Clean Run Magazine - February 2009 - 15

Instructor ng an Agility Bei It’s Not Just About Dog Training By Debbie Harrison cs Recognizing that although we refer to ourselves as dog trainers, in reality we are human trainers as well—we are human educators. Our local dog training club has a slogan: “We teach you to train your dog.” Nothing truer can be said. The agility instructor is (at best) training the dog only secondarily; the instructor is training the handler to train the dog. Further, the skills that enable us to be successful trainers and competitors with our own dogs are not the all-inclusive skills we need to be successful instructors. We all know folks who are better trainers and competitors than instructors and vice versa. But the good news is that you can be highly successful as a trainer, competitor, and instructor, but it takes commitment and learning. e of Et h Canine & n ma Hu n Laws of Learni Code of Ethics Reviewing the National Education Association’s Code of Ethics of the Education Profession Preamble at www.nea.org/home/10531.htm is thought-provoking. This is the prominent code of ethics for teachers in the human education eld. Since we are educating humans, many principles of that code complement agility instruction. Following are a few examples. “Shall make reasonable eﬀort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning or health and safety.” This is akin to the more common adage, “Do no harm.” But what is entailed in this phrase? • Do no harm to the dog and handler physically. Dog and handler safety is paramount. Dogs should be acclimated and progressively trained on all equipment so that they have a thorough understanding of performing an obstacle before they are asked to perform it at speed, at full height, or from di cult approaches. Handlers need to be educated on the importance of being careful and aware of the equipment and other teams around them. Tripping over the tunnel sandbags, legs of the tire, or other low-lying equipment is common. Handlers are so involved in what they are doing with the dog they forget about the terrain. • Do no harm to the handler and dog relationship. The class atmosphere, exercises, and instruction should serve to enhance and further develop the bond between handler and dog in a positive manner. Creating a team is the goal, not destroying or breaking down the relationship. • Do no harm to the dog’s learning process. Use training methods that will create a exible, thinking, participating canine partner. • Do no harm to the handler’s learning process. Human psychological needs vary, but generally, people want to connect socially, to be part of the group, to understand, and to succeed. Instructors must meet these needs so that the human student can nd the class a bene cial and pleasurable learning experience. February 09 | Clean Run “Shall not intentionally expose the student to embarrassment or disparagement.” All students, human and canine, deserve the utmost respect for their questions and attempts. No one should feel belittled or demoralized. All deserve respect and credit for trying. “Shall not unreasonably deny the student’s access to varying points of view.” Information sources on agility nowadays are astounding, from this monthly publication to seminars, books, DVDs, camps, email chat lists, and so on. We need to make our students aware of this ever-growing list of opportunities for expanding their knowledge. “…the educator shall exert every eﬀort to raise professional standards…” The NEA Code of Ethics’ Principle II, “Commitment to the Profession,” describes the educators’ necessary commitment to continuing education and raising the professional standards. Becoming an instructor is just the rst step Na tur e g 15 How do you go from training and competing with your own dogs to being a competent, supportive agility instructor for students (both canine and human) of all sizes and types? If those students have widely varying levels of experience, commitment, skills, and goals, how do you teach them all? Good Instructor Cod i

http://www.nea.org/home/10531.htm

Clean Run Magazine - February 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - February 2009