Clean Run - February 2018 - 13

separately, we start combining techniques, but again, we start with just one
piece for each technique. For example, the
My Intelligent Dogs Bone Carousel has
two types of cones (one the dog must lift
or turn over, and one the dog must slide
and then lift) and a turning wheel. First
we teach the dog how to turn over one
cone, then we add another cone of the
same type, and so on. Once the dog can
patiently turn over all of that type of cone,
we clear the board and introduce one of
the cones he must shove or slide before
lifting. With success, we add one cone
at a time. Then we clear the board again
and introduce the spinning wheel. Once
the dog understands the three techniques,
we can start combining the techniques he
must use, but we go back to using only
one game piece for each.

First we teach the dog how to turn over a single cone, and then we add another.
Then we teach him how to use the other type of cone and the spinning wheel.

When well taught, your dog will stay
calm and think when there is something different or a new combination
in a game, and he will use his problem
solving skills. You can see tutorials of
the different techniques required on the
Woof@Work YouTube channel.
Our golden rule in this is: keep motivation high and prevent frustration.

Brain Games and Sporting Dogs
Your sporting dog can benefit from
playing a brain game to help him recover from the adrenaline rush he gets
while working. Using his nose to smell
and search, and using his brain to solve
a problem, are activities that will calm
him down and get his body and mind
at peace again. By playing brain games,
your dog will also learn to concentrate
longer which is a benefit for dog sports,
and life in general. You can also easily
combine playing brain games with impulse control training sessions.
You can use brain games in training sessions; for example, in flyball. A flyball
team in training is a barking high-energy bunch of dogs. To keep the dogs from
driving themselves crazy and to allow
students to hear the instructor talk, you
can give the dogs a "timeout" and let
them play a game between turns. It will
be a lot more peaceful in your training,
the dog owners can catch their breath,
and the instructor can talk on a normal
tone. Of course, you have to instruct the
dog owners in how to use these games
February 18 | Clean Run

To help the dog learn how to open the drawer, we made a longer handle
and attached a treat to it.

and the games must be placed in a safe
area where the dog can work on the puzzle in peace.
When your sporting dog isn't able to
work for a while due to an injury, brain
games can be a big help in recovery. You
just need to be sure you offer the games
in a way that doesn't cause any stress for
the dog, mental or physical. For example,
if you have a big dog with a shoulder injury, giving him a game to solve on the
floor won't benefit his recovery because
it will put stress on his shoulder. Place
the game on a pile of books or a stool so
that it's at his shoulder height and easy
for him to access. Use anti-skid matting
under the game so the game is stable and
the dog doesn't have to "chase it."
Observing your dog while he is playing
these games gives you great insight about
how your dog learns, what his favorite
technique is, and what is his favorite kind

of treat. How does he cope when something doesn't go as planned? How is your
dog's posture? Most dogs have what we
call "game ears," which are ears pointing forward in a relaxed way, with neutral body language-they have only one
thing on their mind, solving this game.

Puppies
For puppies, even solving the simplest of
games is a hard job. They can't concentrate
very long and everyday life is already a lot
for them to cope with. Introducing brain
games to young puppies consists only of
showing them the different materials used
and later on teaching the basics in a very
calm way. Puppies that learn to deal with
brain games and who learn to know different materials are less likely to shred or
destroy things that don't belong to them.
Waiting for the owner to prepare the game
and then solving it together is great for
bonding and trust.
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - February 2018