Clean Run Magazine - July 2007 - 18

Introducing Hit and Go Until now, when he hits the touch board, we’ve been rewarding the dog immediately with either food or a toy. It is important for the dogs to learn that we can also reward them for a correct touch board performance by sending them to the next obstacle in sequence. If we are to use other pieces of equipment as rewards for the dog, we must be sure the dog finds it reinforcing to take that other obstacle. Placement and timing of the dog’s primary reinforcer immediately after his completion of the obstacle that follows the touch board performance will ensure that your dog understands going on to another obstacle is a form of reward. When the touch board is performed incorrectly, the dog will receive no mark, no reinforcement, no food, no toy, and no other obstacle. This concept must be completely taught because you must be sure when you start to sequence obstacles before and then after the touch board that the absence of food or a toy does not indicate to the dog that he has made a mistake. Plus, it’s your responsibility to train the “hit it” behavior well enough so that it will not break down in the absence of food or a toy. For these reasons, I teach a game that dogs have a lot of fun with and we’ll be using it to teach this concept. This exercise also helps handlers develop an eye for correct performance when in motion. Two Tunnels Racing through a tunnel will encourage your dog to extend his stride. This exercise allows him to practice locating the touch board with an extended stride. Set up two C-shaped tunnels about 30' apart with the touch board on the ground between them. You can practice front crosses coming out of a tunnel to the touch board. You can hang back and send the dog in front of you to hit it. You can run alongside your dog, have him hit it, and then do a rear cross at a tunnel. There are so many handling options you can present to your dog in this exercise. I’ll leave the body positions up to you for now. Send the dog through the first tunnel and then to the touch board (always start these tunnel/hit-it exercises with a tunnel to get speed to the touch board). When he hits the board, mark with Yes, immediately followed by Tunnel! When he comes out of the second tunnel, ask for another repetition of Hit It, and this time, reward with food or a toy. Refer to the previous reward placement guide if you’re not sure where to throw your reward. If he misses the board, I like to stop the game, and then do a restrained send to the board. When you release the dog’s collar, move to recreate the same body position you were in when he made the original mistake. Always reward with food or toy on the next correct repetition after a mistake. Next start to change the ratio of tunnel rewards to food/toy rewards. What you did above was 50/50: one time the dog was rewarded with the tunnel, once he was rewarded with food or toy. Now we’re going to do a total of three repetitions of the touch board: the dog will get rewarded with a tunnel on the first two correct hits, and the third rep, he’ll get food or his toy. When you’re successful with this reward schedule, change it! This time, go for a total of four repetitions, and reward the first hit with a tunnel, the second hit with food or toy, the third rep with a tunnel, and the last rep with food or toy. You can now try for a total of five reps, only giving your dog food or toy on the third and fifth repetitions. I like to build my dogs up to being able to hit the board perfectly up to at least 10 times before getting a food or toy reward. Then you really know they’ve got excellent commitment to their touch board and will reliably drive to it in a variety of circumstances.You’re now doing a great job at building your dog’s concentration. You’re increasing his ability to hit the board at speed, and you’re exposing him to many different handling options that he will soon see while traveling down the dogwalk or A-frame. The final article in this three-part series explains how to combine the touch board behavior with obstacle performance. D Ali Roukas-Canova is a full-time agility instructor and co-owner of Mountain Freaks! Agility in Port Murray, New Jersey. Contact her at DaWishie@msn.com. 18 Clean Run | July 07

Clean Run Magazine - July 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - July 2007