience trial experience is also a learned skill."

-- Marsha Houston
"Enjoying the atmosphere at an obedience trial" Dog Sport (Volume 8, Number 4, July/Aug 2009)

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Passing VST/Champion Tracker story by Denise Whitfield

The following is a story written by Denise Whitfield that details her and Dasher's passing the VST tracking test and thereby earning their CT.
Denise Whitfield is a marvelous dog trainer who I have long admired and who I have been fortunate enough to train with. Dasher is
CT OTCH-H Fireside's A Dash Of This, UD, RN, UDX-H.

Here is Denise's and Dasher's Champion Tracker Story in De
nise's own words:


I decided to share the LONG story of Dasher & I's passing VST/CT track with my friends. Obviously it's a topic I'm passionate about, so I held nothing back. I'm not even sorry it's so long. This was a once in a lifetime kind of experience and I know I experienced it because I have an absolutely amazing dog and a wonderful network of friends and family helping us to be our best.

Our "Moment of Truth" turn, aka the "MOT" turn is turn #2. Dash doesn't get to the exact corner because there was a little sports utility vehicle sitting there! Now here's the rest of the story:

Dasher and I were fortunate enough to have our name drawn first in the lottery draw to participate in the Tracking Club of Wisconsin's (aka TCOW) July 5th 2009 VST held on the lovely campus of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. I had entered this test because I knew the test draw would be at 5 a.m. putting the first dog on the track at daybreak. This is my kind of test. I am a morning person and I don't function well in heat. I came up last year and loved the upbeat attitude of the club. These people totally love to track and impart confidence that the VST is attainable. Since I know attitude is everything, I loved the atmosphere here.
Last year, we drew the last track, #8, and ran at 11:30 a.m. in 88 degree heat with a lot of folks milling around the campus. This year, we drew track #1 and dealt more with a.m. dog activity, LOTS squirrels (gasp), usual parking lot contamination from a work place and bicyclists lining up for a race.

We went to our start flag at 5:20 a.m. Dash and I have been trying to improve our start routine by spending more time at the start flag and Dash picking up the start article. Maybe I should say I have been trying to improve the start. Dash wasn't buying into it this particular morning and gave me a look as he sat just behind the start flag that I knew meant "I'm not picking that up....
.now get out of the way...." The start article was a cute little red, white and blue bandanna making the first article cloth. It was tied to the start flag - something a lot of clubs are doing now to keep the start article from being taken by passerbys. When I said "Go to the flag", Dash leaped forward, put his nose down to the flag. sniffed the start article, and as I suspected he would, took off tracking without it! Not the quality time at the start flag I hoped for, but obviously the dog knew what he was doing. I was left trying to yank the article off the start flag with one hand and hanging on for dear life to the tracking line attached to the "Dashing" dog with the other. Down the long first leg we went, confidently tracking in grass, through the morning fog. For those of you not familiar with VST work, the dog must be able to track a combination of vegetation and non-vegetation through an urban setting. The combinations usually include asphalt,concrete, dirt, sidewalks, streets, parking lots etc. There is a significant point in the track lovingly referred to as the "Moment of Truth", or MOT. The MOT consists of a turn on pavement that occurs at least 30 yards in from vegetation, demonstrating the dog's ability to track on non-vegetation. On our passing track, I felt the real moment of truth for ME and my dog was the first turn, on grass. I'm told this is where 50% of VST failure occurs- on grass! So I am proud of the fact that I worked the corner as well as I did in this test because a year ago, I think I would have been the cause of failure in this same situation and given up. Dasher showed loss of scent right as he passed four large boulder type of rocks. Probably our first turn? Timing is everything. I (and DASH) noticed a flurry of squirrel activity in the trees ahead, slightly to our right and MANY squirrels leaping around the base of the trees just off to our left. Dash has HIGH prey drive and this was a real dilemma for him. He was now well past the rocks and as I approached that area, I noticed multiple piles of dog poop and lots of fresh marking on those rocks. I didn't know it at the time, but this was exactly where our 1st turn was - only to the right. Dash and I spent probably 20 minutes working that corner doing the VST dance.....forward, backward, "leave it", "track".....is he searching or tracking? Searching...but for what? The track? The squirrels? Being a dog? He would start to right and get distracted again by the squirrels that seemed to have a condominium right where we were. The track in this area last year went straight ahead. I felt Dash wanted to go to the right, but struggled against the leaping squirrels everytime we started to track that way. Finally, Dash came back behind the rocks. I was able to back up and off to the right we went. The rest of the track would be a piece of cake for us.

The 2nd leg took us across a combination of concrete and asphalt, going along a drive, crossing a sidewalk, parking lot and then up a fl
ight of stairs. Dash was so sure of himself through this whole stretch. Just past the stairs, plastic article #2! Ahead was another sea of asphalt, concrete, several buildings, cars and a little utility vehicle. Dash worked a straight line through all of it, ignored a truck loading dock, and tracked up to ANOTHER little flight of stairs. He checked out a doorway entrance, looked over the railing to the parking lot below, came back down the stairs, checked to the left of the stairs, right of the stairs and then right back up the stairs to the landing and down a concrete ramp on the other side. Full steam ahead. He worked around the little utility vehicle and turned to the right. Now we're on leg #3 and Dash is very determined and tracking with confidence, on all that pavement no less! All the way out the parking lot to a small strip of vegetation, another little parking lot with a few cars, straight across it and to vegetation again! No time to kill in his mind. Through the vegetation, down a grassy hill, to a sidewalk and a street where there were bicyclists starting to gather for a race. Dash hung a left through turn #3 and tracked straight ahead to the #3 metal article!!!! This is now the furthest we've gotten in a VST and I needed to stay focused. I started to get out the start article to re-scent Dash in case this wasn't our track layer's article and Dash gave me one of "those looks" - ya know, like "are kidding me? Have you watched me tracking? Do I look confused? Do I look like I need your help???? Did YOU get us here, or did I??" Point well taken. I put the start article back in my pouch, said "track" and tried to stay out of his way. lol. Up ahead, he would cross another street, onto grass and now actually casted at this corner, hung a determined left and tracked the next 110 yards without hesitation. Of course, the judges and gallery knew this was our last leg and I have to say, I knew it about halfway down the leg. The gallery was dead quiet. I could FEEL the electricity behind us, like what you feel at a tournament or something. I began really keeping my eyes open, scanning for the last article in the unlikely event my dog didn't see it or smell it. That wouldn't happen. Dash pulled hard until he stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face me with the beloved #4 article in his mouth. There are no words to describe that moment. I was in awe of my dog. I was tearful, grateful, ecstatic, euphoric. I have told Dash a thousand times he is MY Champion Tracker. Nice to have the two little letters from AKC with a passing track like this one!

As many of you know, I had foot surgery February 2nd and Dash and I just got back tracking about a month ago. We actually hadn't done more than a 350 yard track since surgery until July 5th! Our passing VST track was 642 yards, 240 non-vegetation. Although the first turn was a lot of work, I was pleased to be able to stay calm and believe in my dog. I know Dash loves to track and is very skilled at it, so all I had to do was stay focused and believe in myself and my dog to work it out.

Since the passing track, many kind folks have e-mailed me interesting statistics such as Dasher became the 201st dog to pass the VST since AKC began awarding the title in 1995. He is the 30th Golden Retriever to do so and the 4th dog in our state to be a Champion Tracker. I am still on Cloud 9 and wanted to share the details with those interested. Thanks for letting me go on.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Things to Think about: When training a low drive dog

Low Drive, Low Motivation, Low Work Ethic dog ---- you know the one. He lags while heeling (especially in the ring), he does everything at a walk (far be it for him to trot and running is OUT of the question), everything he does, he does slowly with his head down, if at all possible. He makes everything look hard and painful. Do you know that dog? I know him too --- in my case his name is Rosco.

Training a low drive, low motivation dog is a challenge. But it is also a blessing. I have learned more from training Rosco than I have from training my two higher drive girls combined.

When training a low drive, low motivation dog remember that teaching him to DO the obedience exercises is only 5% of the battle, the remaining 95% is teaching him HOW to work fast, precisely, and with energy.

While a higher drive dog may offer this type of work (fast, precisely, with energy) naturally or even as a preferred-way of working. Your low drive, low motivation dog must be TAUGHT this.

It is important that you never just ALLOW your low drive, low motivation dog to slowly go through the motions of an exercise. Now here comes the creative part --- you must think of a way to make each part of each exercise a game, in which the dog must run, drive, and exhibit energy. The simplest game can merely be running along side your dog as they are preforming the exercise (say a go-out).

By doing this you are SHOWING your low drive, low motivation dog HOW TO run, drive, and do the exercise in question with energy. By playing these games your are effectively teaching your low drive, low motivation dog how you want the exercise to look and how it should feel when he does it. You are making drive, running, and energy part of the exercise and eventually a habit for him.

So remember: It is important to teach the pieces of the exercise first, it is also important to sometimes make the exercise look formal in the practice so the dog understands how the "picture" will look in the ring. But for low drive, low motivation dogs, like Rosco, there is an additional equally, if not more, important step. You must in addition, teach these dogs how to drive and exhibit energy during each part of each exercises. It is important for them to understand that driving and exhibit energy is a PART of the exercise.

Now the good news: I believe it is easier to get BETTER scores with a low drive, low motivation dog. Yes believe it or not, that is what I think. The reason? If you take the time required to teach a low drive, low motivation dog to drive and exhibit energy during each part of each exercise than this dog (unlike a higher energy dog) understands that energy and drive are PART of the exercise. Lets consider the dog returning to you with a dumbbell or scent article. A low drive, low motivation dog must be TAUGHT to RUN with the dumbbell or scent article in his mouth, since he will not choose to do this naturally. He must LEARN how to do this properly. It becomes a habit for him, but he also understands that RUNNING is PART of this exercise. It is something that is un-natural and hard for him to do (not his choice) so he must put thought into that part of the exercise whenever he does it. A higher drive dog, on the other hand, may run with the dumbbell or scent article in his mouth because this is his preferred working style - to run. It is a habit for him, but most importantly it is HIS CHOICE. In the trial setting as he feels more distraction and pressure he may choose to not run. And he would not be wrong to do so, since he was never specifically taught that RUNNING is PART of the exercise.

Just something to think about ...

Monday, July 20, 2009

Obedience Seminar Weekend in IA

Rosco hanging out in his huge new crate (WARE Deluxe Pop-Up Playpen, size= Large, source= Petco.com) at a Celeste Meade Obedience Seminar this last weekend.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Obedience "Drive" by Catherine L. Zinsky

The article below is written by Catherine L. Zinsky and can be viewed on her wonderful website: http://www.gettoready.net/.


The other day I was asked an intriguing question: someone who is getting a new (Golden) puppy asked me what I meant by ‘drive’ in a dog. At first I thought it was a strange question. After all, everyone knows what drive is, right?


Well, her question prompted me to ask some of my colleagues how they define drive. I was delighted by their enthusiasm and appreciation of the question. Here are the responses that were returned to me:


I think 'drive' means how a dog responds to stimulus in his environment, including that given to him by his handler. In some dogs it takes very little stimulus to trigger a response. But I also believe that the dog’s response must be directed to a specific activity. Nowadays everybody wants a 'high drive' dog, but I see many dogs that are termed 'high drive' that I would call just plain hyper because they seem unable to focus and their energy is directed to no specific activity. In my opinion a dog that has 'high drive' must also have ‘directability,’ and to me that means the dog has the ability to follow directions and still satisfy his drive. I guess I think that a dog with 'high drive' must be able to truly enjoy the energy he has instead of looking like he is having his 75th nervous breakdown of the day!

Submitted by Leslie Townsend



Sorry I didn't get my thoughts to you on "drive" but I do think it is a misnomer. Most people mistake a hyper dog as having a lot of drive but I don't think that is true. I would rather have a dog with attitude & confidence.

Submitted by Betty Cunningham




A dog with "want to" . . . who has a strong desire to get out and learn (or do) whatever it is we ask of it, and will not fold because it is corrected for a mistake or called off the wrong behavior.

Submitted by Lesa Storey



Drive in a dog can be equated to the degree of "Want To" in a dog. The more "Want To," the higher the Drive Level will be for a particular activity or behavior. "Want To" is dependent on how motivated the dog is. In other words, the more motivated the dog is, the degree of "Want To" and the level of Drive will increase. Drive, "Want To" and Motivation are all interrelated.

There are two kinds of Drive: Natural Drive and Taught Drive. Natural Drive is what the dog naturally has; and if it is high drive, the dog is generally much easier to teach and work with. This dog is self-motivated to work. However, the trainer must channel this drive into teaching focused attention—a focused attention on the trainer and in the obedience exercises. Taught Drive: a trainer is able to develop Drive in a dog, but it will probably never be as high as a dog with a high level of Natural Drive . Taught Drive takes time and careful, interactive and motivational training of "Want To" in a dog that does not have a Natural High Drive .

Regarding obedience, there is another factor to figure in with Drive: is the dog soft or hard in temperament? Hard, high drive dogs (Ex. "Divot") need careful training, because they can be very independent and "take charge" and want to do things according to their agenda. This type of dog needs to know who the alpha partner is and what the rules of the game are. A soft, high drive dog (Ex. "Twister) is a good combination, as long as you develop a strong, positive relationship between you and the dog. This dog will want to work for you, rather than for himself, plus he has high drive to keep him up and motivated in training and showing. A hard, low drive dog (Ex. Duncan) is difficult to train, as this dog is often stubborn and has a mind of his own and little drive to work with in training. This type of dog has to learn to respect you first and also develop a positive, interactive relationship with you, besides teaching the dog Drive or "Want To". A soft, low drive dog (Ex. Luc), is probably the most difficult to train, as you have to develop a very strong, positive relationship with the dog, where he has total trust and respect for you. Then you have to teach him to have both confidence and drive/ "want to". This type of dog has to learn he can and will do it and also learn to do it with drive and "want to". Not an easy task!

Please note that these four basic types of dogs are just a generalization and there are many dogs who fall somewhere in between these four types.

Submitted by Louise Fox-Meredith



Thanks for asking about drive – it is making me think – as I start looking for a puppy. Good timing. Drive – A dog with DRIVE is one that has an intense interest in its world. I believe puppies with curiosity often develop drive as adults. A dog with drive has stamina, chase (or prey) instinct, and an interest in learning. They naturally try to figure out their world and are confident enough to attack new things with gusto. Dogs with drive also often disregard their own bodies and pain to accomplish a goal. Unfortunately many dogs with drive injure themselves because the goal is so important to them – whatever that goal may be – retrieving a ball or dumbbell, digging a hole after a gopher, rounding up some sheep, flying across a dogwalk, or chasing a plastic bag on a string. Although I want drive in my dogs for training, dogs with drive can have troubles if not well rounded socially. Most people have seen the Border Collie twirling in a run, a Sheltie that fixates on flickering light, or Saluki that runs into the street after a cat. I believe these are examples of misdirected drive.

After writing the above – I realize that most dogs have drive. If it is not visible, it is probably due to illness of some sort. Dogs must have healthy bodies and good temperaments to actively demonstrate drive. Some dogs will work through more pain to demonstrate drive, but most dogs have a goodly amount of natural drive. To help a dog develop the most drive – they need to be kept healthy, given a chance to explore their world at a young age and in a safe environment, they need to be encouraged to learn and rewarded for attaining goals in such a way as to make the attaining the goal an intrinsic attribute.

Submitted by Kathy Moore





When I think of a dog with drive, I see enthusiasm, self-confidence and strong instinctive traits specific for that breed. But, drive is never one thing---rather it’s a combination of hard-wired traits that you hope are evenly balanced. I like Volhard’s breakdown of drive into prey, pack and defense. Too high or low in any of these traits can create an unbalanced dog that will create more challenges for the trainer. But, unfortunately I don’t think there’s any way to accurately predict the strength of these aspects in a young puppy with our tools available. But, we do the best we can with puppy tests, examination of previous generations and a lot of hope

Submitted by Pamela Murphy



Everyone wants a dog with 'drive' but the kind of drive a dog should have for obedience is a variation on the single-minded determination that a dog exhibits when digging furiously for his bone in the back yard. A dog that charges straight out to the water on a go-out because there are ducks swimming out there certainly has drive. Likewise, a dog that runs out to the dumbbell and continues on running after a skateboarder also has a strong prey drive - no doubt about it!

But when we watch an awesome dog with lots of drive at an obedience trial what we are seeing is a dog that is bold, energetic and has a great desire to be engaged in activities with his handler.

A dog that focuses intently on the dumbbell waiting for the command to retrieve and then runs briskly out, snatches it up, turns on a dime and then stares right up at his handler's face when coming to a brisk front. These individual behaviors are taught, but once learned by an energetic dog with a strong desire to work with you, the sky is the limit. The dog has a job to do and gosh darn it, he's going to do it! That's the kind of drive I like!

Submitted by David Zelitsky



Drive? Who knows? I don't believe you can train drive into a dog. That doesn't mean you can't train them to run when they should and look interested, but that dog won't ever look like the dog who is driven to gather up his body and go for it. I think they come hardwired with whatever drive they have. One will stretch out on the couch all day and wait to be called for dinner...and the next one will wake up with a list of things to do, "so-let's-get-going-and-the-sooner-the-better." The best thing that can happen is that you get the one you are comfortable with. Nothing nicer than to be with a K9 partner that you feel in sync with. Can you pick a puppy that will have this drive? Don't know. Maybe not. I do believe it is just as frustrating to a dog to be with someone at the other end of his leash who has a different life rhythm. I personally like high drive but there truly is a limit to how high. "What? You wanted a glove. Here are three."

Submitted by Sandy Walton



And as for my own contribution, it follows: When I look for drive in a dog, I want a dog that has energy, curiosity, and a strong tendency to chase things. A dog with drive should want to push through and not quit, providing the skill/exercise is understood. A dog with drive should have the mental power and the physical energy to get things done. Certainly there are variables and different degrees involved in drive. But enthusiasm, energy, and push are, for me, the fundamental attributes of drive.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Video Taping Training Sessions

I finally dug out my old video camera and started video taping some training sessions this weekend, and I was SHOCKED . . . .
Shocked at what a useful tool it was to video tape a training session,
and Shocked at how atrocious it looked . . . no not the dogs . . . ME.

It was really nice to see my dogs working on video there were a few little things that I was unable to see when I was working with them that showed up clearly on video. Some sloppy things I will have to change.

However what I was not prepared for was to see all the things that I was doing wrong. I discovered that I walk very strangely when my dog is heeling next to me. From the way I am moving it looks like I may have a peg leg. I discovered that I can't run -- all the arm and leg flailing as I hustle to the other end of the ring surly does more to confuse my dogs than to clarify anything. I discovered my utility signals are not consistent, in speed, or location. And worse of all I discovered that I don't like how I interact with my dogs between exercises during training. Once we finish one exercise I praise and get busy thinking about and setting up the next exercises, during this time I totally disconnect with my dogs and they are left to sniff, or plod along behind me, or sit where I last left them aimlessly. I was stunned how much this "in between" time really amounted to over the course of the training session. It was clear that my dogs were learning as much from this dis-connected time as they were from the exercises.

After seeing the first video I made an effort to change the major problems. I attempted to walk more naturally and to relax my left side especially my left shoulder when heeling with my dog (though clearly from the next video this will take more work). For my running issue I attempted to run cleanly and straight and to be conscious of what my arms were doing (I also vowed to start going to the gym again to build up my strength and coordination -- though we will see what becomes of that). I practiced my utility signals in a mirror and will continue to practice without a dog until I am convinced they are consistent. And between exercises I made a concerted effort to stay connected to my dog. I played tug, I worked on their "front" attention for which I use the cue "with me" and reward them giving attention in front, I pushed them around, and I ran around with them, all the while I set up for the next exercise. Training in this way was more exhausting than I expected and I left the ring sweating for the first time in as long as I can remember. It was also clear to me that if I plan to train in this way I will have to plan out my training sessions in far more detail than I am currently doing since I won't be able to disconnect from my dog and think about the next exercise any longer.

Below is a video of me heeling Rosco taken this weekend. I have posted it so that you can have a laugh at my peg-leg walk and my awful about-turns.



Thursday, July 9, 2009

Gear-Up? or Gear-Down? and how to train with this in mind

No matter how much you try to make your training look and feel like a trial to your dog (at least on occasion), chances are you won't be able to replicate every part of the trial environment, and since dogs are very situational, it is therefore likely that your dog will preform differently at a trial than in training.

This is one of the biggest frustration people experience when showing their dogs. A dog that exhibits a wonderful enthusiastic attitude in training may act like he has no idea who you are in a trial. This is a common problem. Don't let yourself believe that your dog doesn't "like" showing, if he likes training there is no reason he shouldn't like showing, what you are seeing is your dog responding to a new and strange situation.

Let us consider the differences between training and trialing. Some are obvious, some are less obvious:
* no toys, treats in the ring during a trial.
* no verbal praise or correction during the exercises during a trial.
* different duration of work expected before praise or reward is given is often different at trial than in training (for example 90 seconds of heeling in trial required, whereas maybe you only do 15 seconds of heeling in training at one time).
* often trial is held at a different time of day than when you usually train (perhaps your dog is accustom to sleeping during that time, say 10am).
* crating and short warm up session at a trial perhaps different from routine used when training.
* perhaps you are in a different place than where you usually train (different mats, smells, lighting, etc....)
* perhaps you are in the same place but now there are new people there (crowds, sounds, new dogs in your dogs club, etc...)
* Your nerves. You maybe stressed, sweating, worried, your tone of voice may be higher, you may smell different.

Some of the above things you can control for, and try to practice for, some of them you just can't. So what can you do . . .
First of all you must know your dog. Presented with new and different situation (some of which are listed above) how is your dog likely to respond? Is he likely to Gear-Up or to Gear-Down?

Gear-Up: Get more excited, more out of control, scatter brained, show more energy and enthusiasm.

Gear-Down: Get worried, sluggish, start to lag, to show avoidance behavior, seem very low energy.

The vast majority of dogs Gear-Down at trials. I often hear people complain about what a wonderful job their dog does heeling at home and how at trial he always lags when heeling or heels with his head down. However some dogs do Gear-Up, and get more excited, perhaps forging on a heel pattern when they never forge in training. Remember that you can't tell if your dog will Gear-Up or Gear-Down from a trial just based on their breed, drive, energy-level, or age. Each dog is different and whether a dog Gears-Up and Gears-Down for a trial is a consequence of how your dog responds to new environments and new situations.

If you are not sure which way your dog is likely to go (Gear-Up or Gear-Down) go to some show-n-gos or enter some trials, you should be able to tell right away. Sometimes just walking your dog around that environment will tell you what you need to know.

All dogs Gear-Up or Gear-Down to various degrees. Some Gear-Up or Down so little you may not notice, others Gear-Up or more likely Down so much that you swear it is a different dog. Rosco is this way, he Gears-Down so much a trial that I don't even recognize him or his working style, this was a problem that plagued us for a long time.

So once you know what you are likely to get from your dog at a trial (Gear-Up or Gear-Down) what can you do about it?

* Increase Your Dogs Confidence about the Exercises:
This is accomplished by Proofing. Remember to spend at least a month proofing all the exercises once your dog knows them and is comfortable doing them well. This will enable your dog to generalize the exercises in different contexts and will greatly increase his comfort level and confidence. There are several good proofing books out there, I really like "The Art of Proofing: Preparing your dog for Obedience Trials" by Adele Yunck. Also see my "Proofing" post May 8, 2009.

* Increasing your dogs comfort level with different trial environments and as many aspects of trialing as possible.
This is accomplished by going to matches and show-n-gos, competing in other venues (like rally), or bringing your dog along when you are competing with another dog. Anything that puts your dog in the trial environment and takes the novelty away from him being in his crate, getting taken out of the crate for a little work or interaction with you in the middle of the day, getting put back into his crate, being surrounded by the sounds and smells of a crowd of people and other dogs.

* How to TRAIN knowing that your dog will Gear-Down at trial.
Now here is the KEY. Training KNOWING your dog will Gear-Down (or Up, see below) at a trial. If you know that your dog is going to be slower, sloppier, lower energy in trial than in training than you must require more than you need from your dog in training. Require even more energy, more precision, more speed in training than you will need to qualify at a trial. If your dog gives you an 8 in training and you get a 4 at a trial make sure you require a 12 in training so that you can get an 8 at a trial. This is especially important for dogs that Gear-Down a lot. Rosco is like this. He works at a trial like someone has "let-all-the-air-out" of him. So I make sure I train with this in mind. In training I ALWAYS require that Rosco jump into the air on his finishes (which requires lots of energy and speed). Despite this Rosco has only once finished by jumping in a trial instead he quickly trots into position, which is fine and we don't lose any points on this. However if I allowed him to quickly trot into finish position in training I am sure he would be slowly walking into finish position in a trial. And if I allowed him to slowly walk into finish position in training I am sure in trial he would stop mid-way through the finish to look around and than sit himself somewhere near finish position. All this is to say make sure you train for MORE energy speed and precision with a dog that you know will GEAR-DOWN in the ring. These dogs should never walk or trot in training everything should be a run. These dogs should never drop their head while heeling or retrieving. These dogs should never do anything slow! Everything should be done with lots of tail wagging, energy and enthusiasm. You may have to do lots of motivational training and maybe even lots of cheer-leading initially to get your dog into this state of mind but this is critically important if you want a nice performance in a trial from a dog that Gears-Down.

There are also things I allow from a Gear-Down dog that I might not otherwise. I ALWAYS LET a Gear-down dog Forge, because this means he is giving more energy and speed and if he gears-down in the ring that Forge will get a bit laggy and result in a perfect heel. Let me be clear at this point I do NOT TEACH a Gear-Down dog to Forge! this is important, you want the dog to understand the exercise, so it is important that he be taught proper heel position, however if my Gear-Down dog is giving me more energy and excitement in training and he is forging, I allow it, I praise it. I don't worry about ever seeing the forge in the ring and I always Value Energy with Gear-Down dogs.

Another thing I like to do with Rosco is I train him when he is tried. I get him really wore out mentally and physically and than I do some training. I find this lowers his energy level and enthusiasm to the levels I usually see at a trial and therefore by teaching him how to work at this level and more importantly, how to work through this level, I find he does a better job working through his low energy level when he Gears-Down at a trial.

* Training knowing that your dog will Gear-Up at trial.
If you know that your dog is going to be more hyper, exhibit higher energy, and put more emphasis on everything he does at a trial. Than it is critically important you get him in a trial-like environment whenever possible so he can become accustom to that type of environment. You also want to get these dogs very accustom to the ring protocol and to the order of exercises in the ring, yes pattern-train if you must. This means lots of run-thrus and show-n-gos. You want the trial to feel familiar and totally comfortable for them such that they can do the exercise in their sleep.

It can be very useful to train your dog while he is in a high energy state to teach him how to think and work despite his brain being scatter and body running a million miles per hour. Perhaps just as your arrive home from work and your dog is crazy and hungry, you can grab a ball or favorite toy and place it in his sight but out of the way, and than attempt to do some obedience exercises with him. This is a much better place and time to teach your dog to work through this hyper state than at a trial.

You must balance your dog's Geared-Up state by staying very calm and quiet yourself. When I work with a Gear-Up dog I make sure I give all my commands very quietly so the dog learns to listen to me and I only give them once. I stay very consistent with my body posture and commands and I also teach the dog a word that begins an exercise like "lets work" or "ready" (which you can use in the ring) and a word that ends an exercise like "okay". I use these consistently so the dog can clearly understand the difference between work-time and play-time. Remember with a Gear-Up dog in the trial setting their brain will be going a million miles per hour and they will need these familiar signals and cues to help ground them. I always tell my Gear-Up dog what we are doing next, I say to my dog "we will be HEELING next ready for HEELING" I do this in training and at the trial between exercises.

I also play a lot of control-at-a-distance games as described in my "Considering Distance in Obedience" post from June 19, 2009 and later "Games for Distance in Obedience" from June 24, 2009. This is important because it establishes your control over your dog at any distance. One last thing you can consider is to choreograph the ring routine completely for a Gear-Up dog such that you are able to make things crystal clear and very familiar for them. You can see more about this in my "Between Exercises: Reconnect, Praise, Relax, Motivate, and Control" post from May 29, 2009, see the last item "control".

Remember that all dogs Gear-Up or Gear-Down for trials to different degrees. The vast majority Gear-Down. So don't let the fact that your dog works differently at a trial, than in training, shock you or frustrate you. Plan ahead for it, and teach your dog to work through it.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

My Dogs




Monday, July 6, 2009

Pace Changes: To Gait Change Transition or Not

This post is intended to be a continuation of the "proper gaiting for heelwork" post from May 18, 2009.

As I wrote in that post, ideally a dog will trot at normal pace, walk in slow pace, and canter in fast pace. This requires a dog to TRANSITION from a walk to a trot, from a trot to a canter, from a canter to a trot, and from a trot to a walk. Smooth and seem less transitions between gaits must be taught and practiced. More about gait change TRANSITIONS below.

Alternatively, remember that by extending or collecting a gait your dog can almost do any gait at any speed (within reason). Also remember that you want to pick your normal walking speed based on your dogs normal trot speed. So, your dog could trot for normal, do a collected trot for the slow pace, and do an extended trot for fast pace. Since obedience rules don't require your dog to change gait only to change pace this is a viable option. The disadvantage of this choice is that there is a chance the dog will not change pace (since they are maintaining the same gait throughout). The advantage is that there are no gait TRANSITIONS to worry about teaching and perfecting.

Videos of both of these alternatives are shown below. Notice that both alternatives are equally successful (and both dogs show in videos below have OTCH titles). The first video is of Bridget and Soupy. You can see that Soupy trots at normal pace, walks in slow pace, and canters in fast pace. Since she changes to a new gait for each pace she must, and does, seamlessly TRANSITIONS between all three different gaits. The second video is of Soupy's son Tailor (sire = Canyon, 2005 litter). Notice that Tailor never transitions gaits. He does the normal at a trot, the slow in a collected trot, and the fast pace in a extended trot.

Soupy (pace change TRANSITIONS)(heeling begins at 3:35)



Tailor (no TRANSITIONS, extension and collection of gait)



It was important to me to show you two closely related dogs (Soupy and her son, Tailor) in the videos above since structure of the dog can and does play a role in whether you choose to teach your dog to transition gaits or not and I didn't want you to be biased by that fact when watching the two alternatives. However that is an important point to remember, you must consider your dogs ability to transition to, and maintain certain gaits (as well as your ability to run fast enough or walk slow enough) when deciding what gaits and gait transitions to use. Remember that you can ALTERNATIVELY teach just ONE SET of gait TRANSITIONS say: walk for slow, TRANSITION, to trot for normal, NO TRANSITION, extended trot for fast. Whatever you choose to do remember to be consistent and require consistency from your dog, they should use the same gaits and/or the same extension or collection at each pace each time (see post "proper gaiting for heelwork" May 18, 2009 for more info).

Pace Change TRANSITIONS:


Consider the images above. Notice that to TRANSITION from the Walk to the Trot (a suspended trot is shown) the dog must drop his rear (put more weight into his rear end) and increase the angulation of his rear legs (rear legs are reaching further back). To transition from a trot to a canter the dog must further drop his rear, such that his front legs are able to come free off the ground and the dog must be going fast enough such that he can extend his body (legs reaching back and legs reaching forward at same time).
The images above along with a lot more information can be found at:
http://www.shawlein.com/The_Standard/09_Movement_1/Movement_1.html
For more information you may also want to look at:
http://rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2009/02/08/rsif.2008.0328.full
http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/saortho/chapter_91/91mast.htm

Teaching Pace Change TRANSITIONS:
Slow to Normal Transition:
* When I teach the slow pace(walk) to normal pace(trot) transition I begin by heeling the dog in a clockwise circle (dog on the outside). I want my dog in Slow or walk gait. By heeling the dog on the outside of the circle I have to go very slow for my dog to go slow (walk). Than I simply heel away or out of the circle (no turns just continue going straight on one side) at my normal pace. I encourage my dog to drive up and out of the circle into normal pace (trot). I want my dog to drive up so often I treat up and slightly in front of me just at the transition moment (remember you want the dog to drop his rear and increase the angulation of his legs). I don't ask for a jump into my hand as I do with jumping heel starts (post May 15, 2009). But I do ask him to drive up and forward. I do this first at the moment of transition and than start to require a few steps at the new normal pace (dog in trot) before I treat. I also often give small upwards tugs on the leash (not pops) just little nudges and encourage my dog ("up, up, up") in a sweet way. I NEVER look at my dogs. I am teaching them what my body will look like as I move from slow to normal so I want to make sure I keep the picture as clear and consistent for them as possible.
Normal to Fast Transition:
I teach normal to fast transition in much the same way except now I will enter a counter clockwise (dog on the inside circle). I begin by heeling my dog forward at normal pace (dog in trot) and than I go into my fast pace (my dogs canter pace) at the same time I start making a counter clockwise circle (dog on the inside). You may want to practice this without your dog first to get it right. As before I encourage my dog to drive up and forward. Only this time I will allow my dog to jump into my hand as with heel starts if needed. I may even take one skip step before I go into my fast pace to encourage my dog up. It is important for the dog to completely free his front legs in order to transition into a canter so I encourage jumping and lifting by skipping or asking for him to jump into my hand. Remember again DON'T LOOK at your dog and keep your movement and pace as natural as possible.
Normal to Slow Transition:
* I teach the normal to slow transition in by heeling my dog forward and than just at the point of transition entering a counter-clockwise circle (dog on the outside) and at the same time starting to put sustained pressure forward on the leash. By pulling gently forward on the leash the dog will resist backward and this will shift his weight forward, leading to resistance from the front, and force his legs under him, and allow him to shift to a slow pace (walk). Remember this leash pull should be as gentle as possible, it should not be strong enough for the dog to drop his head in order to resist it, and should be as centered (from the middle of his body) as possible. I release and praise right away initially, eventually I require a few steps in slow (walk) before I release.
Fast to Normal Transition:
* Moving on the clockwise circle (dog on the inside) in fast (dog in canter). I do much the same thing as above, I walk out of the circle continue straight as I shift to normal pace (dogs trot) and at the same time I apply and maintain a gentle forward pressure on the leash that the dog will resist and which results in the proper body movements that will allow the dog to transition to a trot. Remember that you don't want the dog to transition all the way to a slow (walk) so you will have to modulate the pressure appropriately. DON'T LOOK DOWN at your dog when doing this.

Remember that whether you want your dog to transition gaits during pace change transitions is totally up to you. Whatever you decide on should be the same each time, don't let your dog extend a trot one day for fast and gait transition to a canter on another day. Consistency is the key. If you do plan or requiring pace change transitions from your dog take time to teach them so that your dog understands what is expected of him and that they are as smooth and natural as possible. It can be very useful to video tape your pace change transitions or to work in front of a mirror so that you can keep track of how the dog is moving his body. Also notice that I do my slow and fast paces on circles (counter-clockwise and clockwise respectively) initially and only my normal in a straight line.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Results of Training

In her book "Building A Bridge from Training to Testing" written with Shalini Bosbyshell, Marsha Smith writes;


The results of your training are based on:
Dog Talent + Human Talent + Time Spent Practicing.

where talent is the capacity or ability to perform the exercises, a combination of natural aptitude and learned skills.


This quote is one of the many parts of this book that has stayed with me. I really like it and I believe it is probably true. I like the idea that no matter what type of dog you have, and no matter your own short comings as a trainer, if you spend enough time thoughtfully practicing, you can attain a high level of success in your training. On the other hand remember that no matter how great your ability as a trainer and how talented your dog, if you don't spend time training, practicing, and working at becoming a team, you will not be pleased with the results. Which reminds me -- it is time to go practice with my dogs.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

FCI obedience

The video clips (see link below) show FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale) obedience trials. FCI is the venue that holds obedience trials in most of Europe. Their obedience is very different from ours. If you are interested a copy of the FCI obedience rules complete with a description of the exercises they can be downloaded from
www.dansk-kennel-klub.dk/files/pdf/*Obedience*_Regulations.pdf (Adobe Acrobat) or www.fci.be/uploaded_files/*Obedience*_EN.doc (Microsoft Word). Either document is in English.

http://obeissancecanine.free.fr/videos.htm

The page containing the videos (link above) is in French. But, you don't have to know how to read French to use this site. These videos were taken at the 2006 World Championships (Championnat du Monde 2006).
They are divided by country represented (each box is a different country). Than they are listed by Team (in Bold is the person and dogs name).
And finally they are organized by exercise.
* "suite" = heeling exercises,
* "Grand Carré" = box heeling, one side moving stand, one side moving down, one side moving sit.
* "Rappel" = from down, sit on recall, stand on recall, come directly to heel
* "Enavant" = go out to box, stop command, down command, call to moving heel.
* "Directionnel" = go out to cone/or marker on ground, stop, go retrieve, return to heel,
* "Saut" = retrieve metal dumbbell over high jump, return to heel.
* "Odorat" = scent discrimination
* "Positions" = signals (including sit, down, stand ... order different each time, determined by judge).

Just click on the exercise links to see the video.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Focus, Food, and Fun Philosophies by Patty Ruzzo

  • Ever forward, slowly.
  • Reinforce means strengthen.
  • Behavior that is reinforced (while it is occurring) will increase in intensity, frequency, and duration.
  • Be quick, generous, variable and unpredictable with reinforcement.
  • Food is a powerful reinforcer. Be generous! Pair delicious food with smiles, compliments, touch, applause, and appreciation.
  • Dogs learn by association--Pair all things wonderful with Obedience.
  • To maximize results use a variety of high-magnitude, delicious treats. ie small pieces of (cooked) roast beef, pork, chicken or turkey, cubes of cheddar cheese, toast or leftover pizza, and cheese tortellini and homemade liver, turkey or salmon brownies. How about peanut butter to reinforce stays, or several small pieces of bacon. Yum! Yum!
  • Continuous use of reinforcement, lasting 7-17 seconds, while the dog is in an Obedience position, really makes an impact.
  • Soft textured food (rather than crispy) works best. Faster to swallow and no crumbs falling to the floor.
  • Cookie viewing is not reinforcing to the dog. Give him/her the cookie!
  • In the sport of competition Obedience, there is a process (training) and a product (showing). Enjoy both.
  • Be a handler who is clear, concise, and consistent.
  • Got a problem? Put a cookie on it!