Clean Run Magazine - June 2008 - 29

The Push Back & Jam (PB & J) This is a great game to start with your dog’s dinner dish. Put the dish with a high-value reward in it (like his dinner or half of his dinner) on the floor, 5' or 6' away from your dog. Back up to your dog and place the hand nearest the dog on his chest. Then push him back and run toward the bowl, allowing him to dig in. Once you have conditioned this game at dinner time, take the show on the road. Play it not only with his dinner dish but also any high-value reward he likes, such as a cookie, a chance to get in the car, or go for a walk. Let the stimulus of your hand on his chest throwing him back make him dig in and drive hard toward you. When you have your dog loving this game, do it in front of a jump. Push back and jam—with the dog chasing you he will have to take the jump ahead of him. When he catches up, you once again reward him and have a big party to celebrate his speed. © FaNNy gott Motivated Hand Targets These are different from regular hand touches in the way the reward is delivered. When performing a regular hand target you present the palm of your hand to your dog, which he touches, and you drop a treat into the hand he just touched. Play this game first until your dog will jump toward your outstretched palm anytime you present it. Once you have built value for the regular hand target (the dog sees value in the nose touch) it is time to try Motivated Hand Targets. Present your hand out to your side; but this time when your dog touches it, do not reward him. Instead, take off running. When he catches up, you guessed it, dole out the treats and good times. This is delaying the dog’s reinforcement while using the value of the reward to get him to chase you. Play this without equipment and then try it in front of a jump, tunnel, or even weave poles to increase excitement to work with you. © sUsa N garret t Tricks of the Trade In addition to these games, use tricks to stimulate focus and enthusiasm from your dog, but make sure they are all responses of action. So, rather than shake a paw, have the dog jump up and hit your hand in the air. Have him jump your leg or arm, weave through your legs, or bark on cue. gott © FaNNy But He Does it at Home Some dogs may show great drive for games at home, but show less at a trial. These are dogs that need more confidence in this highly charged environment. Start a “Drive Journal” for your dog. Write down every environment in which you have had success getting your dog pumped up with one of these games. Start with easy environments, such as your living room, your bedroom, your family room. Build your successes to include your back yard, your front yard, your neighbor’s yard, and as many neighborhood parks as possible. Now go to your instructor’s property. First try the game without any other dogs around. This may mean going there when there are no classes scheduled or an hour before your class. Next, try the trial site the day before the event is scheduled. Plan which games you will use to create focus and excitement in your dog at key times at the trial. For example, I almost never walk into an agility ring with DeCaff. I will use the PB & J or the Quick Change game to rev her up and have her chase me into the ring—not allowing her to focus on anything else but me. However, remember your goal is to first help your dog gain confidence through games at home, and then work at generalizing this confidence to all environments. Allow your dog to dictate the pace you set and avoid rehearsals of the dog’s shutting down by not pressuring the dog to play until he has gained this confidence in less stressful environments. Above all else, make sure you are both having fun! D Every dog Susan Garrett has owned has become a national champion. In total her dogs have won two World Championships and 15 National Championships (11 in the U.S. and 4 in Canada) at 6 different jump heights. She is a highly respected dog trainer, seminar presenter, and writer. Susan shares her life with John Blenkey and their four dogs in Alberton, Ontario, Canada. Her award-winning books and videos can be purchased both through Clean Run (www.cleanrun.com) and her website at www.clickerdogs.com. June 08 | Clean Run 29

http://www.cleanrun.com http://www.clickerdogs.com

Clean Run Magazine - June 2008

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