Clean Run Magazine - May 2008 - 11

BEFORE THINGS GO “WRONG” Educate Yourself If dogs were like bicycles, training would be much easier. A bicycle doesn’t have emotional issues; it doesn’t get afraid of a busy highway. It pretty much steers where you want it to go as long as you lean correctly and turn the handlebars. It stops when you apply the brakes and goes when you pedal. But dogs are not like bicycles. They are living, breathing, and feeling creatures. Bicycles come with the gas, brakes, and steering already installed, while our agility dogs don’t. Agility training should teach teams how to install brakes, steering, and a gas pedal so that we can get around a course or simple exercise. But that means we must have a true understanding of how our dogs learn. They learn according to the principles of operant conditioning and classical conditioning. Understanding what these principles are and how to apply them can help you become a much more successful trainer. Operant conditioning gives you tools to set up contingency plans so that you can fix things before they even have a chance to go wrong, or so that you can formulate a plan to fix an error after it has occurred. Invest in some operant training education materials such as Bob Bailey’s DVD Fundamentals of Animal Training or the book How Dogs Learn by Mary Burch and Jon Bailey. Attend some operant conditioning seminars or workshops, or take some private lessons with an operant agility trainer. Fill your mind with science, not witchcraft recipes gathered from traditional trainers who rely on fear, force, or intimidation to train dogs. Change Your Mindset “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” —Winston Churchill Before things go wrong, realize that a mistake is a learning opportunity for your team. Don’t look at mistakes as something unforgivable; realize they can be starting points from which you can really put your team together. When disappointment, stress, or frustration rises, immediately replace that feeling with something else. When I feel frustration rising up in me I immediately tell myself, “Problem solve!” I envision myself in a Sherlock Holmes outfit, sleuthing my way to the answer. The image relaxes me, and thus my dogs, so we can work together to solve the “wrong.” I preplan this response so that when an error does occur I react appropriately. new journey, stick to it and make the changes needed so you do indeed become the trainer your dog wants you to be. Change Your Behavior “Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” —Brian Tracy To change your dog’s behavior, you must change yours. That process starts with education and changing your mindset, but it also requires that you develop better mechanical skills. Working in front of a mirror, practice being quiet and still with your body until after you have marked or clicked a behavior from an imaginary dog. Before you get your dog out to train, practice throwing reinforcers accurately to precise locations. Learn to control your body more precisely to cue your dog on course by practicing without your dog until all your handling steps are fluent. You can also work on your timing when doing this nondog work. Try to imagine where your dog will be when you execute that perfect front cross or when you start to cue your rear cross. There are many articles and books about mental imagery, also called visualization or mental rehearsal, as it applies to sports. Applying the principles of mental imagery has been proven to increase your physical skills. Watch lots of video footage of smooth agility handlers to ingrain in your mind how it is suppose to look. Eric Larson has a wonderful free website at www.agilityvideoservice.com, where you can watch agility videos. Invest in a simple camcorder and start to tape not only your trial runs but your training as well. Watch your clips in regular speed several times, then at © PHOTOGRAPHY BY LESLEY There are many books and tapes available to help you deal with changing your mindset and working through disappointment and stress. I have read books by Jane Savoie as well as Lanny Bassham, and I use many of their tips. There is a huge array of free articles on the web that are available as well. Whatever avenue you choose to start your May 08 | Clean Run 11

http://www.agilityvideoservice.com

Clean Run Magazine - May 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - May 2008